Lee Highway Drive-In
8223 Lee Highway,
Fairfax,
VA
22031
8223 Lee Highway,
Fairfax,
VA
22031
2 people
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Boxoffice, Oct. 27, 1958: “Herv Keator, Lee Hiway Drive-In manager, reports Bernz-O-Matic in-car heaters have been installed.”
Yet another indication of how slow the International Motion Picture Almanacs were at removing listings: We know exactly when it closed (in 1984), but the Lee Highway stayed on the IMPA drive-in list through the list’s final edition in 1988.
The Tysons Reporter recently ran a brief story about the site, drawing on Fairfax County’s aerial photography. The Reporter said that it was “the Washington area’s largest drive-in theater”.
“The theater featured a 50×120′ CinemaScope screen and a rotunda-style dining area. At its capacity [sic] in 1983, the drive-in could fit 1,353 cars.”
The story continues that it was closed in 1984, replaced by a nearby indoor multiplex. That site was redeveloped into the Mosaic District, which includes the 8-screen Angelika Film Center.
My bad.. the Lee Highway Drive In ran Brenkert (RCA) Projectors.. The Mount Vernon Drive In (the other Redstone Drive In) ran Simplex XLs..
Grand opening ad in photo section.
Cool a drive-in with real cineamscope.
It is listed in the 1956 Motion picture almanac,but tells nothing on how many cars could park or who owned it back in the 50’s.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLINT EASTWOOD,I know you filled that lot quite a bit.
This page has some cool Lee Highway stuff, including a great ‘50s-vintage photo of the marquee:
View link
From the Washington Post and Times Herald, 10/10/55:
A gunman wearing a paper sack over his head with holes cut in it for his eyes took $1100 in cash from the woman cashier of the Lee Highway Drive-In Theater last night while a theater audience sat unknowingly in about 500 darkened automobiles nearby.
Chain was Redstone..
Booth ran Simplex XLs and Ashcraft lamps.. water cooled gates but still ran very hot.