It’s time to change the Chama Drive-In’s status to active. As I type, it’s selling tickets for Jurassic World: Dominion for Thursday-Sunday nights in the next two weeks, and there’s every indication shows will continue the rest of the summer.
A walking tour brochure from the Aztec Museum Association (PDF) included this caption for the theater: “Built in l927 by J. Oscar Manning as the Mayan Theater, and later renamed Aztec Theater, this building has long been an important source of entertainment for San Juan County residents.”
Theatre Catalog, 1952: “Jingle Bob D. I. Exec: R. I. Payne, Theatre Entrs., Inc., Tower Petroleum Bldg., Dallas, Tex. (500)”
The last ad I could find in the Roswell Daily Record for the Jingle Bob was on Oct. 15, 1965. Its final movies were “Primitive Love” (1964, Italian, starring Jayne Mansfield) and “Pattern for Plunder” (aka Operation Mermaid, 1963).
As kennerado noted, this drive-in consistently advertised from at least 1953 until it closed as the Ballojak (occasionally Ballojack) with no hyphens or spaces.
The Feb. 17, 1951 issue of Boxoffice included the Ballojak in a list of drive-ins under construction. The 1952 Theatre Catalog included the “Ballo Jak (sic?) D. I. Exec: R. I. Payne, Theatre Entrs., Inc., Tower Petroleum Bldg., Dallas, Tex. (500)” So it must have opened in 1951.
The final ad I could find in the Roswell Daily Record for the Ballojak, then owned by Commonwealth, was on Sept. 20, 1970.
The Frontier’s first appearance in the Motion Picture Almanac was in the 1960 edition, suggesting an opening in 1959 or earlier. The capacity was 100 cars; the owner was H. C. Lancaster.
The drive-in’s final MPA appearance was in 1968; although the book was mostly on autopilot at the time, it dropped the Frontier in 1969. That suggests a closing date of 1968 or earlier.
Boxoffice, April 13, 1957: “Buddy Bass of McNatt Theatres has purchased the Lone Star Drive-In, Daingerfield, from Okleigh Hill and assumed operations. The McNatt chain has houses in Daingerfield, Naples and Hughes Springs”
Boxoffice, April 17, 1957: “Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Graham, formerly of St. Louis … have been operating the Starlite Drive-In on Route 19 north of Salem, Mo., since June 1955 under a lease from Mr. and Mrs. Paul Hamaker of Salem, who opened that drive-in in September 1950.”
Boxoffice, April 6, 1957: “A new drive-in, the Trail, will be opened this month on the Corsicana highway near Athens. Owners, Cliff Turner jr. and B. L. Hagle, also have two film houses in Corsicana”
Boxoffice, April 6, 1957: “William J. Buetler has taken over full operation of the Raos (sic), Taos, N. M. His father, the late Floyd Beutler, had owned half of the theatre, and Jack Brandenberg has sold the other half to the son.”
Boxoffice, Dec. 21, 1959: “Bud Howell has purchased the Taos (N.M.) Theatre from William Butler.”
The 1952 Theatre Catalog listed under Hillsboro NM the following: “Hill D. I. Exec: C. V. Jones, Robb and Rowley United Ct., 314 S. Harwood St., Dallas, Tex. (300)”
But that’s a perfect match for the Hill Drive-In in Hillsboro TX which opened Aug. 3, 1950 and was operated by Robb & Rowley United. That 1952 Catalog did not include the Texas Hillsboro, so it was probably misplaced.
It’s darned difficult to prove a negative, but it sure looks like the tiny town of Hillsboro NM never had a drive-in, especially one that held more cars than the town had people.
Same drive-in? Alamogordo Daily News, July 5, 1966: (Associated Press story about storms) “A drive-in theater was reported destroyed near Kimball Prairie, Minn.”
Over several months, I posted some notes about the Jet in Truth or Consequences here in the entry for Tularosa’s Jet Drive-In. Sorry about that. I’ve removed the bad ones, and here are the remaining relevant notes:
Motion Picture Exhibitor, Jan. 16, 1963: “The Bijou, Muse-U, and Jet Drive-In have changed hands. Juan G. and Jose G. Contreras are the new owners. Ed S. Turned has owned the houses for 18 years.”
