South Drive-In
200 Hatcher Road,
South Pelham,
NC
27311
200 Hatcher Road,
South Pelham,
NC
27311
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Additional Info
Previous Names: Pelham Drive-In
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The Pelham Drive-In was located in the South Pelham district to the south of Danville, actually just south of the Virginia/North Carolina border, so technically in North Carolina. It was opened in 1954 and was operated by J.C. Donahue. It was later renamed South Drive-In.
It was closed in 1987 following several years operating as an adult movie theatre.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
Approx. location for this drive-in was what is now 200 Hatcher Road, Pelham, NC 27311.
The South originally showed mainstream releases, possibly in second-run (though I’m not sure that there was that much of a distinction in Danville, which tended to get movies quite some time after they opened in the major cities).
By the ‘60s, however, they had become an “Adults Only” theater showing softcore films, and by the '70s were showing hardcore.
The ad above from 1973 shows a softcore film “Trader Hornee” second-billed to an R-rated action film. This was a brief period of showing softer material, but hardcore films crept back in and continued for years.
The North had a similar fling with “Adults Only” fare as “The North Art” for a few years, but by 1973 was “The North ‘Action’ House” showing horror and blaxploitation and martial-arts films.
The North and the South were Danville’s equivalent to 42nd St. “grindhouses” at one point.
More information here
The drive-in was still intact in 1982. By 1994, it had been completely demolished.
Today, it is an open field with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
Opened on 30th July 1954 with “Devil’s Canyon”. Closed in 1987.
400 cars.