Union Drive-In
1220 W. Bankhead Street,
New Albany,
MS
38652
1220 W. Bankhead Street,
New Albany,
MS
38652
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There’s not a lot of information about this theater, rather than the Union Drive-In being opened in 1954 when it was operated by Flexer Theatres Inc.
During its later years, the Union Drive-In became statewide headlines following a violation over a 1979 state law that prohibits the public display of adultery material in places where both minors and children may have access to witness. Its then-owner, Rick Heard of Tupelo, was arrested twice between September 2 and September 8, 1984 after three ministers signed affidavits claiming that they could see the films from outside the traces and into Route 78 (or Interstate 22). He was immediately convicted on both counts and was sentenced to 28 days in jail and a $5,500 fine.
In August 1985, Heard was arrested again at the Lee Drive-In in Tupelo for similar reasons, this time it was a R-rated film being shown in front of Robert E. Lee Drive BEFORE signing an affidavit. However, there was no action being taken on that charge. Bill Rutledge, a New Albany lawyer who is representing Heard on all the charges, asked Circuit Judge W.W. Brown in March 1985 to declare the public display law unconstitutional because of it being too vague. Lawyers from both sides say that the charges against Heard are the first tests of the law.
Brown made a decision to pave its way for the first legal test of the state’s public display law which bans the public showing of explicit material. On November 15, 1985, Brown overruled a motion that would have cleared Heard on both counts of violating the display law.
This immediately led to the closure of the Union Drive-In, and was immediately demolished by the end of the decade.
Contributed by
50sSNIPES
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
B & B Concrete currently sits on the property. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining that I can confirm.
However, in the Google Maps overhead it may show the foundation of the screen. It’s in about the same location, but I cannot be positive.
Motion Picture Herald, March 14, 1953: “David Flexer, head of Flexer Theatres, Inc., is building the new 500-car Union drive-in at New Albany, Miss., which he expects to have in operation by May 15.”
Despite that note, a USGS aerial photo taken Oct. 11, 1953 showed no trace of a drive-in at the future Union site. However, another mention indicates that it was open by 1954.
Motion Picture Herald, Nov. 13, 1954: “A. J. Benya, manager of the Magnolia theatre and the Union Drive-In, New Albany, Miss., used life-size cut-outs and street ballyhoo to good advantage on recent pictures.”
Exhibitor, May 6, 1953: “Flexer Theatres announced plans for a new 450-car drive-in at New Albany, Miss. Flexer has also revealed that New Albany will probably be the first city, regardless of size, to have its theatres 100 percent equipped for 3-D and CinemaScope. He is also planning to equip the local Ritz and the Varsity, Amory, Miss., with CinemaScope projection equipment, as well as the Magnolia and the Albany Drive-In, New Albany, now being built.”
Motion Picture Herald, April 10, 1954: “David Flexer of Flexer Theatres, Inc., Memphis, Tenn., has announced the start of construction of his new drive-in at New Albany, Miss.”
So I’m very sure it means that it did open during the 1954 season.