Sunset Drive-In
2501 E. Broadway Avenue,
West Memphis,
AR
72301
2501 E. Broadway Avenue,
West Memphis,
AR
72301
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New construction has wiped out all traces of the drive-in.
The April 9, 1955 issue of Boxoffice ran a lengthy story about the Sunset, owned by Abbott Widdicombe and managed by Bob Kilgore. The drive-in installed “the first Midsouth CinemaScope screen” with a 70x105-foot tower which was so big that radio station KWEM moved its studio into its base. “An ornamental radio transmission tower extends 20 feet above the 70-foot-high screen tower, and the actual transmitting tower is nearby.”
The Sunset Drive-In opened on August 18th, 1950. Grand opening ad posted.
I believe the 70 Drive In was advertised as being 2 miles west of West Memphis. I don’t know any specifics beyond that. It was in operation around 1951, operating in competition I guess with the Sunset. I don’t think it was around but a couple of years.
Iceberg….where was the 70 Drive-In located at?
Was this aka West Memphis Drive-In at one time?
In the early 50’s, there was another drive-in in the West Memphis area, the 70 Drive-in.
The area covered by the drive-in was considerable. The screen was located in the parking lot next door to the auto salvage site. You can still see traces of the outline of the drive-in that emanated from the screen southwest towards what is now an abandoned trailer park. http://tinyurl.com/zkeemg3