Yucca Drive-In
781 US-70,
Clovis,
NM
88101
781 US-70,
Clovis,
NM
88101
1 person
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Located on the south side of town. The Yucca Drive-In was opened July 16, 1948 with June Haver in “I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now”. It was operated by W.O. Bearden & Lloyd Franklin. It was closed and demolished by 1983.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 9 comments)
400 cars. Site is now houses.
You can still see the outline, ramps, and the projector booth/concession stand is still present in a Google street view from 2013.
Boxoffice, April 9, 1949: “CLOVIS, N. M. – Final papers were expected to be signed immediately for sale of the Yucca Drive-In here by owner Tom Griffing to Russell Hardwick.”
Yeah Everything Is Still Standing Except For The Screen And Sign. The Screen Wasn’t There In 1997.
More names in Boxoffice, Aug. 21, 1948: “CLOVIS, N. M. – Three Plainview, Tex., men who built the new Yucca Drive-In near here have estimated the total cost of the ozoner at $60,000. The 400-car ozoner, which opened recently, was built and will be operated by John Sands, W. M. Goates and John Blocker.”
Clovis News-Journal, July 4, 1982, in a retrospective: “In 1954 (W.O. Bearden and Lloyd Franklin) bought the Yucca Drive-In on South Prince … in 1979 … The Yucca Drive-In, after 31 years, was closed and dismantled."
Clovis News-Journal, April 24, 2002, in an extended interview with 1-L Loyd Franklin: “In 1954, (Loyd and his partner) acquired the Yucca Drive-In on South Prince that had been built by John Blocker of Plainview, Texas.”
Gee whiz, the Yucca went through a lot of ownership changes in its first 12 months!
Boxoffice, Sept. 25, 1948: “John Blocker … built and opened the Yucca Drive-In this summer at Clovis, N. M., but sold out to Charles C. Wolf. Blocker has been in show business in Texas for a number of years. He once owned and operated the Texas in Abilene, then a night club at Lubbock and from there he went to Clovis.”
A closer address is 781 US-70, Clovis, NM.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right on the property.
A 1979 aerial shows the drive-in intact, but not looking very good so it was probably closed. By 1983, it had been demolished.
Today, sheds are sold on the property with the outline and ramps being the only traces of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/35dza6e5
Opened on 16th July 1948 with “I wonder who’s kissing her now”.