63rd Street Drive-In
8200 E. 63rd Street,
Kansas City,
MO
64133
8200 E. 63rd Street,
Kansas City,
MO
64133
2 people
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Boxoffice, March 30, 1970: “Until last year (Elias "Louis”) Sutter and (Chris) Ellis operated the 63rd Drive-In before selling out to Mid-America (Cinema Drive-In Theatres). The circuit also operates the I-70, Twin and State Twins in the Kansas City area."
This opened on June 3rd, 1955. Grand opening ad posted.
Boxoffice, Oct. 27, 1956: “Louis Sutter and Alex Shniderman, who operate the 63rd Street Drive-In, announced an expansion program will start the last week in October with the building of a new entrance on Highway 50. New Electricmode in-car heaters are already being installed and the drive-in will operate all winter.”
The May 7, 1955 issue of Boxoffice included a full-page on the 63rd Street with a diagram of the layout including an ice skating rink to be in operation during the drive-in’s off-season. “The drive-in opening is scheduled for late May.”
“Construction had begun at the 63rd Street Drive-In to expand its car capacity to 1,500 cars. The screen tower will be a new entrance road and a third boxoffice. The expansion will cost around $200,000 in 18 months.” — Boxoffice, April 25, 1960
The 1955-56 Theatre Catalog included the 63st Street, capacity 700, owners Shniderman and Sutter. Which lined up with this note from the Feb. 4, 1956 issue of BoxOffice: “The suit filed by Harold Lux against the E&S Theatre Enterprises, operating the 63rd Street Drive-In, as been settled out of court on a nuisance value basis. E. S. Sutter and Alex Shniderman, partners in the company, said $900 was paid, including the amount to Lux and his attorneys and the court costs.”
A 1963 aerial shows a single screen as the drive-in just opened. A 1969, 1970, and 1990 aerial photo still shows a single screen.
A second screen does not appear until a 1997 aerial. There is no evidence of a third screen nor the additional projection booth needed to make a third screen work.
screens are gone and it sure looks like it was a triplex drive-in theater
Ton’s of early Saturday mornings were spent traveling to this drive-in for the swap meet. Always be a guy with VHS tapes to look over (bought Aliens/1986) and the guy that sold his home made salsa dip. Halfway point always seemed to be that concession stand (burger and drink).
Thanks for posting those ads. Interesting period for the drive-in theatre as you can see from that list that some were showing low budget ‘B’ movies while others were offering first-run, mainstream fare.
Here is another marquee photo:
http://tinyurl.com/24sza5t
The 63rd Street Drive-in is at the top of this 1977 ad:
http://tinyurl.com/yae5bxs
This was my all-time favorite drive-in. Took many a date to this one including my wife.