Van Buren Drive-In

If it were East Kentucky, I do what I could, but TN is to far away. I spend most of my free time heading back to NY.

Why not revive VB Drive-in? With a manament that cares, I bet it would work. Not to disparage the previous operators, I don’t think they really cared about any of the venues in the area. Nor, it seems, does the current owner of the multiplex in town. I see oportunities. But you folks have 7 years to do something. :)

Comments like do NOT help “your side”. Take it outside. May I suggest myspace?

As of 1981, Dipson Theatres, Inc. operated:
New York

BATAVIA- Cinemas 1 & 2, Mall 1 & 2, Batavia D/In
BUFFALO- Amherst 1-3, Colvin, Kensington, North Park, Plaza North, Broadway D/In
DUNKIRK- Van Buren D/In, Cine, Regent
ELMIRA- Capitol, Colonial, Elmira, Cinemas 1-3, Heights, Roxy D/In
FREDONIA- Cinema 1
HORNELL- Cinemas 1 & 2
JAMESTOWN- Chautauqua Mall Cinemas 1 & 2, Lakewood D/In, Palace, Pic 17 D/In, Wintergarden
LEROY- LeRoy
NEWARK- Rose City D/In
WESTFIELD- Westfield D/In

PENNSYLVANIA
BRADFORD-Cinemas 1 & 2

From the International Motion Picture Almanac 1981

Sheesh! – I’m with Jeff S. on this: you guys keep “last-wording” him and then expect him to keep silent? LM, if it’s truly “enough”, why not give Jeff S. a break and move on?

Anyway, back to theaters (if you don’t mind)…I’m from Westfield, NY, and do recall that Dipson operated some of the theaters in that area, perhaps including Cinema One (in between its duties as opera house, with bats in the domed ceiling, for real!).

Paul, seriously, what’s with this site’s server? Slow all day…

Seems inaccuracy is a recurring theme. :) He lists the State Theater in Dunkirk, but we don’t here. (Perhaps that is a fault of mine, as I made the most Dunkirk entries, but I did want at least some information about it before i made the entry. Urban “renewal” desroyed most of Dunkirk before I really had a chance to get to know the town.)

Just out of curiousity, have the folks who know better advised him of his errors, and tried to help him put out a more accurate product, or do we just ignore the errors, whine about the innacurracies, and try to get our information elsewhere hoping that others have a better lock on fact checking? After all, this theater would have about 5 entries, were it not for all the back and forth about the error that was here.

William – Thanks for the reference. Time to see if I can find access to as manny issues as possible in my library (I live in WV, I don’t hold out much hope) to get a better picture of venues in northern Chautauqua County.

OK, st __ry, will do. But, one question: why did you not also ask Mike to not make comments about you? — recall he called you a “cool guy”. And why is it you are, in turn, allowed to make comments to and about ME?

And Mike, I’m not talking down to you by urging you to properly comprehend the thread, because undeniably you did NOT properly comprehend it when you wrongly concluded I was inappropriately “hassling” he who shall be un-named.

And both you guys: I’ll keep going with this — responding to (hence not initiating) comments to and about me from either of you — as long as you keep engaging in petty last-wording. So whether this nonsense, none of it related to theaters and all of it no doubt a great bore and bother to other members of this site, continues or ends is your choice (but please choose “ends”!).

I’ve said it in my prior post but it apparently bears repeating: “let’s get back to — and stick with — theaters instead of think-skinned worries”.

Kudos to William for the helpful info.

Some Cinema Treasure members tell me not to use the Canada website Paul because it is not very accurate. The dates for example are many times wrong. Are you trying to be a wiseguy Jeff? I can comprehend these comments just fine. Don’t talk down to people. It isn’t very nice.

You can get an excel reader from microsoft. I don’t know whether this makes unable to be gamed by virii or not.

I gave a source for Dipson operating the theatre. I can’t be responsible for lack of interest or desire in the source. That doesn’t mean that the source is invalid, however.

As I get the time I may try and talk this guy into redoing his website so that it doesn’t involve a spreadsheet, but that not exactly on the top of list of things to do. In the Regent messages someone mentioned a “yearbook” website that included a photo of the interior of the Regent. I made some suggestions to that author, and offered help. He doesn’t return my e-mail anymore, and he went to school with my brother. :) Anyhow, any changes that he would make will be because he wants to, and has the time to, not because I say anything. Since his site involves a couple of countries, and more than a couple of theaters, any changes will be huge.

Also, you can use “open office” as your spreadsheet program, and since it doesn’t use the same macro language (the issue with excel virii) then you should be clean with any excel virii. But it is up to you. (But I sure wouldn’t download open office just to read this spreadsheet. :)

Paul, I actually lived in Boston at the time and am now in Austin; I was just visiting WNY when I toured the theater site (anyone can e-mail me at for pics). Thanks for the picture; a veritable Mayan ruin.

Hopefully this will work out. Here is the projection booth of the Van Buren Drive-In. If you look close, you can see it beyond all the overgrowth. If you guys want larger pictures, let me know. View link

Paul, I made the same “archeological” photo-tour you did a couple years ago. Eerie and maybe sad, but fun as well. But, hey, weeds grow fast in that area, and rust and decay (with WNY winters) grow faster.

Lost Memory, consider these facts:

1) My comments about corroboration weren’t directed at you (so why then did you take them that way?), but the posters who actually suggested there wasn’t any corroborating evidence — as though there wasn’t any to be had, period (which clearly isn’t the case).

2) Note that I have never clamored for revision of the information here, but have simply pointed out that it’s misleading. Instead, OTHER posters have suggested revision — including yourself (i.e., my only comments about revision were in brief, direct response to YOUR suggested rewording of this entry). Further, it wasn’t I but another poster who suggested the Observer source. In at least these two ways, then, I face no “burden of proof”; leave the entry misleading if you like.

3) I was attempting to mediate between two posters, one who offered a source for corroboration, and the other who seemed to impugn that source — without ever consulting it. My point was that there’s little value in debating what’s in a given box: just open up the box and find out. I personally don’t care if anyone opens the box (i.e., checks with the Observer), but it is, plainly, foolish to speculate on what is or isn’t the case with this ownership without being willing to investigate it and actually doing so.

4) My comments here have little to do with the theater in question, but rather the commentary on its entry on this site. Further, if I were obsessed with the theater, perhaps I WOULD in fact bother with not only leading everyone here to irrefutable corroborating information but presenting it to them gift-wrapped in their laps — but I’m not so obsessed. Accordingly, your assertion that I have an “obsession” with the theater is only entirely wrong (but only entirely). That said, what does it matter what my motives are? — either my comments are valid or not.

That said…can well all take a chill pill?! ;–)