Boxoffice, July 16, 1955: “GRANGEVILLE, IDA. - A new drive-in one mile south of here on the Mount Idaho Road is slated to open late this month for Al Wagner, owner of the Blue Fox Theatre here. The drive-in will accommodate 300 cars and will have a screen measuring 72x32 feet.”
Boxoffice, July 30, 1955: “Ground has been broken here for a new drive-in for Al Wagner & Sons. The airer, located one-half mile south of the Grangeville-Harpster highway, will accommodate 300 cars and is expected to be opened late this summer. Footings have been poured on the 72x32-foot screen. John Wagner, Blue Fox Theatre manager, and his brother Al jr. will operate the drive-in.”
Boxoffice, Sept. 10, 1956: “Boasting a 72x32 screen, one of the largest in this part of the country, the Sunset Auto Vue has made its debut as Grangeville’s new drive-in. RCA projectors and 300 speakers, tilted screen on a tower 48 feet off the ground, and latest type concession equipment are features of the ozoner, which is just a mile from Grangeville’s business center.”
Boxoffice, July 23, 1955: “The Roxy Theatre building in Pleasanton has been sold to Peter Christensen, local merchant. Agreement of purchase called for the theatre to vacate the building by July 20, Christensen said. The sale leaves the community with just one theatre, the Valley Drive-In on Santa Rita road. The Roxy was built about 25 years ago by Charles Chicazola, was later sold to H. S. Hamm and the Westside Theatre, who operated it until the present.”
Boxoffice, July 16, 1955: “CASHMERE, WASH. - Ben and Delphi?? Slowe have opened their new Mountain View Drive-In on Pine Flat between Cashmere and Dryden. Norman Slowe, their son who has been associated with them in the operation of the Vale Theatre here, will manage the airer.”
Boxoffice, June 25, 1955: “V. C. Shattuck, owner-operator of the Tahoe Theatre at Kings Beach, and Jack Neugebauer, owner and manager of the Donner Theatre at Truckee, purchased the Brockway Theatre at Kings Beach from Tom Lucas, who built it.”
Boxoffice, June 18, 1955: “projectionists Local 303 has continued to advertise that the new Hamilton Drive-In does not employ its members. Manager-owner J. Dydzak has said he operates his own machines.”
Boxoffice, June 18, 1955: “WENATCHEE, WASH. - A late-July opening has been scheduled for the 600-car Pow Wow Drive-In that Peter Barnes is building north of here. The 90x45-foot screen and other equipment will be installed by Modern Theatre Equipment Co. of Seattle.”
Boxoffice, Aug. 13, 1955: “OROVILLE, WASH. – The new Powwow Drive-In was opened here recently by Peter Barnes”
The Van-Del dismantled its third screen a few years ago, and winds toppled the second last weekend. (See the WPTA story.) Saunders said the drive-in is insured and will rebuild its second screen.
According to a seller at HipPostcard.com, that photo was the front of a postcard published without a copyright notice and mailed with a 1-cent stamp. That would mean it’s in the public domain.
Not to be fussy, but based on what I can see on Google Maps, there are no apartments on the old Hemacinto site. A VFW hall (1891 S Santa Fe Ave) is on the north side of the old entrance driveway, and an RV storage lot (1915 S Santa Fe Ave) is on the south side. The viewing field was still vacant in a Street View photo taken in May 2024 from 1998 S San Jacinto Ave.
Boxoffice, Feb. 7, 1972: “Long-time owners Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Woods have sold the Dome Theatre and Libby Drive-In to Dave Weisbeck. They had operated the two theatres as a family business and have made no definite plans for the future as yet. They will, however, stay on for a short time to help the new owner become familiar with the operations. Weisbeck, who moved here from Rapid City, S.D., in 1967, has resigned from his position as vice-president of United National Bank to enter show business.”
Boxoffice, November 1980: “Dave and Phillis Weisbeck have sold the Dome Theatre and Libby Drive In Theatre, located in Libby, Montana, to Leo C. and Emelia Huber.”
Boxoffice, March 19, 1955: “Plans for a drive-in in the Mistletoe area immediately east of Redding have been reported recently. The theatre is expected to be completed in April and will open to the public as soon as the weather permits. The owner is Aubrey D. Smith of Medford, Ore.”
Boxoffice, April 23, 1955: “The 500-car Sky-Vue Drive-In at Redding was opened by Aubrey Smith recently”
Boxoffice, May 7, 1955: “Aubrey Smith opened his Sky-Vue Drive-In at Redding May 1”
Boxoffice also mentioned, on May 7, 1955, George Peterson’s purchase of the Kings. That led me to check Google Maps again; it still tells us that Armona’s city limits include the old Kings site. Those folks may get their mail from Hanford, but they’re inside Armona.
