Dona-Lin Drive-In
9335 I-20 Frontage Road,
Loraine,
TX
79532
9335 I-20 Frontage Road,
Loraine,
TX
79532
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The Dona-Lin Drive-In was opened on October 1, 1953 with Charlton Heston in “Arrowhead”. It was operated by Percy Bond who also operated the Lorex Theatre (it has its own page on Cinema Treasures). It was named for two of his children, Donna and Ray Lynn.
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Don Lewis
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
Approx. location for this drive-in was I-20 Frontage Rd. between E. Pacific Ave & County Rd. 438.
The September 19, 1953, issue of Boxoffice reported that the 300-car drive-in theater that Mr. and Mrs. Percy Bond had under construction on Highway 80 east of Loraine would be called the Dona-Lin, named for their only grandchildren, Donna Jan and Ray Lynn Beights.
The concession building appears to still exist, the site is now a farm and still has the same outline. Also the remains of the road sign are still there.
The front of that “farm,” or whatever it is, shows a street address of 9335 (per July 2019 Street View), but I can’t get Google Maps to use that number accurately on the I-20 Frontage Road.
Opening date was October 1, 1953 with “The Arrowhead.” The Bonds also operated the hardtop Lorex throughout the 1940s and into the 1950s.
A closer address is 9335 I-20 Frontage Rd, Loraine, TX.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right on the entrance road.
A 1966 aerial shows the drive-in intact and seemingly operational, but by 1984 it had been demolished.
Today, it is a residence with the outline, ramps, entrance road, and projection booth/concession stand still exists.
https://tinyurl.com/5yacpz3x