Midway Drive-In

The Sunset Cruise-In Outdoor Theatre opened on June 29, 1947 with the screening of the 1946 drama “The Locket” starring Laraine Day, Robert Mitchum and Brian Aherne. It was opened by Milton Presar featuring a car capacity of 300 cars. Presar did not operate the drive-in very long and he sold it to I. J. Klass and Joseph J. Lee (dba Klee Theatre Enterprises Inc.) from Dayton, Ohio. They were operating the Sidney Drive-In at this time also. The theatre was remodeled with new in-a-car speakers, repainted screen, and an updated refreshment stand. On April 29, 1950 Klee Theatre Enterprises reopened the Sunset Cruise-In as the Midway Drive-In. For some unknown reason, Klee Theatre Enterprises Inc. sold the Midway Drive-In in June of 1959 to Theodore Christ. They also closed the Sidney Drive-In at the end of season in 1959 and it was never reopened. Instead it was demolished. That was the end of Klee Theatre Enterprises Inc.

Theodore Christ was now the owner/operator from June 1959 to February 1974. At some point in time Richard Cosby (dba Cosby Corp from Indianapolis, Indiana) leased the theatre from Christ. In May of 1970 he leased it to John Holoken. Holoken was also operating the Starlight Drive-In, in St. Henry, Ohio at this time. On February of 1974 the drive-in was sold again, this time to Mark Jones. This was short-lived and turned around and sold it to Paul Enright on December 5, 1975. Enright is operating the Champaign Auto Theatre in Urbana, Ohio at this time. The last person to own and operate the Midway was Alan Tricher (dba Tricher Theatres). The Midway Drive-In finally closed at the end of season in 1991.

The property was sold and the screen tower was demolished. The only thing left standing is the refreshment stand/projector booth and concrete pads for the screen tower. The current owners have made a storage shed out of it and built a house on the property.

Get Movie Tickets & Showtimes

Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.