Boxoffice, March 8, 1965: “The Jet Drive-In and the Muse-U, both located in Tularosa, N.M., have been acquired by Cliff and Susan Reed of New York City. Purchase was made from the Otero County State Bank of New Mexico and extensive remodeling and alterations are being completed prior to reopening”
Also, it appears that the Jet was renamed the Route 54 before it closed. The 1966 Motion Picture Almanac included the Route 54, owner “R & R Dist.,” capacity 250. On April 9, 1967, the Route 54 “North of Tularosa” advertised its “Gala Re-Opening Show” in the Alamogordo Daily News.
Hobbs Daily News-Sun, Sept. 30, 1951: “In 1948, Theater Enterprises, Inc., acquired 14 acres from Hobbs Houses, Inc., on the Hobbs-Lovington highway and built the Sky-Vu drive-in theater."
I’ll bet that’s what someone read in 1975 and repeated. Was the date mentioned in 1951 just a typo, or did someone misremember a date that badly just 28 months after the drive-in opened?
Anyway, the last Sky Vu ad I could find in the News-Sun was $1 a carload on Jan. 28, 1962 for “Hell Bent for Leather” and “Plunder in the Sun”. The next day’s paper had ads for the Flamingo Twin Drive-In but nothing for the Sky Vu.
Hobbs Daily News-Sun, Sept. 30, 1951: “Hobbs second drive-in, the Eagle, opened last year on a 10-acre tract at 300 North Burk. It is owned by E. L. Williamson of Abilene, Tex., and managed by Mrs. Lucille Nunnally."
Hobbs Daily News-Sun, Sept. 30, 1951: “The first announcement (of the soon-to-open theater) said it would be called the “Strand.” A second announcement a few days later saw the name changed to the “Fawn.” It opened in a sheet-iron building leased from John Sharbauer on Sept. 6, 1930. The first picture starred Harry Richmond and Jean Bennett in “Putting on the Ritz.” It was a silent picture … Sound equipment was installed in the Fawn on Sept. 19. Sometime later - probably in 1931 - the theater’s name was changed again to the Strand. … in 1932, Griffith (Theaters) leased the Fawn theater which had been closed for about a year … Griffith renamed it the Rex and it remained Hobbs' only theater until the Rig … was opened late in 1935 … The Rex theater was destroyed in an early morning blaze on May 6, 1936. The fire, described by newspapers as a “$50,000 loss,” also destroyed three other buildings and damaged several others, including the postoffice, in the same block."
Hobbs Daily News-Sun, Sept. 30, 1951: “The second theater opening in Hobbs was the Derrick … early advertisements located it as "adjoining the federal postoffice building on East Carlsbad.” (Carlsbad is the former name of Broadway.)“ Its first movie was the 1925 silent film "She” starring Betty Blythe.
Hobbs Daily News-Sun, Sept. 30, 1951: “The first motion picture house (in Hobbs) … was called the Ritz, and it was built on the site of the Roosevelt theater which was destroyed by fire several months ago. Manager of the independently-operated Ritz was George S. Gufford … While the present Rig theater (which opened late in 1935) was under construction, Judge T. A. Whelan of Lovington bought the old Ritz theater. He changed its name to the Roosevelt and opened up for business.”
Crawley’s appeared precisely once in the Theatre Catalog (1955-56 edition) and Motion Picture Almanac (1956). Both named Perry Crawley as the owner and the capacity at 200.
Going from experience, the Theatre Catalog listing suggests Crawley’s was open by early 1955. The MPA listing points to it still being around in early 1956, and its departure (in lieu of the Varsity) in 1957 suggests that it closed before the end of 1956.
Boxoffice, Aug. 5, 1963: “W. T. Kerr, Sulphur, … was also a partner in a drive-in, the Starlight, which was destroyed in a windstorm and never reopened. His partner was Mrs. Izah Adams, who operated the Ritz Theatre, Sulphur, for many years, but who is no longer in the theatre business."
