The May 7, 1962 issue of Boxoffice did its best to clear up the confusion:
Construction is under way of a new twin drive-in theatre in Little Rock, Ark., by the Arkansas Amusement Co. (Rowley United). The theatre is build on Cantrell Road at the site of the present Riverside Drive-In which was closed for the winter.
To be called the Twin-Razorback, the theatre will replace the Riverside and the present Razorback. Lease on the ground at the present Razorback in the east end of the city has been released to the school board for construction of a new junior high school.
The new theatre will have space for a total of 800 to 1,000 cars.
The April 9, 1962 issue of Boxoffice ran a small photo of three booms (I’d call them cranes) lifting and moving the 90x65-foot screen tower. Here’s the story that went with it:
Roadbuilding projects in Dallas, Tex., created some problems for Jack Weisenburg of the Kaufman Pike Drive-In Theatre, chief of which was the moving of the screen tower which was literally lifted and moved 250 feet.
The U.S. highway is being enlarged to a six-land thoroughfare and this took a good-sized piece off one section of the drive-in area, and there is to be an overpass over Jim Miller Road making it necessary to take another section of the land.
It appears that the Fox opened on July 14, 1960, based on a short story in the Aug. 1 issue of Boxoffice: “The gala opening of the new Fox Drive-In on old Statesville road was celebrated Thursday (14). The driver of each car was admitted free and many prizes were provided for patrons attending the initial screen program. The double feature opener bracketed Alan Ladd and Ernest Borgnine in "The Badlanders” and Frank Sinatra in “Never So Few.”
The Aug. 1, 1960 issue of Boxoffice reported that one Saturday evening, a car slammed into the box office, breaking the leg of the off-duty police officer working there and trapping manager Bill Corbell inside. Corbell worked through the pain to finish selling tickets for the night, and later x-rays revealed that he had suffered a fractured pelvis. At the time of the article, the policeman was still in the hospital but Corbell had been released.
“Could you take a nice 500-pound bear or two into your home or drive-in zoo? You can get one or both free of charge. One is named Louis, age 6, and the other is slightly younger. They are now on display at the South Twin Drive-In in St. Louis County, a unit of the Fred Wehrenberg circuit. The bears were brought to St. Louis from Minnesota as cubs by Fred Krueger, president of the circuit. Ed Spradlin, manager of the drive-in, will gladly show the bears, who will make nice pets, to any prospective adoptive owners. Call Spradlin at VIctor 3-9675 after 5:00 p.m.” —Boxoffice, May 16, 1960
The happy ending was reported in the Aug. 1, 1960 Boxoffice. Spradlin placed the bears, Louie and Suzy, with a small zoo in Hayti MO.
“Oscar Johnson of Falls City, Neb., … his Breezy Hills Drive-In near Falls City went back into service Sunday July 24, after having been flattened several weeks ago by some of the more rambunctious breezes for which it was named. This time, Johnson says, the tower is of concrete block construction and should be able to withstand a pretty forceful blow.” — Boxoffice, Aug. 1, 1960
“The Coalinga Drive-In has been reopened by Fred Cuthbert, who took it over from G. E. Turner. The Roy Cooper office is handling the bookings.” — Boxoffice, Aug. 1, 1960
“The Chief Drive-In now has a giant chief on horseback on the front of its motion picture screen tower – the side facing the highway. The figure was painted by H. R. McBride, artist whose work appeared on the covers of the old Liberty and Colliers magazines. The Indian and horse are approximately 50x30 feet.” — Boxoffice, July 18, 1960
“The Cherokee Theatre, which has been in operation since 1945, will close its doors Tuesday (19). … Roy Shield … has purchased the building and its contents and will convert it to a modern commercial building.” — Boxoffice, July 18, 1960
“The Car-Breeze Drive-In suffered damages estimated at around $15,000 during a recent electrical storm and severe wind. The large screen, tower and fence at the drive-in were blown down.” — Boxoffice, July 18, 1960
“Ward Spielman … takes care of motion picture equipment and projection for Baker University at Baldwin in addition to running his own Gem Theatre” — Boxoffice, July 11, 1960
The July 11, 1960 issue of Boxoffive had a short article about former assistant mayor Frank Aydelotte, who “operated the Aggie Theatre in this college town north of Denver. He built the theatre in 1953 because the Trail, which he had been operating, was too small for his growing business.”
The same article later noted, “In 1947 he came to Fort Collins and took over the Trail, but closed it when he opened the Aggie in 1954 and the Trail was remodeled for business use.” If both quotes are accurate, the Aggie was built in 1953 and opened in 1954. But the Aggie Theatre web site still says it was opened in 1906.
The July 11, 1960 issue of Boxoffice noted, “Sero Amusement Enterprises opened its new South Bay Drive-In in Imperial Beach, Calif.”
