Frontier Drive-In
19775 W. 320th Street,
Bethany,
MO
64424
19775 W. 320th Street,
Bethany,
MO
64424
2 people
favorited this theater
The Frontier Drive-In was opened on July 17, 1953 with Joel McRea in “The Lone Hand”. It had a 300 car capacity and was operated by Kerr Theatres. They also operated the Noll Theatre in Bethany. It was closed around 1981.
Contributed by
Randy Studer
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
USGS aerial photo uploaded.
Thanks..rivest266!
Frontier drive in closed up 2-3 yrs before 1985. I believe it closed in 1981or 1982. It closed when i was in 1st or 2nd grade.the theater uotown burned from retirement home funeral next door in 1983. Drive in was already closed then
The Frontier Drive-In was opened in July 1953 according to a note about the 25th anniversary of E. W. Kerr’s Bethany theaters reported in the July 30, 1962 issue of BoxOffice. Frestle Chenoweth was the manager since the Frontier opened. “The screen at the Frontier was replaced following the tornado-like wind of September 1959.”
The May 8, 1954 issue of Boxoffice ran a lengthy article with photos of the Frontier, focusing on the rustic look created by lodge pole pine shipped in from Colorado. “The full-size logs were nailed together with 13-inch nail spikes, then caulking compound was used to seal the cracks between them. They are not finished on the inside, but intentionally left rough. On the outside the logs were given a coat of linseed oil and later varnished.”
Grand Opening for the Frontier Drive-In was on July 17, 1953 with Joel McCrea and Barbara Hale in “The Lone Hand” supported by three Warner Bros. cartoons.