Boxoffice, Aug. 5, 1963: “W. T. Kerr, Sulphur, who owns the Arbuckle Drive-In, Davis, reports that J. C. Drake, who had the drive-in leased for the past several months, is no longer connected with the drive-in. Kerr was on the (Oklahoma City Film) Row recently and brought along with him Clay Pitchford, Mistletow Express agent of Davis, who also owns a flower shop. Pitchford will operate the Arbuckle Drive-In for Kerr and they were setting future bookings, as this is Pitchford’s first venture in the motion picture theatre business. He did operate the drive-in for a short time while Drake had it under lease.”
Boxoffice, May 28, 1949: “Lloyd Kerby, owner of the Kerby, Worland, Wyo., has bought ten acres near town and will build a $75,000, 350-seat (sic) drive-in, equipped with Simplex booth, sound and in-car speakers, all furnished by National Theatre Supply.”
I just uploaded a 1962 photo that included the original building, and I think it’s consistent with the 1983 photo. But you’re better at picking out visual details, Kenmore, so I am happy to read your perspective.
(Farwell) State Line Tribune, July 30, 1953: “Friona is to have a new business west of town. W. E. McGlothin is moving a building and equipment for a new Drive-in theater.”
(Farwell) State Line Tribune, Aug. 6, 1953: “Bill McLaughlin, operator of the local downtown theatre, said this week that he is making progress on the erection of a drive-in theatre on Highway 60 just west of Friona. Asked as to when the theatre might be in operation, McLaughlin admitted that it might be possible he would not open this fall, but added that he was going ahead on the work. The drive-in, second in Friona, will accommodate 240-250 cars, McLaughlin said, adding he was moving these up here from another location. (Huh?) Ramps have been run already, and erection on the tower is expected to begin soon."
The Chief was the first drive-in to open in Friona. It was advertising in the (Farwell) State Line Tribune on Aug. 6, 1953, on the same page as an article about Bill McGlothin building a 240-250-car drive-in, “second in Friona”.
It’s time to change the Chama Drive-In’s status to active. As I type, it’s selling tickets for Jurassic World: Dominion for Thursday-Sunday nights in the next two weeks, and there’s every indication shows will continue the rest of the summer.
A walking tour brochure from the Aztec Museum Association (PDF) included this caption for the theater: “Built in l927 by J. Oscar Manning as the Mayan Theater, and later renamed Aztec Theater, this building has long been an important source of entertainment for San Juan County residents.”
Theatre Catalog, 1952: “Jingle Bob D. I. Exec: R. I. Payne, Theatre Entrs., Inc., Tower Petroleum Bldg., Dallas, Tex. (500)”
The last ad I could find in the Roswell Daily Record for the Jingle Bob was on Oct. 15, 1965. Its final movies were “Primitive Love” (1964, Italian, starring Jayne Mansfield) and “Pattern for Plunder” (aka Operation Mermaid, 1963).
As kennerado noted, this drive-in consistently advertised from at least 1953 until it closed as the Ballojak (occasionally Ballojack) with no hyphens or spaces.
The Feb. 17, 1951 issue of Boxoffice included the Ballojak in a list of drive-ins under construction. The 1952 Theatre Catalog included the “Ballo Jak (sic?) D. I. Exec: R. I. Payne, Theatre Entrs., Inc., Tower Petroleum Bldg., Dallas, Tex. (500)” So it must have opened in 1951.
The final ad I could find in the Roswell Daily Record for the Ballojak, then owned by Commonwealth, was on Sept. 20, 1970.
The Frontier’s first appearance in the Motion Picture Almanac was in the 1960 edition, suggesting an opening in 1959 or earlier. The capacity was 100 cars; the owner was H. C. Lancaster.
The drive-in’s final MPA appearance was in 1968; although the book was mostly on autopilot at the time, it dropped the Frontier in 1969. That suggests a closing date of 1968 or earlier.
