The May 28, 1973 issue of Boxoffice had a long story about Walt Hefner and his “do-it-yourself” drive-in. Quoting an article in the Spokane Chronicle, Boxoffice wrote: “Asked to comment on the portions of the Starlite he helped build, Hefner replied: ‘It would be easier to say what I didn’t do.’” Professionals were involved in installing the 40x90-foot steel screen and in making sure his plumbing and electrical work was up to building codes. It took Hefner two years to complete the project, which cost him about $103,000.
Anthony L. Vazquez-Hernandez and more recently moviejs1944 uploaded images of a postcard with text and a photo of the sign all showing Starlight spelled correctly. That undated postcard must have been from 1952 or later because it mentioned the expanded 1000-car capacity and specified two-cent postage. Yet the mostly reliable Theatre Catalog switched its spelling from Starlight (1949-50 edition) to the Starlite (1952-56 editions). The Motion Picture Almanacs always called it the Starlight, but the Film Daily Year Book always showed Starlite.
What did the Colorado Springs Gazette say? In a word, both. The first reference I could find was March 27, 1948, quoted 50 years later as Starlight. The theater’s ads in 1960 occasionally said Starlight but were mostly Starlite, and all later editorial references spelled it that way. Did the sign in the photo ever get changed?
Details on who owned the Starlite when it flooded, from The Exhibitor, Jan. 16, 1952: “Rex Stevenson, Trans-California, is a happy man. The city is putting a main thoroughfare (the future Spruce Ave.) from El Camino, Cal., right past the screen-tower marquee of the Starlight (sic) Drive-In, South San Francisco.” It added that Trans-California had closed this Starlight for the winter along with Belmont’s Starlight and the Mission Drive-In.
I sure wish I could see a photo of this drive-in’s marquee, because I really don’t know how to spell its name. I wonder whether that sign ever changed.
In 1957, Boxoffice referred to it as the Sky-Vu and the Sky-Vue. The Motion Picture Almanac always called it the Sky Vu.
In its ads in the Colorado Springs Gazette, it was the Sky-View on July 6, 1960, then the Sky View later that month. On June 15, 1962, it was the Sky Vue and the Sky View on the same page. Mostly Sky View in 1968, then Sky Vue in 1969 – did its sign change then?
In editorial copy in the Gazette, an April 9, 1966 story had Sky Vue in the headline but Sky-View in the body. A month later, it was Sky-View in the headline but Sky-Vue in the body. 1967 stories said Sky View, but it was mostly Sky Vue from 1968 on. The Gazette’s final stories in 1984-85 said Sky Vue, so that’s the right (final) name for CT to use. But I still wonder what the sign looked like.
The Salina (KS) Journal, Aug. 2, 2007: “Dean Lavern Zimmerman, 90, Lakewood, died Tuesday, July 31, 2007. Mr. Zimmerman was born Dec. 19, 1916, in Russell, Kan. He owned and operated the Sky Vue Drive-In theater for 35 years.”
NPR’s Fresh Air had a 1994 interview with western swing vocalist Don Walser, repeated on Sept. 22, 2006, where he talked about performing at the Sky-Vue on the same night as Buddy Holly.
Walser said, “There was a drive-in theater there in Lamesa, Texas, Skeet Noret had this old drive-in called the Sky-Vue – and, in fact, it’s still operating. It’s one of the last ones that hadn’t been closed down. And he had a big projection room there that he – and he had a little stage on top of it, and he’d bring in guys like Hall Nicks and Buddy Holly, and they would have them come down and play at the Sky-Vue between the movies, you know, and I would share bills with one of them.”
The Gazette, July 29, 1990: “The drive-in debuted in Colorado Springs on June 30, 1948, when The Starlite opened with "That’s My Man,” a horse-racing flick starring Don Ameche.
It had a capacity of 650 cars on 30 acres, 2 ½ miles east of town on U.S. Highway 24. It proudly boasted a screen atop a tower fashioned from 54 tons of steel – enough to build a 50-room hotel, according to slick-tongued promoters."
The Independent Film Journal had a very lengthy article about Tom Smith and the Multiscope in its Sept. 19, 1953 issue, available at the Internet Archive. Some highlights:
The Multiscope sold out most nights, with the show starting as soon as all 40 slots were occupied. “I had no idea that this small working model would turn into a regular schedule run theatre,” Smith said.
He thought it would be cheap to build because the Multiscope needed “very little underground wire, no large structures, no screen tower, no buildings over seven feet in height, no ramping and very little grading.” And the low profile made it harder for storms to damage.
