The Dove Creek (CO) Press, March 6, 1953: “Three theatres in Cortez were purchased last week from the John Survant estate by Mr. and Mrs. T. Gai of Yellow Jacket, Colo. The AnLe, Cortez and Arroyo Drive-In Theatres … the Drive-in theatre will open (for the season) Friday, April 17th according to word from George Armstrong, manager of the Gai theatres.”
On March 7, 2002, the Glenwood Springs Post Independent ran an article by Willa Soncarty of the local Frontier Historical Museum, and it nailed down all the major details.
“Glenwood Springs became part of the drive-in theater craze in 1950. That August, manager Dan Cornwall oversaw construction of the community’s first and only drive-in theater. … Its site allowed parking for 325 automobiles. … 50-foot movie screen … “Moon-Glo” lights gently illuminated the site … On September 12, 1950, the Canyon Drive-In welcomed guests to the showing of its first movie, “(The) Good Humor Man.” … The final movie at the Canyon Drive-In was shown on Sept. 10, 1979.”
Boxoffice, March 29, 1971: “Mrs. Tom Murphy of Murphy Theatres, headquartered in Raton, N.M., has announced a complete rebuilding of the Grove Theatre in Alamosa. Design will be by Mel Glatz. The Grove, which has been closed in recent years, will be completely gutted and rebuilt into a 300-seat theatre.”
Years later, my advice, since this has happened to me often enough, is to delete the photo entirely and re-upload it with the corrected caption. That works perfectly without intervention from the overworked CT staff. :)
Boxoffice, Aug. 4, 1969: “ALAMOSA, COLO. – The Rialto Theatre here has been reopened by McKenna Theatres of Raton, N.M., under lease from the Thomas F. Murphy Trust, after a six-week remodeling and redecorating program which saw the building completely gutted and rebuilt … For many years, the Rialto was personally supervised by the late Thomas F. Murphy, who had planned for several years to remodel the house. After his death a year ago, Mrs. Mabel Murphy, his wife, carried out his plans.”
Looks like this drive-in spent its final ~15 years as the Linda Vista.
Boxoffice, Aug. 4, 1969: “The opening of the Linda Vista Drive-In, 5400 Second NW, was highlighted by a live show … The theatre is the former Star Theatre. Mel Sanchez is owner.”
That photo, which shows “Grand Opening Thursday” on the marquee, suggests that the opening night really was Thursday, Aug. 29, 1963. Drive-ins often hold invite-only soft openings the night before, so maybe that happened here and misled the Boxoffice correspondent.
The Nov. 4, 1963 issue of Boxoffice revisited the Del-Sego, which had just expanded its mini golf, with a two-page article including photos.
Owner-operator William Warnken jr. said the lighting over the courses “affords a dual purpose in that it gives me just about the right degree of ‘Moonlight’ which has cut down on speaker thefts 75 per cent.”
Boxoffice, July 29, 1963: “The Starway Drive-In, which had been closed under its previous ownership, has been returned to active exhibition following its purchased by Interstate Theatre Corp. from James Sayre jr., Salem attorney.”
Boxoffice, Aug. 20, 1962: “Mr. and Mrs. Paul McCalmon have sold Paul’s Drive-In at Powell, Wyo., to Craig and Ann Jones”
Boxoffice, July 29, 1963: “Mr. and Mrs. Paul McCalmon again are operating Paul’s Drive-In, Powell, Wyo. They were the original owners prior to selling to Craig and Ann Jones at the beginning of the year”
Boxoffice, July 15, 1963: “Western Amusement Co. announced plans have been completed for construction of a 600-car drive-in at Barstow. R. B. Brout of Los Angeles is the architect. Western Amusement also operates the Barstow Theatre … and the Bar-Len Drive-In at Barstow. The latter is to be renovated.”
What a remarkably fast descent for the former Comet, as told over a few weeks in Boxoffice:
May 6, 1963: “The Paris Theatre, which operated under an art house policy, has been taken over by Wally Nash, who will open it with live entertainment. The first stage show will feature six comedians.”
May 20, 1963: “The Paris Theatre which had been operated as an art house and more recently with live entertainment has been closed and is for sale”
June 10, 1963: “The Paris Theatre was completely destroyed by a mysterious Sunday evening explosion. … (It) was for sale at $32,000”
July 1, 1963: “Investigative authorities have declared the explosion which completely demolished the Paris Theatre in Denver to have been a case of arson.”
Boxoffice, July 17, 1961: Sero Amusement Co. has purchased the Tri-C Drive-In at Albuquerque from Carl Halberg"
Boxoffice, June 24, 1963: “Carl Halberg, owner-operator of two drive-in theatres here, has rebuilt his old Tri-C Drive-In, which was destroyed by wind last spring, and renamed it the Route 25 Drive-In.”
