Broadway Drive-In
4300 S. Broadway,
St. Louis,
MO
63111
4300 S. Broadway,
St. Louis,
MO
63111
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Motion Picture Exhibitor, May 12, 1954: “ST. LOUIS – It will soon be free motion pictures nightly at the St. Louis City Workhouse for Warden Clarence Weismantel through the courtesy of Mayor Roy A. Parker, Brentwood, Mo., one of the owners of the new Skyline (sic) Drive-In, immediately south of the workhouse. The 700-car drive-in is to open soon. A big picture window in a bedroom on the second floor of the warden’s residence at the southeast corner of Broadway and Meramec Street has an unobstructed view of the drive-in screen. The bedroom is being converted into a den, and to help the warden enjoy the free shows, Mayor Parker has arranged to have an electric line and a drive-in speaker installed.”
As JAlex’s comment indicated, the Broadway was planning to open with The Man Behind the Gun and Sabre Jet, but it didn’t actually open until a few days later when Return to Paradise and 99 River Street were booked.
Opened with “The man behind the gun” and “Sabre Jet”.
In 1963, Broadway Drive-In Theatre, Inc. lost a lawsuit against the US regarding taxes collected in 1955-57. The full decision, on Leagle, and the part I find most interesting is the list of corporation members:
The 1955-56 Theatre Catalog and all Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list appearances (1956-67) for the Broadway list a capacity of 800, owner A. R. Parker.
Starting in December 1954 and continuing for at least a year, the Broadway hosted a shuttle for folks who wanted to park there and shop downtown. It cost 10 cents to park, 35 cents for the round-trip fare.
The Oct. 4, 1961 St. Louis Post-Dispatch said that A. Ray Parker, mayor of Brentwood, “divides his working day between the mayor’s job and management of an outdoor motion picture theater which he owns”. He had headed six corporations owning movie theaters, but only one was active at the time of the article, presumably the one with the Broadway.
The victim of eminent domain. I-55 cut right through where the screen and the east field of the drive-in was.
May 30th, 1954 grand opening ad in the photo section. It has a aerial drawing of the drive-in.
The advertisement above saying opening night will be May 26th does not reflect the minor delay in opening the venue. Actual opening took place on May 30th, 1954 with a double-bill of “Return to Paradise” and “99 River Street.”
The drive-in did not close in 1962, but hung on until October 18, 1964 when it closed with the triple-bill of “Bikini Beach”, “Comedy of Terrors” and “Her Bridal Night.”
Architectural credit was given to James L. Willingham & Associates.
There are still some stores there, Family Dollar, Subway, Radio Shack, Hardees, etc. The Hollywood/Blockbuster video is out of business. Also a new O'Reilly’s Auto Parts has just been built close to the Big Lots building, which is still unoccupied.
Some corrections are needed:
1) The Broadway Drive-In was not the only ozoner within the St. Louis city limits. The THUNDERBIRD, at Natural Bridge and Goodfellow, also qualifies.
2) The Broadway was not built by Mid-America. The venue, which opened in May 1954, was a Ray Parker operation. Parker, then mayor of the suburb of Brentwood, also was involved with the Skyline Drive-In in Bridgeton.
3) The Broadway was always the Broadway. It was never known as the Holiday, which was an operation in the county on Page (and a Mid-America operation).
Place was built in the mid 50’s and was originally called the Holiday drive in. Owned by the mid-america theatre chain, Louis and Jules Jablanow.
The place opened in the mid 50’s and was owned and opereated by the mid-america threatre chain. Louis and Jules Jablanow