A week later (April 16), Boxoffice expanded on that note and gave us an opening year. “Mr. and Mrs. Edward T. Chambers have purchased the Starlight Drive-In from David W. Moore. Walter Eschebeck, who has managed the airer since it was opened in 1953, will continue to supervise the operation.”
The Zebra was completed in September 1953, according to a two-page spread, with photos, in the March 5, 1955 issue of Boxoffice. The drive-in was named for “the record-winning local high school football team,” and it took that theme to extremes. “As a further tie-in with the football team, ticket takers at the boxoffice are costumed in the team’s football uniforms, complete with helmets.”
The Jan. 9, 1954 issue of Boxoffice ran a two-page article with pictures on the Lakeside. The 78x108-foot screen was “said to be the largest drive-in screen in the world.”
A year later, the Feb. 2, 1955 issue of Boxoffice was back with another four pages, with more photos, on the Lakeside, this time focusing on the big amusement center plans of owner George Bennett, who built the Lakeside on the site of his former dairy farm.
Boxoffice, Jan. 29, 1955: “Westates Amusement Co. will open a drive-in at Ely, Nev., this summer, according to Clyde Blasius, general manager. The ozoner is being constructed at a cost of approximately $75,000.”
The Dec. 4 issue of Boxoffice ran a two-page spread, with photos, about the 400, focusing on how spread out it was. “Extra spaciousness has been provided between the speaker posts and extra depth between each ramp, allowing easier turns.”
Boxoffice, Nov. 13, 1954: “George Armstrong is opening a 300-car drive-in at Shiprock, N. M., to be called the Chief. It will be the first drive-in to be built on Indian-owned land.”
The Nov. 6, 1954 issue of Boxoffice ran a lengthy article, with photos, about Lakeside owner Milan G. Steele’s do-it-yourself approach to drive-in construction. “Incidentally, the new wide screen, 60x30 feet, replaced the one destroyed in a tornado last May 1.”
The Oct. 23, 1954 issue of Boxoffice had a full-page story, with photos and a diagram, of the “air conditioning” system invented by C. H. (Buck) Weaver Jr. An evaporative cooling system cooled the whole viewing field by up to 12 degrees, but only when there was a breeze from the south.
The Aug. 22, 1953 issue of Boxoffice ran a lengthy article about the Moonlight. “An indoor-outdoor theatre, believed to be the first of its kind in the world, will be ready for year-around operation late this fall, when a four-wall theatre is added to the operations of the recently opened Moonlight Drive-In here. The new theatre, owned by Richard M. Cody, is unique in that both the drive-in and the four-wall house will be operated under the same projection system.”
Boxoffice also ran a two-page spread on the Moonlight in its Oct. 23, 1954 issue. This one had several photos of the setup.
A slightly less cropped (more foliage foreground) version of this photo appeared in the Oct. 23, 1954 issue of Boxoffice, which should be in the public domain.
To re-emphasize Joe Vogel’s excellent post, in the Modern Theatre Buyers' Directory section of the Oct. 23, 1954 issue of Boxoffice, there was a three-page article about the Autoscope. It included plenty of photos including an aerial view (uploaded here), closeups of the projection setup, and a shot of the central concession / projection building.
Boxoffice, Nov. 14, 1953: “Las Cruces, N.M. – U. A. Kane, owner of the Rocket Drive-In here, had a free quail dinner recently … Kane has an apartment under the screen tower and early one morning he heard a noise which sounded as if someone had hit the tower with several large rocks. Upon investigating Kane found eight dead quail. They had broken their necks by flying into the tower.”
U. A. Kane bought a display ad in the Oct. 23, 1954 issue of Boxoffice selling a miniature train “with two hundred miles on the speedometer”. The package included 750 feet of rail “like new”.
Boxoffice, March 13, 1954: “Ted Knox has bought the Starlight Drive-In, Newcastle, Wyo., and has renamed it the Knox, as he is also doing with his other four drive-ins in the (Denver) territory. The Newcastle ozoner, with 350-car capacity, was bought from the Starlight Amusement Co.”
Boxoffice, Oct. 2, 1954: “Wally O'Neill, owner of the Vita, Spearfish, S. D., and Bud Lowell of Newcastle, Wyo., have bought the Knox Drive-In, Newcastle, from Ted Knox”
Boxoffice, July 10, 1954: “DOUGLAS, WYO. – Douglas Movies, Inc., has opened its Mile High Drive-In near here, according to Joe Stallman, one of the firm’s officers. The new ozoner will have a 250-car capacity.”