Boxoffice, June 3, 1963: “BAKER, ORE. – Shortly before the Old Trail Drive-In was opened for the season it was purchased by Harold C. Fuller of Salt Lake City. Fuller plans to remodel the drive-in on West Highway 30 without interfering with the daily program schedule.”
Looks like it wasn’t a flood that took out the Kar-Vu. The last ad I could find in the local Tri-State Daily News was Sept. 13, 1962, and on April 15, 1963, Boxoffice reported: “The Kar-Vu Drive-In, Lamar, damaged by fire during the winter, will apparently remain closed.”
The April 8, 1963 issue of Boxoffice ran a two-page article, with photos, of the Fairyland’s 50x50-foot playground, unusual in that it was designed only for small children. The article said the drive-in opened without a playground but added it, next to the concession stand, in Spring 1962.
The drive-in opened as the North Star Auto Theater, which is how it advertised for the rest of the 1962 season. Winds knocked down the screen on Feb. 10, 1963, and when the drive-in reopened on April 10 that year, it began advertising as the North Star Drive-In.
Boxoffice, Dec. 17, 1962: “After many years, Raymond Borcherdt, Nucla Theatre at Nucla, is retiring and turning over operation to his son Martin and daughter-in-law Mary Ellen.”
Boxoffice, April 1, 1963: “Martin Borcherdt has closed the Nucla Theatre, Nucla”
Bill Bowman wrote about the Bagdad in the March 8, 1963 issue of the Arizona Republic. He said it was “beginning its seventh year today,” which would make its opening night March 8, 1957. A canyon carved by Bridle Creek separated the ramps from the 250-foot screen.
That’s the quick summary. Here’s the whole article, for as long as the embed lasts:
The Dove Creek (CO) Press, March 6, 1953: “Three theatres in Cortez were purchased last week from the John Survant estate by Mr. and Mrs. T. Gai of Yellow Jacket, Colo. The AnLe, Cortez and Arroyo Drive-In Theatres … the Drive-in theatre will open (for the season) Friday, April 17th according to word from George Armstrong, manager of the Gai theatres.”
On March 7, 2002, the Glenwood Springs Post Independent ran an article by Willa Soncarty of the local Frontier Historical Museum, and it nailed down all the major details.
“Glenwood Springs became part of the drive-in theater craze in 1950. That August, manager Dan Cornwall oversaw construction of the community’s first and only drive-in theater. … Its site allowed parking for 325 automobiles. … 50-foot movie screen … “Moon-Glo” lights gently illuminated the site … On September 12, 1950, the Canyon Drive-In welcomed guests to the showing of its first movie, “(The) Good Humor Man.” … The final movie at the Canyon Drive-In was shown on Sept. 10, 1979.”
Boxoffice, March 29, 1971: “Mrs. Tom Murphy of Murphy Theatres, headquartered in Raton, N.M., has announced a complete rebuilding of the Grove Theatre in Alamosa. Design will be by Mel Glatz. The Grove, which has been closed in recent years, will be completely gutted and rebuilt into a 300-seat theatre.”
Years later, my advice, since this has happened to me often enough, is to delete the photo entirely and re-upload it with the corrected caption. That works perfectly without intervention from the overworked CT staff. :)
Boxoffice, Aug. 4, 1969: “ALAMOSA, COLO. – The Rialto Theatre here has been reopened by McKenna Theatres of Raton, N.M., under lease from the Thomas F. Murphy Trust, after a six-week remodeling and redecorating program which saw the building completely gutted and rebuilt … For many years, the Rialto was personally supervised by the late Thomas F. Murphy, who had planned for several years to remodel the house. After his death a year ago, Mrs. Mabel Murphy, his wife, carried out his plans.”
Looks like this drive-in spent its final ~15 years as the Linda Vista.
Boxoffice, Aug. 4, 1969: “The opening of the Linda Vista Drive-In, 5400 Second NW, was highlighted by a live show … The theatre is the former Star Theatre. Mel Sanchez is owner.”
That photo, which shows “Grand Opening Thursday” on the marquee, suggests that the opening night really was Thursday, Aug. 29, 1963. Drive-ins often hold invite-only soft openings the night before, so maybe that happened here and misled the Boxoffice correspondent.
From the Nov. 4, 1963 issue of Boxoffice.
The Nov. 4, 1963 issue of Boxoffice revisited the Del-Sego, which had just expanded its mini golf, with a two-page article including photos.
Owner-operator William Warnken jr. said the lighting over the courses “affords a dual purpose in that it gives me just about the right degree of ‘Moonlight’ which has cut down on speaker thefts 75 per cent.”
