Boxoffice, June 3, 1950: “HOBBS, N. M. – The Reel Theatre here got big publicity for its showing of "Chain Lightning” recently, when a Piper Pacer airplane flew the film to the theatre, landing in the street just in front of the Reel. Through cooperation with the police and fire departments, the street had been cleared so that the plane could land."
The Skyline was due to open in late summer 1949, per a note in the Aug. 6, 1949 issue of BoxOffice: “Russ Dauterman and Robert Adams are building a drive-in at Laramie, Wyo., for an August 15 opening.”
And it must have happened before the end of 1949. From the May 6, 1950 issue of Box0ffice: “LARAMIE, WYO. – Manager Bob Adams has opened the Skyline Drive-In for the season. A new steel screen was erected to replace a screen destroyed by wind.”
Boxoffice, May 27, 1950: “The Skyline Drive-In was opened recently by Manager Bob Adams after installation of its third screen. The new steel structure has double reinforcements. The last two screens at the drive-in have been blown down by strong gusts of wind.”
BTW, this week Google Maps prefers the address of 1435 The Dalles-California Hwy, Madras, OR 97741. And here’s an approximate opening date:
Boxoffice, May 20, 1950: “MADRAS, ORE. – The 300-car K&D Drive-In a mile south of town on Highway 97 has been opened by Manager Bill Bordwell. Built at a cost of $70,000, the airer may be expanded to 500 cars later. The screen is 60 feet in height.”
There was a two-page story about the Marlow Mobil-Ins in the May 6, 1950 issue of Boxoffice. It’s probably the source of dallasmovietheaters' accurate summary above. “So far as it is known, his theatre on wheels is the first and only such setup in the United States or Canada.” He had to run the popcorn machine before the show because there wasn’t sufficient electricity to do so during the movie.
Boxoffice, April 29, 1950: “Fidel Theatres has opened its new 475-car $75,000 drive-in at Espanola, N. M. Brenkert projectors and RCA sound and in-car speakers were purchased from Western Service & Supply.”
Boxoffice, April 22, 1950: “Claude Graves has sold the El Rey at Albuquerque, N. M., to Marlin Butler, who now has three theatres there”
Motion Picture Herald, Oct. 11, 1952: “Albuquerque Exhibitors Inc. have bought the El Rey and La Sambea from Marlin Butler. Butler still retains the Ernie Pyle and Sunset drive-in.”
Two years in the making? Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “GRAND JUNCTION, COLO. – T. B. Noble jr., general manager of the Westland Theatre Corp, says his firm will build a new drive-in on North avenue here. It will accommodate 600 cars.”
Maybe the writer mistook third anniversary for third season? Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “Meanwhile, the Starlite Drive-In, owned by Loyd Files, opened for its third season after installation of a bigger screen and two more ramps, adding accommodations for 150 additional cars.”
Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “BEND, ORE. – Construction of a concessions stand, ticket booth, projection room and fencing has been started here at the new Bend Drive-In underway for Albert and William Forman.”
Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “PORTALES, N. M. – Theatre Enterprises opened the new Varsity Drive-In on Elinda (sic) Highway here Easter Sunday (April 9 that year). The theatre will accommodate 250 cars, according to Russell Ackley, manager. The drive-in was completed last fall, but no pictures were shown due to the lateness of the season.”
Elida NM is 25 miles southwest of Portales on US 70, so it must have been the drive-in on the southwest side of town.
An exact date! Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “ARTESIA, N. M. – Ray Bartlett and his son Bill opened the new 350-car drive-in here on Easter Sunday (April 9 that year). The project includes a concessions stand, playground, in-car speakers and hard-surfaced ramps. It cost an approximate $75,000.”
Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “OURAY, COLO. – N. J. Denstitt has leased the Ouray Theatre here from Charles Diller. Denstitt has been in the theatre business in Texas.”
Boxoffice, April 8, 1950: “Gus Daskalos and Steve Nitse reported capacity business at the opening of their Vegas Drive-In at Las Vegas, N. M. The new drive-in, with 350-car capacity, cost about $50,000.”
Boxoffice, March 18, 1950: “A new drive-in will open at Layton, Utah, this spring. Arthur W. Thomassen of Kaysville, Mrs. J. J. Bugger of Layton and her two sons J. A. and John J. are scheduled to operate an ozoner a mile and one-half north of Layton on Highway 91 within a few weeks”
Looks like the original “recently” date slipped. Boxoffice, March 11, 1950: “OROVILLE, CALIF. – George B. Hickox has sold his half interest in the Mesa Drive-In to Frank S. Devincenzi of Santa Rosa. Newell C. Post, owner of a half interest in the theatre, and Devincenzi will be owners and operators. The theatre, built by Hickox, was opened last November 23.”
