Carpo Teatro

Yakima, I am VERY impressed with your research on drive-in theatres. I’m interested in your findings. Please contact me at your convenience. Thank you.

Great Research Guys!

Outstanding, Yakima! Thanks! We need a Texas page linked from the Corpus Christi section now!

The Texas, the first permanent drive-in in Texas and one of the earliest in the coountry, was opened by Nick and Pete Katsaris, Charles A Richter and Leon Newman just past Navigation on Leopard (SH 9). It opened on Nov 11, 1939 as opposed to the often published March 1939. Google Earth historical imagery in 1956 shows the “scars” at the location which is now the Greyhound Racetrack kennels. Richter and Newman aka Southwest Theaters opened the next drive-in for Corpus, the Boulevard Drive-in, on Lexington Ave where The Trade Center is today at SPID and Richter in Feb 1942, right after WWII started for us. The two drive-ins operated together until the Texas was old and falling apart and Richter and Newman built The Corpus Drive-in in Oct 1948. The Corpus would someday be renamed the Thunderbird. It was located a few blocks closer to town on Leopard where Baldwin and Leopard intersect. The three drive-ins operated together for about a month when The texas had it’s last advertisement int the Caller-Times on Nov 5, 1948.
My next post will contain links to photos.

Yakima, or any old Corpus hands out there:

Was there also a Texas Drive-In on Leopard Street near the Thunderbird Drive-In? I am told it was on or near “old Hwy 9 to San Antonio.” Is that present-day Leopard Street (State 407)?

I believe those Robstown drive-ins are as follows:

Ruben Chavez Dr at John Wayne Dr – ‘The Airport Drive-in’ opened in Fall 1955 by Ray and Gilbert Garza (aka Garza Brothers). It started as a Spanish language drive-in.

Western Ave at W Ave D – ‘The San Pedro Drive-in’ opened in late 1953 or early 1954 by Arnulfo Gonzales and Tito Sandoval, managed by Tito Sandoval. It started with a two language double feature policy.

Hwy 44 – ‘The Starlite Drive-in’ and later as ‘The Robstown Drive-in’ when Hurricane Celia blew it down. It was operated by Robb-Rowley, Rowley United and finally United Artists.

I have that photo of The Robstown blown down by Hurricane Celia on Aug 3, 1970. I understand it never came back after that.

Hurricane Celia also put an end to The Surf Drive-in in Corpus Christi where employees soon put “Gone With The Wind” on the marquee. Celia also finished off what was left of ‘The Lexington’ aka ‘Capri at 62nd & Lexington’ aka ‘62nd & Lexington’ aka ‘Belaire’; as it disintegrated large pieces of it came flying towards our house which was just 2 blocks away. Very brief glimpses of those two drive-ins can be seen in our home movies of the aftermath of Celia which are on Youtube View link

The Surf is at 1:44 and The Lexington is at 4:20. I inlcuded many of the published still photos, but I inadvertantly left out the Robstown drive-in. I should go back and add it to the movie.

I have recently researched drive-ins in Corpus Christi, Kingsville, Robstown and Alice (among other surrounding cities), and I have a lot of hard information to share. I don’t exactly know yet how I am going to share or disseminate these newspaper articles and ads, but I can surely answer questions in the meantime. I have info about locations and grand openings and some closings.

Hey Matt54 – oh yeah, the vinyl still exists!! Re the above
comments – even as sad as Kingsville looks, I think downtown
Corpus is even worse. I’m not sure how I even stumbled on to
this website, but also can provide some info on the drive-ins
and theaters in Corpus.

Hey, RWolfe, that’s great – just knowing those great old drive-ins survived into the seventies is cool. You sound like you were a hardcore rocker – been years since I heard anyone else mention “Wattstax” (or thought of it myself)! Still got all your old vinyl?

Yes, Sam, I have been back thru the K several times in the last few years, and to see how raggedy it’s getting to be (especially sad and forlorn old King High, but also St. Gertrude’s School across from the church) is a real downer, kinda like Corpus’s old courthouse. Afraid these fine old structures are goners.

Hey, we ought to add these drive-ins to the list of theaters for Kingsville, now that we have established where they are (were).

Matt54 – I lived in Kingsville until 1978. I don’t know that I ever actually met Bud Piper, but remember Piper Funeral home very well.
The rest of the names look vaguely familiar, but can’t say that I knew any of them. The King was a regular family outing growing up – can remember getting my dad to drive me and my buddies there to see “Woodstock” (old enough to rock, too young to drive – legally) and cringing at sitting next to my dad when Country Joe yelled “Gimme an F!” El Rancho was just Spanish language until the last few years before it closed – they began showing some 2nd run and ‘alternative’ English movies (recall seeing “Wattstax” and Hendrix’s “Rainbow Bridge” there). Still have a few friends there that I keep in touch with – now live in Houston.

SiliconSam, I believe you found the one I always remembered (incorrectly) as being the El Rancho! (I DO remember you could easily see it from the King) Thanks so much!

RWolfe, you and I are from roughly the same days in Kingsville (I was born there in ‘54, lived there 'til '58, visited there 'til '65).

My grandparents were Betty and Louis J. Huppertz – they lived first at the corner of 10th and King (where the Diamond Shamrock is now) and later moved out to E. Ailsie, just down from where the Brahma was.