Checking the Chula Vista Star-News, through Aug. 11, 1960, it listed its “area drive-ins” as the Harbor (National City) and the Big Sky (Chula Vista). By Aug. 18, 1960, the South Bay was included in that roundup and was advertising.
The July 4, 1960 issue of Boxoffice included a two-page spread on the 71, focusing on its playground, mainly its miniature train ride, complete with tunnel and trestles, that carried children to a miraculous lollipop tree that produced its “fruit” three times a week.
“It cost Manager Alfred Pawelek of the Midway Drive-In, Karnes City, $57.50 in taxi charges the other evening to show patrons the western feature he had advertised. The film for his program was due to arrive from Benavides but missed a bus connection at Corpus Christi, which threw it so far behind schedule that it would not have arrived until 8:20, an hour and 20 minutes too late for showtime. After hurried phone calls and a couple of ‘heart failures,’ Pawelek contacted a taxi company in Corpus Christi and ordered the film sent to Karnes City by cab. The taxi driver left Corpus Christi with the film at 5 and delivered it to Pawelek by 6:50 in time for the 7 p.m. showing.” — Boxoffice, July 4, 1960
“A new screen tower is an improvement feature at the Village Drive-In, Ennis, this season. Herschel Holt is manager of the Village.” — Boxoffice, July 4, 1960
“The Twin Pines Drive-In, Longview, has opened its new patio dining area which has a Hawaiian motif. Bamboo and palm trees help create the atmosphere and the menu is built around Hawaiian favorite foods. The patio, from which the picture can be seen and heard, may be reserved by party groups.” — Boxoffice, July 4, 1960
“Claude Thorpe, manager of the Rietta Drive-In, Henrietta, charges only 75 cents a carload each Wednesday and Thursday evening. The Rietta is one of the best equipped drive-ins in the area, featuring a fine playground.” — Boxoffice, July 4, 1960
Thanks for uploading this. It’s part of a three-page spread mostly about the Hiawatha in the June 4, 1962 Boxoffice.
From a three-page spread about the Twin in the June 4, 1962 issue of Boxoffice.
The May 7, 1962 issue of Boxoffice did its best to clear up the confusion:
Construction is under way of a new twin drive-in theatre in Little Rock, Ark., by the Arkansas Amusement Co. (Rowley United). The theatre is build on Cantrell Road at the site of the present Riverside Drive-In which was closed for the winter.
To be called the Twin-Razorback, the theatre will replace the Riverside and the present Razorback. Lease on the ground at the present Razorback in the east end of the city has been released to the school board for construction of a new junior high school.
The new theatre will have space for a total of 800 to 1,000 cars.
From the April 9, 1962 issue of Boxoffice.
The April 9, 1962 issue of Boxoffice ran a small photo of three booms (I’d call them cranes) lifting and moving the 90x65-foot screen tower. Here’s the story that went with it:
Roadbuilding projects in Dallas, Tex., created some problems for Jack Weisenburg of the Kaufman Pike Drive-In Theatre, chief of which was the moving of the screen tower which was literally lifted and moved 250 feet.
The U.S. highway is being enlarged to a six-land thoroughfare and this took a good-sized piece off one section of the drive-in area, and there is to be an overpass over Jim Miller Road making it necessary to take another section of the land.
This photo is from a four-page spread on the Oasis in the July 3, 1961 issue of Boxoffice, which should be in the public domain.
It appears that the Fox opened on July 14, 1960, based on a short story in the Aug. 1 issue of Boxoffice: “The gala opening of the new Fox Drive-In on old Statesville road was celebrated Thursday (14). The driver of each car was admitted free and many prizes were provided for patrons attending the initial screen program. The double feature opener bracketed Alan Ladd and Ernest Borgnine in "The Badlanders” and Frank Sinatra in “Never So Few.”
The Aug. 1, 1960 issue of Boxoffice reported that one Saturday evening, a car slammed into the box office, breaking the leg of the off-duty police officer working there and trapping manager Bill Corbell inside. Corbell worked through the pain to finish selling tickets for the night, and later x-rays revealed that he had suffered a fractured pelvis. At the time of the article, the policeman was still in the hospital but Corbell had been released.
“The Mount Vernon (Indiana) Drive-In, which has been closed for some time, is to be opened the second week in August.” — Boxoffice, Aug. 1, 1960
“Could you take a nice 500-pound bear or two into your home or drive-in zoo? You can get one or both free of charge. One is named Louis, age 6, and the other is slightly younger. They are now on display at the South Twin Drive-In in St. Louis County, a unit of the Fred Wehrenberg circuit. The bears were brought to St. Louis from Minnesota as cubs by Fred Krueger, president of the circuit. Ed Spradlin, manager of the drive-in, will gladly show the bears, who will make nice pets, to any prospective adoptive owners. Call Spradlin at VIctor 3-9675 after 5:00 p.m.” —Boxoffice, May 16, 1960
The happy ending was reported in the Aug. 1, 1960 Boxoffice. Spradlin placed the bears, Louie and Suzy, with a small zoo in Hayti MO.
