Crescent Drive-In

4275 S. Treadaway Boulevard,
Abilene, TX 79602

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Video Independent Theaters Inc.

Previous Names: Crescent Arts Theatre

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Crescent Drive-In

The Crescent Drive-In was opened February 5, 1952 with Cornel Wilde in “Four Day Leave”. In the later-1960’s it played adult films and was known as the Crescent Art Theatre. This was followed by Spanish speaking films and back to the name Crescent Drive-In until it closed May 29, 1977. In the late-1970’s it was operated by Video Independent Theatres.

Contributed by Chuck

Recent comments (view all 9 comments)

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on April 23, 2010 at 9:18 pm

The Crescent Drive-in parked 400 cars and in the late fifties it was owned by O.M. Kirkeby.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on April 23, 2010 at 9:41 pm

Thanks again Mike.

Ret. AKC (NAC) CCC Bob Jensen, Manteno, Illinois
Ret. AKC (NAC) CCC Bob Jensen, Manteno, Illinois on May 3, 2010 at 10:37 pm

Can anyone come up with an address or a crossroad so we can pinpoint the site of this drive-in?

NYozoner
NYozoner on December 26, 2010 at 8:52 am

The Crescent Drive-in was located at 4275 S Treadaway Blvd, Abilene, TX 79602.

This address will map to the exact location of the drive-in. S. Treadwell Blvd was formerly Hwy 83, before the bypass was built.

Here is an aerial photo from 1954, courtesy of Earth Explorer and USGS:

http://flic.kr/p/94GyU4

malcolmdbc39
malcolmdbc39 on June 27, 2012 at 9:15 pm

I remember it was painted black and orange. The Crescent tool and supply company is located beside where it was.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on June 3, 2015 at 9:20 am

The operators of the Tower Drive-In, O.M. Kirkeby and R.A. Erickson, decided to build a second drive-in in Abilene in 1951. The proposed name of their $100,000 ozoner was the Cedar Gap Drive-In. But by grand opening on February 5, 1952 the 350-car facility’s name was named after its neighborhood of Crescent Heights as the Crescent Drive-In launching with “Thunderhead: Son of Flicka.” With the Crescent opening, the operators closed the Tower briefly for some repairs.

New operator Katherine Jacobs and Duane Gates ran into some issues with the theater. Improvements made in 1960 were under scrutiny from the land owner. Further scrutiny came when the Crescent started showing adult films and in December of 1961 had its film, “Not Tonight, Henry” impounded by local police. That led to a censorship hearing in January 1962 that went to trial in March with the charges dropped with the film finally returned — albeit very late — to the Dallas Art Film Exchange. After returning to more family-friendly fare, the theater returned to adult films in 1968 rebranding the the theater as Crescent Arts Theater. On November 3, 1968, the Tower and Crescent were sold to Video Independent Theatres Circuit (VIT) which already owned the Key City Drive-In and a month later would also acquire the Town & Country.

In 1969, VIT switched the Crescent Arts back to the Crescent Drive-In Theater showing Spanish language films. It operated the Crescent until just after its 25th Anniversary closing on May 29, 1977. Likely a lease expiration, the Crescent closed as a Spanish-language drive-in with una doble función of “El misterio de la perla negra” and “Mil millones para una rubia.” The theater would quickly be demolido.

malcolmdbc39
malcolmdbc39 on February 9, 2016 at 10:39 am

I recently went out to where the Crescent was located. Digging around I found some orange speaker poles buried up.

rivest266
rivest266 on August 18, 2021 at 11:44 am

Grand opening ad posted.

driveinfan
driveinfan on March 21, 2024 at 7:47 am

The property is still an empty field with no development on it.

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