He planned to adapt to show wide-screen and CinemaScope “as soon as possible,” but was busy that year with the business of booking films and running the drive-in.
The 66 must have widened its screen in the 1953-54 offseason. Independent Film Journal, May 29. 1954: “The 66 Drive-In opened
with a new panoramic screen and a free
Kiddieland.”
Independent Film Journal, May 1, 1954: “Wehrenberg Theas. have taken a 30-year
lease on the land adjoining their 66 Park-In
Theatre in St. L. County with plans to add
more ramps and increase its capacity from
800 to 1200 cars. They have also placed
order for immediate installation of an Ezell
glass surface screen for this project.”
Boxoffice, Oct. 3, 1953: “MOUNT OLIVE, ILL. – Louis Odorizzi, owner of the Sunset Drive-In on U.S. 66 near here has leased the New Grand Theatre from Mrs. Josie Lawson and plans to open that 536-seat theatre about October 15 or when the Sunset closes its season. The New Grand has been dark for several months. It had been operated for some time by Joe Katz of Benld, Ill., also under lease from Mrs. Lawson, but Katz failed to make it show a profit, apparently.”
Independent Film Journal, Nov. 14, 1953: “The 536-seat Grand Theatre at Mount Olive, Ill. reopened Oct 25 under manager of Louis Odorizzi, who also owns and operates the Sunset Drive-In near there.”
Same drive-in? Independent Film Journal, Sept. 18, 1954: “Atomic Drive-In at Kevil, Ky., operating for some time with 16 mm films, has been converted to 35 mm operation. Blaine Sykes is owner.”
Independent Film Journal, Aug. 21, 1954: “At Casey, Ill., the K-B Drive-In Theatre on U.S. 40 which had its screen tower blown over and wrecked by a tornado on July 14, reopened for business July 24 and bas been enjoying fine patronage since. Total damage to the drive-in was about $10,000. It is owned and operated by Leroy Baston, who purchased the interests of his former partner in the theatre.”
The Independent Film Journal, Aug. 7, 1954: “The first drive-in in this area (St. Louis) to air-condition its concession building was the Clark, between Pittsfield, Ill., and Louisiana, Mo. The theatre had a five-ton unit installed.”
Minus the caption, this photo can be found at the Missouri State Archives, MS192 Gerald Massie Photograph Collection, where it’s listed as being in the public domain.
Kerry Segrave’s 1992 book “Drive-In Theaters” (very dry but recommended for drive-in historians) spent most of two pages on Galveston’s drive-in. Louis P. Josserand was also the architect and inventor of this slightly different version. “The main difference between his plan and Hollingshead’s was that the former allowed for two sets of parking ramps between each aisle. Automobiles could enter or exit a parking space either forward or backward, as the incline was rounded, lacking any rails.”
The Galveston drive-in was graded on sand, which required almost daily efforts to restore after each performance. The whole thing cost only $1,500 to build, and was regarded as an experiment to test whether a more permanent version would become profitable.
The Riverside was east of Texas Highway 6 about two miles south of its intersection with Highway 22. When I used the address of 8470 Hwy 6, Google Maps got pretty close to the site, but YMMV.
As you can see by the aerial photo above, the drive-in was north of the Y intersection where US 380 bends northwest but County Road 426 continues due west.
The Texan held its grand opening on Thursday, March 18, 1948, per an ad in the previous day’s Midland Reporter-Telegram. The opening program was “The Jolson Story.”
It was described as one mile west of Ranch House (which I can’t find) on the north side of Highway 80. That matches a drive-in shown on a 1963 aerial photo at present-day 4200 W Wall St.
Looking at that 1963 aerial, there are no other likely candidates for a drive-in on the north side of 80 between Midland and Odessa. In particular, whatever was later next to the Big Sky was an empty field in that 1963 aerial. A drive-in there was outlined in a 1975 topo map and was visible in a 1995 photo.
A 1954 USGS photo showed a small drive-in on the west side of Baird on what was then US 80. It was on the west side of the road near the current intersection with Rex Ave; a good modern-day address would be 532 Rex Ave.
The front of that “farm,” or whatever it is, shows a street address of 9335 (per July 2019 Street View), but I can’t get Google Maps to use that number accurately on the I-20 Frontage Road.
The May 28, 1973 issue of Boxoffice had a long story about Walt Hefner and his “do-it-yourself” drive-in. Quoting an article in the Spokane Chronicle, Boxoffice wrote: “Asked to comment on the portions of the Starlite he helped build, Hefner replied: ‘It would be easier to say what I didn’t do.’” Professionals were involved in installing the 40x90-foot steel screen and in making sure his plumbing and electrical work was up to building codes. It took Hefner two years to complete the project, which cost him about $103,000.