“Oscar Johnson of Falls City, Neb., … his Breezy Hills Drive-In near Falls City went back into service Sunday July 24, after having been flattened several weeks ago by some of the more rambunctious breezes for which it was named. This time, Johnson says, the tower is of concrete block construction and should be able to withstand a pretty forceful blow.” — Boxoffice, Aug. 1, 1960
“The Coalinga Drive-In has been reopened by Fred Cuthbert, who took it over from G. E. Turner. The Roy Cooper office is handling the bookings.” — Boxoffice, Aug. 1, 1960
“The Chief Drive-In now has a giant chief on horseback on the front of its motion picture screen tower – the side facing the highway. The figure was painted by H. R. McBride, artist whose work appeared on the covers of the old Liberty and Colliers magazines. The Indian and horse are approximately 50x30 feet.” — Boxoffice, July 18, 1960
“The Cherokee Theatre, which has been in operation since 1945, will close its doors Tuesday (19). … Roy Shield … has purchased the building and its contents and will convert it to a modern commercial building.” — Boxoffice, July 18, 1960
“The Car-Breeze Drive-In suffered damages estimated at around $15,000 during a recent electrical storm and severe wind. The large screen, tower and fence at the drive-in were blown down.” — Boxoffice, July 18, 1960
“Ward Spielman … takes care of motion picture equipment and projection for Baker University at Baldwin in addition to running his own Gem Theatre” — Boxoffice, July 11, 1960
“Lester and Margarite Adrian have closed the Placer Theatre at Fairplay, but will continue to operate the Dillon Theatre” — Boxoffice, July 11, 1960
The July 11, 1960 issue of Boxoffive had a short article about former assistant mayor Frank Aydelotte, who “operated the Aggie Theatre in this college town north of Denver. He built the theatre in 1953 because the Trail, which he had been operating, was too small for his growing business.”
The same article later noted, “In 1947 he came to Fort Collins and took over the Trail, but closed it when he opened the Aggie in 1954 and the Trail was remodeled for business use.” If both quotes are accurate, the Aggie was built in 1953 and opened in 1954. But the Aggie Theatre web site still says it was opened in 1906.
Looks like the South Bay opened in July 1960.
The July 11, 1960 issue of Boxoffice noted, “Sero Amusement Enterprises opened its new South Bay Drive-In in Imperial Beach, Calif.”
Checking the Chula Vista Star-News, through Aug. 11, 1960, it listed its “area drive-ins” as the Harbor (National City) and the Big Sky (Chula Vista). By Aug. 18, 1960, the South Bay was included in that roundup and was advertising.
A slightly cropped version of this photo appeared in the July 4, 1960 issue of Boxoffice.
The July 4, 1960 issue of Boxoffice included a two-page spread on the 71, focusing on its playground, mainly its miniature train ride, complete with tunnel and trestles, that carried children to a miraculous lollipop tree that produced its “fruit” three times a week.
“It cost Manager Alfred Pawelek of the Midway Drive-In, Karnes City, $57.50 in taxi charges the other evening to show patrons the western feature he had advertised. The film for his program was due to arrive from Benavides but missed a bus connection at Corpus Christi, which threw it so far behind schedule that it would not have arrived until 8:20, an hour and 20 minutes too late for showtime. After hurried phone calls and a couple of ‘heart failures,’ Pawelek contacted a taxi company in Corpus Christi and ordered the film sent to Karnes City by cab. The taxi driver left Corpus Christi with the film at 5 and delivered it to Pawelek by 6:50 in time for the 7 p.m. showing.” — Boxoffice, July 4, 1960
“A new screen tower is an improvement feature at the Village Drive-In, Ennis, this season. Herschel Holt is manager of the Village.” — Boxoffice, July 4, 1960
“The Twin Pines Drive-In, Longview, has opened its new patio dining area which has a Hawaiian motif. Bamboo and palm trees help create the atmosphere and the menu is built around Hawaiian favorite foods. The patio, from which the picture can be seen and heard, may be reserved by party groups.” — Boxoffice, July 4, 1960
“Claude Thorpe, manager of the Rietta Drive-In, Henrietta, charges only 75 cents a carload each Wednesday and Thursday evening. The Rietta is one of the best equipped drive-ins in the area, featuring a fine playground.” — Boxoffice, July 4, 1960