Also, just in case it ever leaves the Hanford Sentinel site, here’s an archived version of its 2012 story about the Kings, datelined Armona.
Boxoffice, May 7, 1955: “United California recently acquired the Mesa Drive-In at Orville from Newell Post and the Crescent Drive-In in Vallejo from Guy Meeks. The amounts involved were not disclosed.”
Boxoffice, April 16, 1955: “Robert Cook, manager of the Bungalo Theatre, reports that he has purchased the necessary land to build a drive-in near Plummer. Plans for the ozoner call for a 200-car capacity and the latest projection and sound equipment.”
Boxoffice, March 29, 1955: “CHULA VISTA, CALIF. – A $60,000 remodeling and expansion program is being undertaken by Tom Huntington, owner of the Harbor Drive-In located between here and National City. The capacity will be increased from 700 to 1,100 cars and a 120-foot wide-vision screen replaced the old 60-foot screen.”
Boxoffice, Feb. 12, 1955: “Harry Milstein has sold his Torrance Theatre in Torrance to the California bank, which will convert the building into a modern bank branch. Milstein will refurbish and remodel his Grand Theatre there to serve as a replacement for the Torrance.”
Boxoffice, Feb. 6, 1954: “The Canby Theatre has reopened under the management of Mr. and Mrs. Herald McKellips, who … bought the theatre business and leased the building from Irvin Westenskow of Woodburn. The Canby Theatre, originally opened Nov. 1, 1950, was closed last November by the O. A. Nelsons for lack of patronage.”
Boxoffice, Jan. 17, 1955: “The Canby Theatre, which was recently sold back to Irvin Westenskow, the original owner, by Herold McKellips after operating it for almost a year, has in turn been sold by Westenskow to Raymond E. "Chuck” Charles. Charles immediately announced plans for the installation of a new wide screen and other improvements."
Boxoffice, DEc. 25, 1954: “JEROME, IDA. - Construction has begun on a 400-car airer near here under the supervision of I. H. Harris, head of the Harris-Voeller circuit. According to Roy Hardy, manager of the Voeller-Harris local Voris Theatre, the drive-in will be opened in the spring and will feature the latest in sound and projection equipment. The builders also operate four other drive-ins. They are located at Burley and Buhl, Ida., and Logan, Utah, which has two.”
State Line Tribune (Farwell TX), March 10, 1955: “Mr. and Mrs. Perry Crawley of Texico, who last week had the grand opening of their new business, a drive-in theatre in Portales, report that a capacity crowd attended the first showing. Named Crawley’s Drive-In, the new business is jointly owned by the local family, and by his brother, C. W. Crawley. The 185-car drive-in, is located a mile out of Portales on the Clovis highway. A drive-in cafe is operated in connection with the movie. The operators plan to show a double feature each night. Mrs. Crawley said this week, that their opening crowd was such, that cars were turned away. ‘We gave away 600 doughnuts and ran out of them, so we don’t know exactly how many were there.’”
State Line Tribune, May 26, 1955: “Mr. and Mrs. Perry L. Crawley moved to Portales, N. M., last week where they began complete operation of the Crawley Drive-In Theatre on the Clovis highway. Crawley had previously operated the theatre and cafe with his brother, Cecil, but recently he purchased his brother’s interest in the business. Crawley moved into a home previously occupied by his brother one mile north of Portales on the Clovis Highway.”
The location is an exact match. The date also lines up - the drive-in site went from a vacant lot to completion in the six weeks between my latest USGS aerial photos. But the size is off, and why “Crawley’s”?
Boxoffice, Nov. 6, 1954: “PORTALES, N. M. – All State Theatres of Abilene, Tex., has started construction of a de luxe 500-car drive-in a mile east of here on the Clovis highway. The new drive-in will be equipped with one of the largest screens in New Mexico, according to Tom Griffing, an official of the company.”
Boxoffice, Nov. 13, 1954: “The Boyes Theatre has been equipped for the showing of the new wide screen processes, according to the new operator Alan W. Finlay. The new owner and manager was formerly assistant manager of the El Capitan Theatre in San Francisco.”
The Salina Journal ran an article in August 1988 with more details. Anthony Blazina had a 16mm projector and roamed from town to town for merchant-subsidized free shows. In 1951, he said, “I did a test run, and I told the public if they’d support the drive-in, I’d build it.” Later that year, he built the drive-in himself “in the dead of winter … with an old Ford tractor and a scoop.” Opening day was May 23, 1952, when they ran an unnamed cartoon followed by “Red Stallion in the Rockies.”
He still owned and ran the Kanopolis in 1988 with help from his daughter, Irene Pacey.
I wonder what delayed the Sunset for over a year.
Boxoffice, July 16, 1955: “GRANGEVILLE, IDA. - A new drive-in one mile south of here on the Mount Idaho Road is slated to open late this month for Al Wagner, owner of the Blue Fox Theatre here. The drive-in will accommodate 300 cars and will have a screen measuring 72x32 feet.”
