Mulberry Drive-In
4020 Florida 60,
Mulberry,
FL
33860
4020 Florida 60,
Mulberry,
FL
33860
2 people
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: ABC Theatres
Previous Names: Fran-Linn Drive-In
Nearby Theaters
Opened as the Fran Linn Drive-In on January 20, 1953 with Jeanne Crain in “Belles on their Toes”. The Mulberry Drive-In sits along Highway 60 at Turner Road, between Mulberry and Brandon. The giant cement screen tower is visible for a good distance, even when it’s covered with vines during the summer. It appears that the screen had been enlarged at one point, though those additions have fallen off. It was renamed Mulberry Drive-In in 1955.
At the time of my first visit to the theatre around 2001 or so, there was a house located where the concession stand would’ve been. By 2009, that house was gone. The ramps are still visible, as well as some crushed shells for the lot. The screen was demolished in 2011.
Contributed by
Andy
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Recent comments (view all 15 comments)
I posted more images at View link
Thanks drewc. and for the pictures.
From looking at all the photos, it looks like the left side of the wide screen addition is still on the screen, but the right side is gone. What do you think?
The screen is built just like the WOODZO DRIVE-IN in Newport,Tenn.only the WOODZO was painted yellow.
Your welcome Chuck1231. The link to the second photo you posted is from my other Flickr account. They were all shot on the same day.
Video from 1997: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90C71FTs-6g
Approx. address for this drive-in was 4020 Florida 60.
I drove past this site today and saw that the entire screen structure has been removed. All that remains is an empty field.
In the early to mid 1950s my father worked at this theater. I was just 3-5 years old. We lived in Mulberry just a few miles east of the theater. It was my fathers job to open the theater for the evening showing. This was my fathers 2nd job. First, we would first go to the ICE house in Mulberry and pickup a ice for the concession (before commercial ice machines). We then went to the theater and open the concession, crush the ice, put the movie reel (I think we got this from the post office) in the projector room (someone else came a little later and ran the projector). Finally, my dad would go to the ticket booth and begin selling tickets. At that moment, ours was the only car in the theater. Us kids, with my mother would play on the play ground until the movie started. All this happened before sundown. I remember seeing the Creature from the Black Lagoon (scarry) and many others ….
The Fran-Linn, Opened Its Gates On January 20, 1953 With Jeffery Hunter In “Belles On Their Toes” (Listed As “Bells On Her Toes” For Some Odd Error), Unknown If Any Short Subjects Were Added. It Was Renamed The Mulberry Drive-In In 1955.
The Closing Date Is Completely Unrecognizable, Due To The Tampa Tribune Not Completely Demonstrating Any Showings.
Nearly Half Of The Screen Was Gone, Possibly Because Of Unknown Reasons. It Was Demolished In 2011, Possibly Because Of Views Of The Screen Around The Time Captured By Google Maps Showing The Outskirts Of The Tower Loose, Possibly For Collapsing. It Was Completely Demolished By The End Of The Year.
Today, Partial Traces Can Be Seen.