Western Star Drive-In
414 E. Irwin Avenue,
Buckeye,
AZ
85326
414 E. Irwin Avenue,
Buckeye,
AZ
85326
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Louis F. Long Circuit
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No theaters found within 30 miles
After building a small, successful drive-in in Dove Creek, CO. in 1953 and a less successful drive-in in Holbrook, AZ. in early-1955, Mrs. Elizabeth Young and her son Robert built another drive-in with the same name as Holbrook’s, the Western Star Drive-In. The new drive-in’s first mention in Phoenix’s Arizona Republic was part of the Independent Theatres advertisement on September 26, 1955, when it showed “The Country Girl” starring Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly.
On May 11, 1957, Boxoffice reported that the Louis F. Long theatre company, owners of the local indoor Roxy Theatre, had purchased the Western Star Drive-In from Mr. and Mrs. Robert Young. “The new owner made immediate arrangements to replace the big screen which blew down in an early spring windstorm”.
Buckeye’s Western Star Drive-In was first included in the Motion Picture Almanac’s annual drive-in list in the 1957 edition, capacity 200, owner Robert Young. In the 1960 edition, the owner changed to L. F. Long Theatres, and that’s how it stayed through at least 1967. By 1969, the Western Star Drive-In was off the list.
The drive-in and screen were still intact in a 1971 aerial photo and still outlined in a 1972 topo map, but they had been replaced by housing in a 1981 photo. (A 1988 topo map still outlined the drive-in, which shows that you can’t always trust topo maps).
Contributed by
Michael Kilgore
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
Boxoffice, Oct. 5, 1957: “The Western Star Drive-In has been reopened by the Long circuit after reconstruction of the screen which was destroyed in a windstorm last spring. Bill Kee, manager, said the new screen was anchored in foundations of concrete.”
via Christine Larson, administrator for the Buckeye Public Library:
According to the Buckeye Valley News, the theatre opened on Friday, August 26, 1955 showing, “Rear Window,” starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly and “Arrowhead,” with Charlton Heston and Kathy Jurado. Robert Young, who formerly operated drive-in theatres in Colorado was the proprietor of the enterprise which was located on South 5th Street at Irwin. The theatre included speakers to accommodate 200 cars with room to grow. There was a building which housed the projection equipment, snack bar and washrooms. The 85’x40’ screen accommodated the wide cinemascope pictures.
Although the screen is still intact in a 1970 photo, the concession stand/projection booth appears to be gone with only the foundation remaining.