Starlight Drive-In
947 W. 4th Street,
Chadron,
NE
69337
947 W. 4th Street,
Chadron,
NE
69337
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The Starlite Drive-In opened August 28, 1952 despite protestors trying to prevent that from happening. The opening films were Anthony Steel in “Ivory Hunter” supported by the shorts “Caribbean Sentinel” and the Woody Woodpecker cartoon, “Chew-Chew Baby.” The protests appeared to come from the operator of the Stockade which had just opened two months earlier and felt that Black Hills Amusement was simply trying to undercut his business. Black Hills bought the competing and independently run Stockade Drive-In prior to the 1957 seasons and continued operation of the Pace Theatre and changed the name of the Starlite to Starlight likely with a new wide-screen screen tower.
Looks like there was another drive-in before the Starlight.
Boxoffice, July 12, 1952: “Joe Sikes has opened his new Stockade outdoor theatre, with 250-car capacity, which cost about $50,000, at Chadron, Neb.”
And the following week, Boxoffice indicated that Black Hills' drive-in in Chadron was unfinished. “The Black Hills Amusement Co. is building drive-ins in many of its towns … They will be about 300-car capacity, with the Chadron job almost ready for opening.”
Boxoffice, June 20, 1977: “Ron Montgomery has been appointed city manager for Commonwealth Theatres in Chadron, Neb., and will be watching over operations in the Eagle Theatre and Starlight Drive-In.”
This is another site where the concession building still remains, in fact for some reason the google street view car drove right up the road and got a great look at it!
Found it. The Drive-In is just on the west side of town approximately 947 West 4th Street. You can still just barely see the general shape and faint outlines of the ramps. https://goo.gl/maps/XgDng