The June 5, 1954 issue of Boxoffice ran a full-page story, with photos, on the new miniature railroad at the Paris. There’s a picture of Guy Conley driving in the last spike on the track before the inaugural run. “The railroad train runs over a 2,450-foot track, on a bed which has been built up from one to three feet from the ground to give it a more realistic look.”
The July 3, 1954 issue of Boxoffice ran a short article with three small photos on the new Fredonia drive-in. It was owned by Mrs. and Mrs. A. W. Pugh of Columbus KS and their daughter and son-in-law, the George Wadlingtons, who had owned the West Theatre in Parsons for eight years.
Boxoffice, July 3, 1954: “SANTA ROSA, CALIF. – Philip Zenovich, owner of the State Theatre at Petaluma, Calif., has purchased the Redwood Drive-In here from G. E. Burnette and Alfred Truslow jr., who built the airer in 1947. Zenovich said that he will revamp the 18-acre site to include a picnic area and a children’s playground.”
Boxoffice, June 26, 1954: “The Weekiwow Drive-In, located five miles south of Polson on Highway 93, was opened Friday (11) by Mr. and Mrs. Bill Shell, who also operate a local indoor theatre. The name Weekiwow was chosen in a contest. It means a large gathering or lodge in the Indian language. The Weekiwow features a 66x40-foot screen.”
I don’t trust Boxoffice’s spellings; the 1955-56 Theatre Catalog had it as the Wiki Wow, capacity 250.
Boxoffice, June 5, 1954: “Former owners of the Park Vu Drive-In lost a $48,796 suit filed against the city for damages suffered in 1952 floods. … The city had decided to turn floodwaters from their natural course and upon the drive-in to save what it regarded as "more valuable property” below. The drive-in operators, Leon J. Frickberg, Beth Everill Frickberg, William R. Everill and Emma L. C. Everill, contended there was no reason to divert the floodwaters through the drive-in."
Boxoffice, April 30, 1955: “Dorrance Schmidt, owner of the Trail, Bridgeport, Neb., has opened his new 250-car drive-in there.”
A week later (April 16), Boxoffice expanded on that note and gave us an opening year. “Mr. and Mrs. Edward T. Chambers have purchased the Starlight Drive-In from David W. Moore. Walter Eschebeck, who has managed the airer since it was opened in 1953, will continue to supervise the operation.”
The Zebra was completed in September 1953, according to a two-page spread, with photos, in the March 5, 1955 issue of Boxoffice. The drive-in was named for “the record-winning local high school football team,” and it took that theme to extremes. “As a further tie-in with the football team, ticket takers at the boxoffice are costumed in the team’s football uniforms, complete with helmets.”
Boxoffice, Feb. 26, 1955: “The Moonglo Drive-In, Fresno, owned by Thompson Bros., has been purchased by Lippert Theatres”
This photo appeared in the Feb. 5, 1955 issue of Boxoffice, which should be in the public domain.
The Jan. 9, 1954 issue of Boxoffice ran a two-page article with pictures on the Lakeside. The 78x108-foot screen was “said to be the largest drive-in screen in the world.”
A year later, the Feb. 2, 1955 issue of Boxoffice was back with another four pages, with more photos, on the Lakeside, this time focusing on the big amusement center plans of owner George Bennett, who built the Lakeside on the site of his former dairy farm.
Boxoffice, Jan. 29, 1955: “Westates Amusement Co. will open a drive-in at Ely, Nev., this summer, according to Clyde Blasius, general manager. The ozoner is being constructed at a cost of approximately $75,000.”
The Dec. 4 issue of Boxoffice ran a two-page spread, with photos, about the 400, focusing on how spread out it was. “Extra spaciousness has been provided between the speaker posts and extra depth between each ramp, allowing easier turns.”
Boxoffice, Nov. 13, 1954: “George Armstrong is opening a 300-car drive-in at Shiprock, N. M., to be called the Chief. It will be the first drive-in to be built on Indian-owned land.”
The Nov. 6, 1954 issue of Boxoffice ran a lengthy article, with photos, about Lakeside owner Milan G. Steele’s do-it-yourself approach to drive-in construction. “Incidentally, the new wide screen, 60x30 feet, replaced the one destroyed in a tornado last May 1.”
The Oct. 23, 1954 issue of Boxoffice had a full-page story, with photos and a diagram, of the “air conditioning” system invented by C. H. (Buck) Weaver Jr. An evaporative cooling system cooled the whole viewing field by up to 12 degrees, but only when there was a breeze from the south.
The Aug. 22, 1953 issue of Boxoffice ran a lengthy article about the Moonlight. “An indoor-outdoor theatre, believed to be the first of its kind in the world, will be ready for year-around operation late this fall, when a four-wall theatre is added to the operations of the recently opened Moonlight Drive-In here. The new theatre, owned by Richard M. Cody, is unique in that both the drive-in and the four-wall house will be operated under the same projection system.”