Anthony L. Vazquez-Hernandez and more recently moviejs1944 uploaded images of a postcard with text and a photo of the sign all showing Starlight spelled correctly. That undated postcard must have been from 1952 or later because it mentioned the expanded 1000-car capacity and specified two-cent postage. Yet the mostly reliable Theatre Catalog switched its spelling from Starlight (1949-50 edition) to the Starlite (1952-56 editions). The Motion Picture Almanacs always called it the Starlight, but the Film Daily Year Book always showed Starlite.
What did the Colorado Springs Gazette say? In a word, both. The first reference I could find was March 27, 1948, quoted 50 years later as Starlight. The theater’s ads in 1960 occasionally said Starlight but were mostly Starlite, and all later editorial references spelled it that way. Did the sign in the photo ever get changed?
Details on who owned the Starlite when it flooded, from The Exhibitor, Jan. 16, 1952: “Rex Stevenson, Trans-California, is a happy man. The city is putting a main thoroughfare (the future Spruce Ave.) from El Camino, Cal., right past the screen-tower marquee of the Starlight (sic) Drive-In, South San Francisco.” It added that Trans-California had closed this Starlight for the winter along with Belmont’s Starlight and the Mission Drive-In.
Was this the full front of the postcard that Anthony L. Vazquez-Hernandez uploaded a while back?
I sure wish I could see a photo of this drive-in’s marquee, because I really don’t know how to spell its name. I wonder whether that sign ever changed.
In 1957, Boxoffice referred to it as the Sky-Vu and the Sky-Vue. The Motion Picture Almanac always called it the Sky Vu.
In its ads in the Colorado Springs Gazette, it was the Sky-View on July 6, 1960, then the Sky View later that month. On June 15, 1962, it was the Sky Vue and the Sky View on the same page. Mostly Sky View in 1968, then Sky Vue in 1969 – did its sign change then?
In editorial copy in the Gazette, an April 9, 1966 story had Sky Vue in the headline but Sky-View in the body. A month later, it was Sky-View in the headline but Sky-Vue in the body. 1967 stories said Sky View, but it was mostly Sky Vue from 1968 on. The Gazette’s final stories in 1984-85 said Sky Vue, so that’s the right (final) name for CT to use. But I still wonder what the sign looked like.
The Salina (KS) Journal, Aug. 2, 2007: “Dean Lavern Zimmerman, 90, Lakewood, died Tuesday, July 31, 2007. Mr. Zimmerman was born Dec. 19, 1916, in Russell, Kan. He owned and operated the Sky Vue Drive-In theater for 35 years.”
NPR’s Fresh Air had a 1994 interview with western swing vocalist Don Walser, repeated on Sept. 22, 2006, where he talked about performing at the Sky-Vue on the same night as Buddy Holly.
Walser said, “There was a drive-in theater there in Lamesa, Texas, Skeet Noret had this old drive-in called the Sky-Vue – and, in fact, it’s still operating. It’s one of the last ones that hadn’t been closed down. And he had a big projection room there that he – and he had a little stage on top of it, and he’d bring in guys like Hall Nicks and Buddy Holly, and they would have them come down and play at the Sky-Vue between the movies, you know, and I would share bills with one of them.”
The Gazette, July 29, 1990: “The drive-in debuted in Colorado Springs on June 30, 1948, when The Starlite opened with "That’s My Man,” a horse-racing flick starring Don Ameche. It had a capacity of 650 cars on 30 acres, 2 ½ miles east of town on U.S. Highway 24. It proudly boasted a screen atop a tower fashioned from 54 tons of steel – enough to build a 50-room hotel, according to slick-tongued promoters."
The Independent Film Journal had a very lengthy article about Tom Smith and the Multiscope in its Sept. 19, 1953 issue, available at the Internet Archive. Some highlights:
The Multiscope sold out most nights, with the show starting as soon as all 40 slots were occupied. “I had no idea that this small working model would turn into a regular schedule run theatre,” Smith said.
He thought it would be cheap to build because the Multiscope needed “very little underground wire, no large structures, no screen tower, no buildings over seven feet in height, no ramping and very little grading.” And the low profile made it harder for storms to damage.
He planned to adapt to show wide-screen and CinemaScope “as soon as possible,” but was busy that year with the business of booking films and running the drive-in.