Boxoffice, April 13, 1957: “M. B. Miller has reopened his 290-car filmer at Ennis. He’s a school teacher by day at Bardwell”
Boxoffice, April 13, 1957: “Buddy Bass of McNatt Theatres has purchased the Lone Star Drive-In, Daingerfield, from Okleigh Hill and assumed operations. The McNatt chain has houses in Daingerfield, Naples and Hughes Springs”
Boxoffice, April 17, 1957: “Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Graham, formerly of St. Louis … have been operating the Starlite Drive-In on Route 19 north of Salem, Mo., since June 1955 under a lease from Mr. and Mrs. Paul Hamaker of Salem, who opened that drive-in in September 1950.”
Boxoffice, April 6, 1957: “A new drive-in, the Trail, will be opened this month on the Corsicana highway near Athens. Owners, Cliff Turner jr. and B. L. Hagle, also have two film houses in Corsicana”
Boxoffice, April 6, 1957: “William J. Buetler has taken over full operation of the Raos (sic), Taos, N. M. His father, the late Floyd Beutler, had owned half of the theatre, and Jack Brandenberg has sold the other half to the son.”
Boxoffice, Dec. 21, 1959: “Bud Howell has purchased the Taos (N.M.) Theatre from William Butler.”
The 1952 Theatre Catalog listed under Hillsboro NM the following: “Hill D. I. Exec: C. V. Jones, Robb and Rowley United Ct., 314 S. Harwood St., Dallas, Tex. (300)”
But that’s a perfect match for the Hill Drive-In in Hillsboro TX which opened Aug. 3, 1950 and was operated by Robb & Rowley United. That 1952 Catalog did not include the Texas Hillsboro, so it was probably misplaced.
It’s darned difficult to prove a negative, but it sure looks like the tiny town of Hillsboro NM never had a drive-in, especially one that held more cars than the town had people.
Same drive-in? Alamogordo Daily News, July 5, 1966: (Associated Press story about storms) “A drive-in theater was reported destroyed near Kimball Prairie, Minn.”
Over several months, I posted some notes about the Jet in Truth or Consequences here in the entry for Tularosa’s Jet Drive-In. Sorry about that. I’ve removed the bad ones, and here are the remaining relevant notes:
Motion Picture Exhibitor, Jan. 16, 1963: “The Bijou, Muse-U, and Jet Drive-In have changed hands. Juan G. and Jose G. Contreras are the new owners. Ed S. Turned has owned the houses for 18 years.”
Boxoffice, March 8, 1965: “The Jet Drive-In and the Muse-U, both located in Tularosa, N.M., have been acquired by Cliff and Susan Reed of New York City. Purchase was made from the Otero County State Bank of New Mexico and extensive remodeling and alterations are being completed prior to reopening”
Also, it appears that the Jet was renamed the Route 54 before it closed. The 1966 Motion Picture Almanac included the Route 54, owner “R & R Dist.,” capacity 250. On April 9, 1967, the Route 54 “North of Tularosa” advertised its “Gala Re-Opening Show” in the Alamogordo Daily News.
Hobbs Daily News-Sun, Sept. 30, 1951: “In 1948, Theater Enterprises, Inc., acquired 14 acres from Hobbs Houses, Inc., on the Hobbs-Lovington highway and built the Sky-Vu drive-in theater."
I’ll bet that’s what someone read in 1975 and repeated. Was the date mentioned in 1951 just a typo, or did someone misremember a date that badly just 28 months after the drive-in opened?
Anyway, the last Sky Vu ad I could find in the News-Sun was $1 a carload on Jan. 28, 1962 for “Hell Bent for Leather” and “Plunder in the Sun”. The next day’s paper had ads for the Flamingo Twin Drive-In but nothing for the Sky Vu.
Hobbs Daily News-Sun, Sept. 30, 1951: “Hobbs second drive-in, the Eagle, opened last year on a 10-acre tract at 300 North Burk. It is owned by E. L. Williamson of Abilene, Tex., and managed by Mrs. Lucille Nunnally."
