Wadsworth Indoor Drive-In

i would like to know which drive-ins and indoor theatres in colorado had shown star wars the first one

I’ve put together a booking history for the Wadsworth Drive-in, from 1954 up to 1978 so far, in case anyone might like to know when a particular movie played there. I’ll be happy to share my research with you. Take care – Ken Mitchell ()

Billboard, Aug. 28, 1954:

One of the largest drive-in crowds of the season jammed L. K. Lee’s Wadsworth Drive-In in Denver recently for the opening of a week’s run of “Bob and Sally.” Opening night saw cars lined up for more than 30 blocks with an estimated 500 cars turned away from the educational film on marital relations. A slight objection raised by church and civic groups in the suburb where the theater is located did nothing to hurt the box office. This latest addition to the Lee chain has had a tough uphill fight for its share of the auto theater trade in a city already boasting over 20 well established drive-in’s, but manager Walter Wright is beginning to see results of an extensive promotion campaign. Radio and newspaper advertising are keeping the theater’s name in front of the public, but a permanent policy of allowing every 50th car in free helps develop location identification.

The saga continued. From the Apr. 21, 1956 Motion Picture Herald:

Merf Evans, manager of the Denham, has formed A-Best-Drive-In, Inc., and the company has leased the closed Wadsworth, a 1,000-car drive-in, in a Denver suburb, for 10 years. Terms of the lease are for nine per cent of ticket sales, five per cent of concession income, and 25 per cent of net profits before income taxes. Evans is president of the company and will be managing director.

There’s a large article, over two pages with photos, about the construction of the Wadsworth in the June 5, 1954 Better Theatres Section of the Motion Picture Herald. It concludes by noting that C. K. Lee, head of Lee Theatres, Inc., Denver, “owner of the theatre, also has two Colorado Springs drive-ins and the Monaca (sic), Denver.”

The Wadsworth drive in had another unusual feature that not many Drive ins had…the original screen was replaced by 1959 with one of the rare “MANCO-VISION” silver screens. These screens were said to offer 300% more light than a traditional white screen. They were made of thick extruded aluminum panels that were quite narrow. These screens were ok in the dry climates such as here in Arvada but oxidized in damp locations. Besides the Wadsworth, these silver screens were installed at the Tonto drive in theatre in Winslow Arizona and the Valley drive in theatre in Farmington New Mexico. Both locations have since been demolished.

Dear Mr Vazquez-Hernandez,

As concerns address verification, if you look at the very uppermost tip of the marquee shown in the photograph for the Wadsworth Drive-in, then you will see that the street number is indeed 5050 Wadsworth. The 5050 is placed just above the “W” in Wadsworth which forms the vertical downstroke at the right of the marquee.

Also, your union operator is correct that the exit ramp from westbound I-70 onto present day north- and southbound Wadsworth is built on the ground which comprised the southern perimeter fence of the drive-in. The present day concrete wall and placard which announce that you are entering the City of Arvada rest on the ground where the Wadsworth Drive-in marquee originally stood. The marquee was placed so that it was easily visible from both Interstate 70 and Wadsworth.

The 5100 Wadsworth address that was on the duplicate listing for this theatre that was recently remove is, I believe, much more likely the correct/closer to correct address than the 5050 that is listed here now. The listings for this theatre on Cinematour and drive-ins.com also have 5100 as the address. One long time union operator in the area who worked several shifts here says that one of the exit/entrance ramps to I-70 from Wadsworth sits on part of the old theatre site. I’m not presently able to find an address on any of my artifacts, documents or ephemera or online that provides and address for the theatre. Does anyone have access to a source to verify the address?

Also, there was a really cool old arial veiw of the theatre that was on the duplicate listing but unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like it was moved over here. Is it stil available that someone can repost it?

Last but not least, this was an old Wolberg Theatres/Compass Drive-In Theatres and the description/ previous operators part of this listing should be updated to reflect this.