The 66 must have widened its screen in the 1953-54 offseason. Independent Film Journal, May 29. 1954: “The 66 Drive-In opened with a new panoramic screen and a free Kiddieland.”
Independent Film Journal, May 1, 1954: “Wehrenberg Theas. have taken a 30-year lease on the land adjoining their 66 Park-In Theatre in St. L. County with plans to add more ramps and increase its capacity from 800 to 1200 cars. They have also placed order for immediate installation of an Ezell glass surface screen for this project.”
Boxoffice, Oct. 3, 1953: “MOUNT OLIVE, ILL. – Louis Odorizzi, owner of the Sunset Drive-In on U.S. 66 near here has leased the New Grand Theatre from Mrs. Josie Lawson and plans to open that 536-seat theatre about October 15 or when the Sunset closes its season. The New Grand has been dark for several months. It had been operated for some time by Joe Katz of Benld, Ill., also under lease from Mrs. Lawson, but Katz failed to make it show a profit, apparently.”
Independent Film Journal, Nov. 14, 1953: “The 536-seat Grand Theatre at Mount Olive, Ill. reopened Oct 25 under manager of Louis Odorizzi, who also owns and operates the Sunset Drive-In near there.”
Same drive-in? Independent Film Journal, Sept. 18, 1954: “Atomic Drive-In at Kevil, Ky., operating for some time with 16 mm films, has been converted to 35 mm operation. Blaine Sykes is owner.”
Independent Film Journal, Aug. 21, 1954: “At Casey, Ill., the K-B Drive-In Theatre on U.S. 40 which had its screen tower blown over and wrecked by a tornado on July 14, reopened for business July 24 and bas been enjoying fine patronage since. Total damage to the drive-in was about $10,000. It is owned and operated by Leroy Baston, who purchased the interests of his former partner in the theatre.”
The Independent Film Journal, Aug. 7, 1954: “The first drive-in in this area (St. Louis) to air-condition its concession building was the Clark, between Pittsfield, Ill., and Louisiana, Mo. The theatre had a five-ton unit installed.”
Minus the caption, this photo can be found at the Missouri State Archives, MS192 Gerald Massie Photograph Collection, where it’s listed as being in the public domain.
Kerry Segrave’s 1992 book “Drive-In Theaters” (very dry but recommended for drive-in historians) spent most of two pages on Galveston’s drive-in. Louis P. Josserand was also the architect and inventor of this slightly different version. “The main difference between his plan and Hollingshead’s was that the former allowed for two sets of parking ramps between each aisle. Automobiles could enter or exit a parking space either forward or backward, as the incline was rounded, lacking any rails.”
The Galveston drive-in was graded on sand, which required almost daily efforts to restore after each performance. The whole thing cost only $1,500 to build, and was regarded as an experiment to test whether a more permanent version would become profitable.
The site, on the southeast corner of S Washington Avenue and US 59, is now home to Mulch 2 Go, address 2075 US-59, Livingston, TX 77351.
The Riverside was east of Texas Highway 6 about two miles south of its intersection with Highway 22. When I used the address of 8470 Hwy 6, Google Maps got pretty close to the site, but YMMV.
As you can see by the aerial photo above, the drive-in was north of the Y intersection where US 380 bends northwest but County Road 426 continues due west.
The Texan held its grand opening on Thursday, March 18, 1948, per an ad in the previous day’s Midland Reporter-Telegram. The opening program was “The Jolson Story.”
It was described as one mile west of Ranch House (which I can’t find) on the north side of Highway 80. That matches a drive-in shown on a 1963 aerial photo at present-day 4200 W Wall St.
Looking at that 1963 aerial, there are no other likely candidates for a drive-in on the north side of 80 between Midland and Odessa. In particular, whatever was later next to the Big Sky was an empty field in that 1963 aerial. A drive-in there was outlined in a 1975 topo map and was visible in a 1995 photo.
The twin drive-in was still intact, looking active, in a 1981 aerial photo. By 1985, it was already partially replaced with a building.
A 1954 USGS photo showed a small drive-in on the west side of Baird on what was then US 80. It was on the west side of the road near the current intersection with Rex Ave; a good modern-day address would be 532 Rex Ave.
The front of that “farm,” or whatever it is, shows a street address of 9335 (per July 2019 Street View), but I can’t get Google Maps to use that number accurately on the I-20 Frontage Road.
A 1956 USGS photo showed a drive-in north of Eagle Pass on then-state highway 85. A modern-day equivalent address is 2214 Del Rio Blvd.