Boxoffice also ran a two-page spread on the Moonlight in its Oct. 23, 1954 issue. This one had several photos of the setup.
A slightly less cropped (more foliage foreground) version of this photo appeared in the Oct. 23, 1954 issue of Boxoffice, which should be in the public domain.
To re-emphasize Joe Vogel’s excellent post, in the Modern Theatre Buyers' Directory section of the Oct. 23, 1954 issue of Boxoffice, there was a three-page article about the Autoscope. It included plenty of photos including an aerial view (uploaded here), closeups of the projection setup, and a shot of the central concession / projection building.
Boxoffice, Nov. 14, 1953: “Las Cruces, N.M. – U. A. Kane, owner of the Rocket Drive-In here, had a free quail dinner recently … Kane has an apartment under the screen tower and early one morning he heard a noise which sounded as if someone had hit the tower with several large rocks. Upon investigating Kane found eight dead quail. They had broken their necks by flying into the tower.”
U. A. Kane bought a display ad in the Oct. 23, 1954 issue of Boxoffice selling a miniature train “with two hundred miles on the speedometer”. The package included 750 feet of rail “like new”.
This photo, illustrating the work of W. Horstman and Co., ran in the Oct. 2, 1954 issue of Boxoffice, and might therefore be in the public domain.
Boxoffice, March 13, 1954: “Ted Knox has bought the Starlight Drive-In, Newcastle, Wyo., and has renamed it the Knox, as he is also doing with his other four drive-ins in the (Denver) territory. The Newcastle ozoner, with 350-car capacity, was bought from the Starlight Amusement Co.”
Boxoffice, Oct. 2, 1954: “Wally O'Neill, owner of the Vita, Spearfish, S. D., and Bud Lowell of Newcastle, Wyo., have bought the Knox Drive-In, Newcastle, from Ted Knox”
Motion Picture Herald, Sept. 25, 1954: “August Koeppe has bought the Oskosh (sic) drive-in, Oskosh, Neb., from Merrill Nygren.”
but Boxoffice wrote that day, “August Koeppe bought a two-thirds interest in the Oshkosh Drive-In, Oshkosh, Neb., from Merrill Nygren.”
Boxoffice, July 10, 1954: “DOUGLAS, WYO. – Douglas Movies, Inc., has opened its Mile High Drive-In near here, according to Joe Stallman, one of the firm’s officers. The new ozoner will have a 250-car capacity.”
The June 5, 1954 issue of Boxoffice ran a full-page story, with photos, on the new miniature railroad at the Paris. There’s a picture of Guy Conley driving in the last spike on the track before the inaugural run. “The railroad train runs over a 2,450-foot track, on a bed which has been built up from one to three feet from the ground to give it a more realistic look.”
The July 3, 1954 issue of Boxoffice ran a short article with three small photos on the new Fredonia drive-in. It was owned by Mrs. and Mrs. A. W. Pugh of Columbus KS and their daughter and son-in-law, the George Wadlingtons, who had owned the West Theatre in Parsons for eight years.
Boxoffice, July 3, 1954: “SANTA ROSA, CALIF. – Philip Zenovich, owner of the State Theatre at Petaluma, Calif., has purchased the Redwood Drive-In here from G. E. Burnette and Alfred Truslow jr., who built the airer in 1947. Zenovich said that he will revamp the 18-acre site to include a picnic area and a children’s playground.”
Boxoffice, June 26, 1954: “The Weekiwow Drive-In, located five miles south of Polson on Highway 93, was opened Friday (11) by Mr. and Mrs. Bill Shell, who also operate a local indoor theatre. The name Weekiwow was chosen in a contest. It means a large gathering or lodge in the Indian language. The Weekiwow features a 66x40-foot screen.”
I don’t trust Boxoffice’s spellings; the 1955-56 Theatre Catalog had it as the Wiki Wow, capacity 250.
Boxoffice, June 5, 1954: “Former owners of the Park Vu Drive-In lost a $48,796 suit filed against the city for damages suffered in 1952 floods. … The city had decided to turn floodwaters from their natural course and upon the drive-in to save what it regarded as "more valuable property” below. The drive-in operators, Leon J. Frickberg, Beth Everill Frickberg, William R. Everill and Emma L. C. Everill, contended there was no reason to divert the floodwaters through the drive-in."
Boxoffice, May 15, 1954: “J. Harry Agron has opened his 600-car 22nd Street Drive-In in Tucson”