Eagle Drive-In
110 Florida Street,
Brewton,
AL
36426
110 Florida Street,
Brewton,
AL
36426
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The Original 50x35 Screen Lasted From Its Opening On June 8, 1950 Until The End Of The 1954 Season.
Although The First Attraction As A CinemaScope Theater Might Have Not Been Found Yet, But The Earliest Attraction As A CinemaScope Theater I Found Is “Night People” Along With A Herman And Katnip Cartoon In “Ship-A-Hooey”, Right When The 1955 Season Started.
The Ritz Theatre Nearby Was The First To Install CinemaScope In Brewton With “Knights Of The Round Table” Along With “Merry Wives Of Windsor” And A Newsreel On September 8, 1954.
Martin Theatres Circuit built this theater early in 1950. A naming contest found Cordie Thompson of East Brewton the winner using the name, The Eagle Drive-In. Thompson said that since the high school team was the W.S. Neal Blue Eagles, that seemed appropriate. The Brewton and East Brewton mayors were on hand as the 315-car drive-in filled on its opening date, June 8, 1950. The opening feature was “The Big Cat” starring Preston Foster.
The long-running theatre continued into the 1970s. It was demolished and became home to Cars 4 Less at 110 Florida Street in the 21st Century.
Approx address for this drive-in was 130 Florida Street. Part of the outline is still there in the back of the building onsite.
U.S. 29 & Florida St, East Brewton, AL 36426
The above address will map to the location of the drive-in, which is southwest of the intersection.
Here is a 1958 aerial photo of the drive-in, courtesy of Earth Explorer and USGS:
http://flic.kr/p/9amJHo
In 1956 it was part of the MARTIN THEATRE CHAIN of Columbus,Georgia.
It looks like this one might’ve actually been in East Brewton, back in the woods a few yards southeast of the US 29/AL 41 intersection.
Part of the Fred McLendon circuit in the early seventies.