Sunset Drive-In
21224 IL-138,
Mount Olive,
IL
62069
21224 IL-138,
Mount Olive,
IL
62069
1 person
favorited this theater
Showing 6 comments
Boxoffice, April 26, 1976: “GILLESPIE, ILL. – Louis C. Odorizzi, 67, Staunton, died Friday evening (2) in St. Mary’s Hospital, St. Louis, Mo. He was a former theatre owner-operator. Odorizzi had operated the Sunset Drive-In, Mount Olive, the Labor Temple Theatre, Staunton, and most recently, the Canna Theatre, Gillespie.”
“Kathryn DeLee, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis C. Odorizzi of Staunton, Ill., and Robert John McEnery were married December 27 (1952). Her father owns the Mount Olive Drive-In on Route No. 66.” —BoxOffice, Jan. 10, 1953
We now know that the Sunset definitely opened in 1951, thanks to the Internet Archive. In the May 30, 1951 issue of The Exhibitor, there’s this note: “The 400-car Mount Olive Drive-In, Mount Olive, Ill., will be opened by Louis Odorozzi, Staunton, Ill., will be handled by Co-operative Theatres of St. Louis.”
The June 5 issue tried to narrow that date. “In Mount Olive, Ill., the Mount Olive Drive-In will be opened about June 15 by its owner Louis Odorozzi, Staunton, Ill. The booking and buying for the drive-in will be handled by Co-operative Theatres.”
And in the July 11 issue, The Exhibitor said it finally happened, even though it got the name wrong. “In Mount Olive, Ill., after several postponements, the Starlite Drive-In finally opened. The drive-in, owned by Louis Odorizzi, Staunton, Ill., is under the management of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Fischer. Booking and buying is being handled by Co-operative Theatres, headed by Andy Dietz.”
One odd note shows this had been at least planned for years. The July 2, 1949 issue of Showmen’s Trade Review had a heading of New Theatres lumping together planned, under construction, and newly opened theaters. At the bottom, it included “Louis Odorizzi, hotel owner, a 400-car ozoner, a mile west of the city limits of Mount Olive, Ill.”
The Aug. 13, 1955 issue of Motion Picture Herald reported, “The Sunset drive-in, Mount Olive, Ill., located at the junction of Highways 66 and 138, has installed a new screen for the showing of CinemaScope, VistaVision and other wide screen pictures.”
Not sure where this May 16, 1956 note from Motion Picture Exhibitor fits. “The Frisina Amusement Company was reported to be preparing to build a drive-in near Hillsboro, Ill., on land it is said to have purchased from Louis Odorizzi, owner, Sunset Drive-In, Mount Olive, Ill.”
The Alton (IL) Telegraph wrote on Aug. 23, 1990 that one of many events to celebrate the Mount Olive quasquicentennial would be a horse pull at the “old Sunset Drive-In property”. So at least we know it was closed by then.
In Memorial Park Cemetery in nearby Staunton, one Louis Odorizzi has a headstone, born 1908, died 1976. That might match the drive-in’s closure date.
The concrete bases of the screen supports appear to still be there in a December 2016 Google Street View.
Also, the Sunset’s outline was still shown on a 2002 topo map.
You can still see the faint hint of ramps between the motel and the VFW parking lot.