Boxoffice, July 30, 1955: “Ground has been broken here for a new drive-in for Al Wagner & Sons. The airer, located one-half mile south of the Grangeville-Harpster highway, will accommodate 300 cars and is expected to be opened late this summer. Footings have been poured on the 72x32-foot screen. John Wagner, Blue Fox Theatre manager, and his brother Al jr. will operate the drive-in.”
Boxoffice, Sept. 10, 1956: “Boasting a 72x32 screen, one of the largest in this part of the country, the Sunset Auto Vue has made its debut as Grangeville’s new drive-in. RCA projectors and 300 speakers, tilted screen on a tower 48 feet off the ground, and latest type concession equipment are features of the ozoner, which is just a mile from Grangeville’s business center.”
Boxoffice, July 23, 1955: “The Roxy Theatre building in Pleasanton has been sold to Peter Christensen, local merchant. Agreement of purchase called for the theatre to vacate the building by July 20, Christensen said. The sale leaves the community with just one theatre, the Valley Drive-In on Santa Rita road. The Roxy was built about 25 years ago by Charles Chicazola, was later sold to H. S. Hamm and the Westside Theatre, who operated it until the present.”
Boxoffice, July 16, 1955: “CASHMERE, WASH. - Ben and Delphi?? Slowe have opened their new Mountain View Drive-In on Pine Flat between Cashmere and Dryden. Norman Slowe, their son who has been associated with them in the operation of the Vale Theatre here, will manage the airer.”
Boxoffice, June 25, 1955: “V. C. Shattuck, owner-operator of the Tahoe Theatre at Kings Beach, and Jack Neugebauer, owner and manager of the Donner Theatre at Truckee, purchased the Brockway Theatre at Kings Beach from Tom Lucas, who built it.”
Boxoffice, June 18, 1955: “projectionists Local 303 has continued to advertise that the new Hamilton Drive-In does not employ its members. Manager-owner J. Dydzak has said he operates his own machines.”
Boxoffice, June 18, 1955: “WENATCHEE, WASH. - A late-July opening has been scheduled for the 600-car Pow Wow Drive-In that Peter Barnes is building north of here. The 90x45-foot screen and other equipment will be installed by Modern Theatre Equipment Co. of Seattle.”
Boxoffice, Aug. 13, 1955: “OROVILLE, WASH. – The new Powwow Drive-In was opened here recently by Peter Barnes”
The Van-Del dismantled its third screen a few years ago, and winds toppled the second last weekend. (See the WPTA story.) Saunders said the drive-in is insured and will rebuild its second screen.
I found a sharper version of this photo at Picryl.com, which says it’s in the public domain.
According to a seller at HipPostcard.com, that photo was the front of a postcard published without a copyright notice and mailed with a 1-cent stamp. That would mean it’s in the public domain.
Not to be fussy, but based on what I can see on Google Maps, there are no apartments on the old Hemacinto site. A VFW hall (1891 S Santa Fe Ave) is on the north side of the old entrance driveway, and an RV storage lot (1915 S Santa Fe Ave) is on the south side. The viewing field was still vacant in a Street View photo taken in May 2024 from 1998 S San Jacinto Ave.
Most of the addresses in the housing development on the old drive-in site are on Mile High Drive, which feels appropriate.
Also, Google Maps says that the site is now within the Lead city limits, even though its residents get their mail from the Deadwood post office.
Boxoffice, Feb. 7, 1972: “Long-time owners Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Woods have sold the Dome Theatre and Libby Drive-In to Dave Weisbeck. They had operated the two theatres as a family business and have made no definite plans for the future as yet. They will, however, stay on for a short time to help the new owner become familiar with the operations. Weisbeck, who moved here from Rapid City, S.D., in 1967, has resigned from his position as vice-president of United National Bank to enter show business.”
Boxoffice, November 1980: “Dave and Phillis Weisbeck have sold the Dome Theatre and Libby Drive In Theatre, located in Libby, Montana, to Leo C. and Emelia Huber.”
The evolution of the opening date.
Boxoffice, March 19, 1955: “Plans for a drive-in in the Mistletoe area immediately east of Redding have been reported recently. The theatre is expected to be completed in April and will open to the public as soon as the weather permits. The owner is Aubrey D. Smith of Medford, Ore.”
Boxoffice, April 23, 1955: “The 500-car Sky-Vue Drive-In at Redding was opened by Aubrey Smith recently”
Boxoffice, May 7, 1955: “Aubrey Smith opened his Sky-Vue Drive-In at Redding May 1”
Boxoffice also mentioned, on May 7, 1955, George Peterson’s purchase of the Kings. That led me to check Google Maps again; it still tells us that Armona’s city limits include the old Kings site. Those folks may get their mail from Hanford, but they’re inside Armona.