Boxoffice, Oct. 28, 1963: “Sam Russo of San Diego has taken over the Harbor Drive-In in Chula Vista.”
Boxoffice, Sept. 30, 1963: “The El Rancho Drive-In at Sacramento has been dismantled by Blumenfeld Theatres, which is turning it into a trailer court”
Boxoffice, Sept. 2, 1963: “Lloyd Greve is closing his Eagle Theatre in Eagle”
Boxoffice, Sept. 23, 1963: “Lloyd Greve is opening an electrical appliance business in what was formerly the Eagle Theatre in Eagle, Colo.”
Boxoffice, July 29, 1963: “The Starway Drive-In, which had been closed under its previous ownership, has been returned to active exhibition following its purchased by Interstate Theatre Corp. from James Sayre jr., Salem attorney.”
Boxoffice, Aug. 20, 1962: “Mr. and Mrs. Paul McCalmon have sold Paul’s Drive-In at Powell, Wyo., to Craig and Ann Jones”
Boxoffice, July 29, 1963: “Mr. and Mrs. Paul McCalmon again are operating Paul’s Drive-In, Powell, Wyo. They were the original owners prior to selling to Craig and Ann Jones at the beginning of the year”
Boxoffice, July 15, 1963: “Western Amusement Co. announced plans have been completed for construction of a 600-car drive-in at Barstow. R. B. Brout of Los Angeles is the architect. Western Amusement also operates the Barstow Theatre … and the Bar-Len Drive-In at Barstow. The latter is to be renovated.”
What a remarkably fast descent for the former Comet, as told over a few weeks in Boxoffice:
May 6, 1963: “The Paris Theatre, which operated under an art house policy, has been taken over by Wally Nash, who will open it with live entertainment. The first stage show will feature six comedians.”
May 20, 1963: “The Paris Theatre which had been operated as an art house and more recently with live entertainment has been closed and is for sale”
June 10, 1963: “The Paris Theatre was completely destroyed by a mysterious Sunday evening explosion. … (It) was for sale at $32,000”
July 1, 1963: “Investigative authorities have declared the explosion which completely demolished the Paris Theatre in Denver to have been a case of arson.”
Boxoffice, July 17, 1961: Sero Amusement Co. has purchased the Tri-C Drive-In at Albuquerque from Carl Halberg"
Boxoffice, June 24, 1963: “Carl Halberg, owner-operator of two drive-in theatres here, has rebuilt his old Tri-C Drive-In, which was destroyed by wind last spring, and renamed it the Route 25 Drive-In.”
Boxoffice, June 3, 1963: “BAKER, ORE. – Shortly before the Old Trail Drive-In was opened for the season it was purchased by Harold C. Fuller of Salt Lake City. Fuller plans to remodel the drive-in on West Highway 30 without interfering with the daily program schedule.”
Boxoffice, March 11, 1963: “The Vassos brothers are offering their Sunset Drive-In, Bridgeport, Neb., for sale at auction March 15”
Boxoffice, April 15, 1963: “The Sunset Drive-In, Bridgeport, Neb., was not sold at auction and will be reopened by John Vassos”
Looks like it wasn’t a flood that took out the Kar-Vu. The last ad I could find in the local Tri-State Daily News was Sept. 13, 1962, and on April 15, 1963, Boxoffice reported: “The Kar-Vu Drive-In, Lamar, damaged by fire during the winter, will apparently remain closed.”
From the April 8, 1963 issue of Boxoffice.
The April 8, 1963 issue of Boxoffice ran a two-page article, with photos, of the Fairyland’s 50x50-foot playground, unusual in that it was designed only for small children. The article said the drive-in opened without a playground but added it, next to the concession stand, in Spring 1962.
The drive-in opened as the North Star Auto Theater, which is how it advertised for the rest of the 1962 season. Winds knocked down the screen on Feb. 10, 1963, and when the drive-in reopened on April 10 that year, it began advertising as the North Star Drive-In.
Boxoffice, Dec. 17, 1962: “After many years, Raymond Borcherdt, Nucla Theatre at Nucla, is retiring and turning over operation to his son Martin and daughter-in-law Mary Ellen.”
Boxoffice, April 1, 1963: “Martin Borcherdt has closed the Nucla Theatre, Nucla”
Bill Bowman wrote about the Bagdad in the March 8, 1963 issue of the Arizona Republic. He said it was “beginning its seventh year today,” which would make its opening night March 8, 1957. A canyon carved by Bridle Creek separated the ramps from the 250-foot screen.
That’s the quick summary. Here’s the whole article, for as long as the embed lasts: