Velda Rose Drive-In
103 S. Recker Road,
Mesa,
AZ
85205
103 S. Recker Road,
Mesa,
AZ
85205
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Why the name Velda Rose?
Looking at the photo, it looks like the ramps are just dirt.
Odd name!
According to the ads in the Arizona Republic, the Velda Rose was to open on October 6, 1972 with the film “War Between Men and Women”, but this was pushed ahead to October 13 with “Joe Kidd”.
Final night of operation was September 11, 1983 with the films “Octopussy” and “Krull”
October 4th, 1972 grand opening ad in photo section.
It was on Main and Recker rd, southeast corner, in Mesa. At some point there was a Jack in the Box on the southwest corner. Buckhorn Bathes was kitty corner. I was born and raised in Mesa, lived in the same house for 17 years on Main and 76th street, my mom and dad owned The Meat King on 64th st and Main. My first movie there was The Exorcist….any many many more until it closed in the early to mid 80’s.
No one says this but I believe this Velda Rose Drive In was much closer to Apache Junction south off main street than is Recker Road. The one I remember was within a mile of Meridian but now its called East Mesa and Not Apache Junction. It was not located at Recker Road. It was South of Main Street and quite small for a drive in.
I visited This Theater (Vela Rose Drive In) in 1978 or 1979 and just after arriving parked looking directly SOUTH on the south side of main street and before the movie began saw an exploding meteor directly to the south raining a cone of shards possibly 50 miles south after seeing that the movie was simply second rate.
1969 aerial shows that the screen is up, but no ramps or any other thing up.
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October 6th,1973 grand opening ad is at
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Google maps looks like it is still a trailer park.
I remember seeing the last film ever at this theater which was “Porky’s (1982” After my parents divorced she re-married and had a tupperwear party, and well long story short my mother’s husband took me and several friends to this drive-end and well we saw “Porkys”. LOL God to be a boy at 10 Yrs of age again!
The theater was bulldozed over, and became a trailer park!