Also, just in case it ever leaves the Hanford Sentinel site, here’s an archived version of its 2012 story about the Kings, datelined Armona.
Boxoffice, May 7, 1955: “United California recently acquired the Mesa Drive-In at Orville from Newell Post and the Crescent Drive-In in Vallejo from Guy Meeks. The amounts involved were not disclosed.”
Boxoffice, April 16, 1955: “Robert Cook, manager of the Bungalo Theatre, reports that he has purchased the necessary land to build a drive-in near Plummer. Plans for the ozoner call for a 200-car capacity and the latest projection and sound equipment.”
Boxoffice, March 29, 1955: “CHULA VISTA, CALIF. – A $60,000 remodeling and expansion program is being undertaken by Tom Huntington, owner of the Harbor Drive-In located between here and National City. The capacity will be increased from 700 to 1,100 cars and a 120-foot wide-vision screen replaced the old 60-foot screen.”
Boxoffice, Feb. 12, 1955: “Harry Milstein has sold his Torrance Theatre in Torrance to the California bank, which will convert the building into a modern bank branch. Milstein will refurbish and remodel his Grand Theatre there to serve as a replacement for the Torrance.”
Boxoffice, Feb. 6, 1954: “The Canby Theatre has reopened under the management of Mr. and Mrs. Herald McKellips, who … bought the theatre business and leased the building from Irvin Westenskow of Woodburn. The Canby Theatre, originally opened Nov. 1, 1950, was closed last November by the O. A. Nelsons for lack of patronage.”
Boxoffice, Jan. 17, 1955: “The Canby Theatre, which was recently sold back to Irvin Westenskow, the original owner, by Herold McKellips after operating it for almost a year, has in turn been sold by Westenskow to Raymond E. "Chuck” Charles. Charles immediately announced plans for the installation of a new wide screen and other improvements."
Boxoffice, DEc. 25, 1954: “JEROME, IDA. - Construction has begun on a 400-car airer near here under the supervision of I. H. Harris, head of the Harris-Voeller circuit. According to Roy Hardy, manager of the Voeller-Harris local Voris Theatre, the drive-in will be opened in the spring and will feature the latest in sound and projection equipment. The builders also operate four other drive-ins. They are located at Burley and Buhl, Ida., and Logan, Utah, which has two.”
State Line Tribune (Farwell TX), March 10, 1955: “Mr. and Mrs. Perry Crawley of Texico, who last week had the grand opening of their new business, a drive-in theatre in Portales, report that a capacity crowd attended the first showing. Named Crawley’s Drive-In, the new business is jointly owned by the local family, and by his brother, C. W. Crawley. The 185-car drive-in, is located a mile out of Portales on the Clovis highway. A drive-in cafe is operated in connection with the movie. The operators plan to show a double feature each night. Mrs. Crawley said this week, that their opening crowd was such, that cars were turned away. ‘We gave away 600 doughnuts and ran out of them, so we don’t know exactly how many were there.’”
State Line Tribune, May 26, 1955: “Mr. and Mrs. Perry L. Crawley moved to Portales, N. M., last week where they began complete operation of the Crawley Drive-In Theatre on the Clovis highway. Crawley had previously operated the theatre and cafe with his brother, Cecil, but recently he purchased his brother’s interest in the business. Crawley moved into a home previously occupied by his brother one mile north of Portales on the Clovis Highway.”
The location is an exact match. The date also lines up - the drive-in site went from a vacant lot to completion in the six weeks between my latest USGS aerial photos. But the size is off, and why “Crawley’s”?
Boxoffice, Nov. 6, 1954: “PORTALES, N. M. – All State Theatres of Abilene, Tex., has started construction of a de luxe 500-car drive-in a mile east of here on the Clovis highway. The new drive-in will be equipped with one of the largest screens in New Mexico, according to Tom Griffing, an official of the company.”
Google Maps shows the entire Starlite Drive-In site as within the city limits of Keyes.
The Starlite installed a CinemaScope wide screen in 1954.
Boxoffice, Nov. 13, 1954: “The Boyes Theatre has been equipped for the showing of the new wide screen processes, according to the new operator Alan W. Finlay. The new owner and manager was formerly assistant manager of the El Capitan Theatre in San Francisco.”
The Salina Journal ran an article in August 1988 with more details. Anthony Blazina had a 16mm projector and roamed from town to town for merchant-subsidized free shows. In 1951, he said, “I did a test run, and I told the public if they’d support the drive-in, I’d build it.” Later that year, he built the drive-in himself “in the dead of winter … with an old Ford tractor and a scoop.” Opening day was May 23, 1952, when they ran an unnamed cartoon followed by “Red Stallion in the Rockies.”
He still owned and ran the Kanopolis in 1988 with help from his daughter, Irene Pacey.