El Paso Drive-In
600 Chelsea Street,
El Paso,
TX
79903
600 Chelsea Street,
El Paso,
TX
79903
1 person
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The El Paso Drive-In was opened June 20, 1946. My father was city manager of the El Paso Drive-In, Del Norte Drive-In and Bordertown Drive-In theaters in El Paso, Texas from 1957 until 1965.
Contributed by
Ria Veeren
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Check the site below for images of the El Paso Drive In Theater
Ria Veeren
http://www.drive-ins.com/theater/txtelpa
Roadside Peek has some photos of a Bronco Drive-In in El Paso. I’m not adding any more drive-ins, so it’s up for grabs if anyone’s inclined. There are a couple of nice photos on the RSP website.
I grew up in El Paso and recall the drive-ins fondly. Bronco, Ascarate, Bordertown (I ran a business right across the street behind CharBurg), Rocket out on Dyer St., Del Norte (closest to our house…).
And being military dependent, numerous theaters located on post. Some very large, some super small (Logan Heights).
All the on-post theaters were indoor, sorry…
Here is a set of aerial photos of the El Paso Drive-in, courtesy of Earth Explorer and USGS.
1947 – http://flic.kr/p/9483BR
1950 – http://flic.kr/p/9483DH
1956 – http://flic.kr/p/9483Ev
There was a gun battle between police and back robbers that ended up running through this theatre. I’ll try to find an article on it. Some have described it similar to the LA bank robbery where the guys had those assault weapons, but obviously much earlier.
The men pictured in this photo are John Willis Dunn, Bruce Dunn, and Frank Lanier Dunn. Bruce Dunn was my grandfather. He started a drive-in in El Paso around 1954 but I’m not sure what the theater was called or if it is the one behind them. If anyone has that kind of info I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks
Though I definitely could be wrong but they do look a lot alike my ancestors. Just trying to find the theater my grandad started around 1954, if anyone has knowledge on this photo and the people in it please let me know to clarify.
This opened on June 20th, 1946. Grand opening ad in the photo section.
Perhaps the El Paso opened with loudspeakers? From the Jan. 8, 1949 issue of BoxOffice:
EL PASO, TEX. – E. L. Pack reportedly was considering building a third local drive-in as the improvement program on the El Paso Drive-In got under way with installation of a new $30,000 sound system to provide 600 individual speakers. The parking area also was resurfaced. Pack’s Del Norte Drive-In, his second local situation, is equipped with individual speakers. The two ozoners represent an investment of $250,000.