Boxoffice, March 11, 1950: “Booking and buying for the Los Feliz Drive-In, new 600-car ozoner owned by Marvin Chesebrough, will be handled by Jim Finkler’s booking service. The operation is set for a March 15 opening with Tom Osa as manager.”
Boxoffice, Feb. 18, 1950: “Construction will be launched shortly on the new Starlite Drive-In, an 800-car operation in Rosemead, by B. E. Congdon and Ford and Carl Bratcher. They also operate the Mount Vernon Drive-In in San Bernardino and the Del Rio in Riverside.”
Boxoffice, Feb. 11, 1950: “One drive-in that will operate under a new owner this year is the Blackfoot Motor-Vu in Idaho, which was purchased by Albert Barrett, co-owner of the Roxy Theatre at Blackfoot, and Oscar Paisley, theatre operator of Couer d'Alene. They purchased it from the estate of the late Mayor Merrill C. Boyle.”
The Feb. 5, 1950 Boxoffice had a two-page story about the new Normandy, “a twin drive-in theatre with two identical screens and identical programs. One show starts 20 minutes after the other since one screen faces west and the other east”
On Jan. 7, 1950, Boxoffice reported: “Lem Lee, Paul Rothman, R. C. Otwell and Elden Menagh, all theatre men, are associated in a 400-car, $60,000 drive-in being built at Brighton, Colo.”
On Jan. 21, it listed all drive-ins, including projects, and had both the “Paul Rothman and Elden Menagh, 325” and the “Atlas Theatres, 400” for Brighton.
Boxoffice, Jan. 14, 1950: Faced with the choice of a new name for the Telenews, Ross McCausland hit on Welton, the name of the street on which the theatre is located. The new name required only one new letter in the sign. The theatre now is first run"
Boxoffice, Jan. 7, 1950: “The new Rancho Drive-In opened last week in Placerville. It is operated by Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Freitas and Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Freitas of San Juan Bautista and Mr. and Mrs. Victor Banta of Placerville.”
Boxoffice, Jan. 7, 1950: “CLAYTON, N. M. – Construction of a drive-in will be started here this spring by Hubbard & Murphy Theatres, Inc., which operates indoor houses here and in Raton and Alamosa, N. M., and Del Norte, Colo.”
Boxoffice, June 3, 1950: “HOBBS, N. M. – The Reel Theatre here got big publicity for its showing of "Chain Lightning” recently, when a Piper Pacer airplane flew the film to the theatre, landing in the street just in front of the Reel. Through cooperation with the police and fire departments, the street had been cleared so that the plane could land."
The Skyline was due to open in late summer 1949, per a note in the Aug. 6, 1949 issue of BoxOffice: “Russ Dauterman and Robert Adams are building a drive-in at Laramie, Wyo., for an August 15 opening.”
And it must have happened before the end of 1949. From the May 6, 1950 issue of Box0ffice: “LARAMIE, WYO. – Manager Bob Adams has opened the Skyline Drive-In for the season. A new steel screen was erected to replace a screen destroyed by wind.”
Boxoffice, May 27, 1950: “The Skyline Drive-In was opened recently by Manager Bob Adams after installation of its third screen. The new steel structure has double reinforcements. The last two screens at the drive-in have been blown down by strong gusts of wind.”
BTW, this week Google Maps prefers the address of 1435 The Dalles-California Hwy, Madras, OR 97741. And here’s an approximate opening date:
Boxoffice, May 20, 1950: “MADRAS, ORE. – The 300-car K&D Drive-In a mile south of town on Highway 97 has been opened by Manager Bill Bordwell. Built at a cost of $70,000, the airer may be expanded to 500 cars later. The screen is 60 feet in height.”
There was a two-page story about the Marlow Mobil-Ins in the May 6, 1950 issue of Boxoffice. It’s probably the source of dallasmovietheaters' accurate summary above. “So far as it is known, his theatre on wheels is the first and only such setup in the United States or Canada.” He had to run the popcorn machine before the show because there wasn’t sufficient electricity to do so during the movie.
Boxoffice, April 29, 1950: “Fidel Theatres has opened its new 475-car $75,000 drive-in at Espanola, N. M. Brenkert projectors and RCA sound and in-car speakers were purchased from Western Service & Supply.”
Boxoffice, April 22, 1950: “Claude Graves has sold the El Rey at Albuquerque, N. M., to Marlin Butler, who now has three theatres there”
Motion Picture Herald, Oct. 11, 1952: “Albuquerque Exhibitors Inc. have bought the El Rey and La Sambea from Marlin Butler. Butler still retains the Ernie Pyle and Sunset drive-in.”
Two years in the making? Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “GRAND JUNCTION, COLO. – T. B. Noble jr., general manager of the Westland Theatre Corp, says his firm will build a new drive-in on North avenue here. It will accommodate 600 cars.”