Hobbs Daily News-Sun, Sept. 30, 1951: “The first announcement (of the soon-to-open theater) said it would be called the “Strand.” A second announcement a few days later saw the name changed to the “Fawn.” It opened in a sheet-iron building leased from John Sharbauer on Sept. 6, 1930. The first picture starred Harry Richmond and Jean Bennett in “Putting on the Ritz.” It was a silent picture … Sound equipment was installed in the Fawn on Sept. 19. Sometime later - probably in 1931 - the theater’s name was changed again to the Strand. … in 1932, Griffith (Theaters) leased the Fawn theater which had been closed for about a year … Griffith renamed it the Rex and it remained Hobbs' only theater until the Rig … was opened late in 1935 … The Rex theater was destroyed in an early morning blaze on May 6, 1936. The fire, described by newspapers as a “$50,000 loss,” also destroyed three other buildings and damaged several others, including the postoffice, in the same block."
Hobbs Daily News-Sun, Sept. 30, 1951: “The second theater opening in Hobbs was the Derrick … early advertisements located it as "adjoining the federal postoffice building on East Carlsbad.” (Carlsbad is the former name of Broadway.)“ Its first movie was the 1925 silent film "She” starring Betty Blythe.
Hobbs Daily News-Sun, Sept. 30, 1951: “The first motion picture house (in Hobbs) … was called the Ritz, and it was built on the site of the Roosevelt theater which was destroyed by fire several months ago. Manager of the independently-operated Ritz was George S. Gufford … While the present Rig theater (which opened late in 1935) was under construction, Judge T. A. Whelan of Lovington bought the old Ritz theater. He changed its name to the Roosevelt and opened up for business.”
Crawley’s appeared precisely once in the Theatre Catalog (1955-56 edition) and Motion Picture Almanac (1956). Both named Perry Crawley as the owner and the capacity at 200.
Going from experience, the Theatre Catalog listing suggests Crawley’s was open by early 1955. The MPA listing points to it still being around in early 1956, and its departure (in lieu of the Varsity) in 1957 suggests that it closed before the end of 1956.
Boxoffice, Aug. 5, 1963: “W. T. Kerr, Sulphur, … was also a partner in a drive-in, the Starlight, which was destroyed in a windstorm and never reopened. His partner was Mrs. Izah Adams, who operated the Ritz Theatre, Sulphur, for many years, but who is no longer in the theatre business."
Boxoffice, Aug. 5, 1963: “W. T. Kerr, Sulphur, who owns the Arbuckle Drive-In, Davis, reports that J. C. Drake, who had the drive-in leased for the past several months, is no longer connected with the drive-in. Kerr was on the (Oklahoma City Film) Row recently and brought along with him Clay Pitchford, Mistletow Express agent of Davis, who also owns a flower shop. Pitchford will operate the Arbuckle Drive-In for Kerr and they were setting future bookings, as this is Pitchford’s first venture in the motion picture theatre business. He did operate the drive-in for a short time while Drake had it under lease.”
Boxoffice, May 28, 1949: “Lloyd Kerby, owner of the Kerby, Worland, Wyo., has bought ten acres near town and will build a $75,000, 350-seat (sic) drive-in, equipped with Simplex booth, sound and in-car speakers, all furnished by National Theatre Supply.”
I just uploaded a 1962 photo that included the original building, and I think it’s consistent with the 1983 photo. But you’re better at picking out visual details, Kenmore, so I am happy to read your perspective.
(Farwell) State Line Tribune, July 30, 1953: “Friona is to have a new business west of town. W. E. McGlothin is moving a building and equipment for a new Drive-in theater.”
(Farwell) State Line Tribune, Aug. 6, 1953: “Bill McLaughlin, operator of the local downtown theatre, said this week that he is making progress on the erection of a drive-in theatre on Highway 60 just west of Friona. Asked as to when the theatre might be in operation, McLaughlin admitted that it might be possible he would not open this fall, but added that he was going ahead on the work. The drive-in, second in Friona, will accommodate 240-250 cars, McLaughlin said, adding he was moving these up here from another location. (Huh?) Ramps have been run already, and erection on the tower is expected to begin soon."
The Chief was the first drive-in to open in Friona. It was advertising in the (Farwell) State Line Tribune on Aug. 6, 1953, on the same page as an article about Bill McGlothin building a 240-250-car drive-in, “second in Friona”.