Starlite Drive-In

50sSNIPES on April 18, 2025 at 4:03 pm

I cannot find its grand opening date, but I’m very sure the Starlite may’ve opened on April 8, 1950 with “Jackpot Jitters” and “Susanna Pass” (unknown if extras added).

The Starlite also received internet fame for its run of “Cars” during the week of July 14, 2006, where the famous quote “I’m sorry to interrupt but we need Marsha and Ron Barnes to come up and get their child up at the concession stand? Thank you!” was said through its PA system by one of the Starlite operators. The entire message itself, recorded from a TeleSync system, was caught on several bootleg VHS tapes of the movie and the full clip itself became viral on the internet 15 years later.

MichaelKilgore on August 2, 2017 at 3:17 am

From its Facebook page: The Starlite Drive-In opened in 1947. At that time a World War II Veteran Jerry Jackson from Williamburg, Ohio was the builder and owner until about 1968.

From me: The Starlite was listed under Mount Holly in the 1948-49 Theatre Catalog, plus following editions, all with Jerome Jackson. The 1953-63 MPAs call him Jerry Jackson, also in Mount Holly.

After a while, the MPAs moved the Starlite. I can’t find it in the 1969-82 editions, which had too many Starlite/Starlights to quickly pick through. In 1984-88 it was in Batavia, address 2255 Ohio Pike, owned by Holiday Amuse.

Bill Eichelberger on August 18, 2009 at 8:56 pm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyum/3831235393/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyum/3831233775/