Maybe the writer mistook third anniversary for third season? Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “Meanwhile, the Starlite Drive-In, owned by Loyd Files, opened for its third season after installation of a bigger screen and two more ramps, adding accommodations for 150 additional cars.”
Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “BEND, ORE. – Construction of a concessions stand, ticket booth, projection room and fencing has been started here at the new Bend Drive-In underway for Albert and William Forman.”
Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “PORTALES, N. M. – Theatre Enterprises opened the new Varsity Drive-In on Elinda (sic) Highway here Easter Sunday (April 9 that year). The theatre will accommodate 250 cars, according to Russell Ackley, manager. The drive-in was completed last fall, but no pictures were shown due to the lateness of the season.”
Elida NM is 25 miles southwest of Portales on US 70, so it must have been the drive-in on the southwest side of town.
An exact date! Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “ARTESIA, N. M. – Ray Bartlett and his son Bill opened the new 350-car drive-in here on Easter Sunday (April 9 that year). The project includes a concessions stand, playground, in-car speakers and hard-surfaced ramps. It cost an approximate $75,000.”
Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “OURAY, COLO. – N. J. Denstitt has leased the Ouray Theatre here from Charles Diller. Denstitt has been in the theatre business in Texas.”
Boxoffice, April 8, 1950: “Gus Daskalos and Steve Nitse reported capacity business at the opening of their Vegas Drive-In at Las Vegas, N. M. The new drive-in, with 350-car capacity, cost about $50,000.”
Boxoffice, March 18, 1950: “A new drive-in will open at Layton, Utah, this spring. Arthur W. Thomassen of Kaysville, Mrs. J. J. Bugger of Layton and her two sons J. A. and John J. are scheduled to operate an ozoner a mile and one-half north of Layton on Highway 91 within a few weeks”
Looks like the original “recently” date slipped. Boxoffice, March 11, 1950: “OROVILLE, CALIF. – George B. Hickox has sold his half interest in the Mesa Drive-In to Frank S. Devincenzi of Santa Rosa. Newell C. Post, owner of a half interest in the theatre, and Devincenzi will be owners and operators. The theatre, built by Hickox, was opened last November 23.”
Boxoffice, March 11, 1950: “Booking and buying for the Los Feliz Drive-In, new 600-car ozoner owned by Marvin Chesebrough, will be handled by Jim Finkler’s booking service. The operation is set for a March 15 opening with Tom Osa as manager.”
Boxoffice, Feb. 18, 1950: “Construction will be launched shortly on the new Starlite Drive-In, an 800-car operation in Rosemead, by B. E. Congdon and Ford and Carl Bratcher. They also operate the Mount Vernon Drive-In in San Bernardino and the Del Rio in Riverside.”
Boxoffice, Feb. 11, 1950: “One drive-in that will operate under a new owner this year is the Blackfoot Motor-Vu in Idaho, which was purchased by Albert Barrett, co-owner of the Roxy Theatre at Blackfoot, and Oscar Paisley, theatre operator of Couer d'Alene. They purchased it from the estate of the late Mayor Merrill C. Boyle.”
The Feb. 5, 1950 Boxoffice had a two-page story about the new Normandy, “a twin drive-in theatre with two identical screens and identical programs. One show starts 20 minutes after the other since one screen faces west and the other east”
The Feb. 4, 1950 Boxoffice wrote that several visitors from Denver attended “the opening of the Gila, Ed Ward’s new theatre in Silver City, N. M.”
On Jan. 7, 1950, Boxoffice reported: “Lem Lee, Paul Rothman, R. C. Otwell and Elden Menagh, all theatre men, are associated in a 400-car, $60,000 drive-in being built at Brighton, Colo.”
On Jan. 21, it listed all drive-ins, including projects, and had both the “Paul Rothman and Elden Menagh, 325” and the “Atlas Theatres, 400” for Brighton.
Boxoffice, Jan. 14, 1950: Faced with the choice of a new name for the Telenews, Ross McCausland hit on Welton, the name of the street on which the theatre is located. The new name required only one new letter in the sign. The theatre now is first run"
Boxoffice, Jan. 7, 1950: “The new Rancho Drive-In opened last week in Placerville. It is operated by Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Freitas and Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Freitas of San Juan Bautista and Mr. and Mrs. Victor Banta of Placerville.”
Billboard, Jan. 7, 1950: “Lem Lee, Paul Rothman, R. C. Otwell … have bought a site for a drive-in at Longmont, Colo.”
Boxoffice, Jan. 7, 1950: “CLAYTON, N. M. – Construction of a drive-in will be started here this spring by Hubbard & Murphy Theatres, Inc., which operates indoor houses here and in Raton and Alamosa, N. M., and Del Norte, Colo.”