Woodzo Drive-In
1026 W. Highway 25 70,
Newport,
TN
37821
1026 W. Highway 25 70,
Newport,
TN
37821
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Screen is still standing as of August 2022.
Odd name!! Why the name Woodzo?
December 2016 Google Street view the Screen is still standing and there is some form of marquee still standing, whether it was from the Woodzo or Newport I do not know. Aerial view shows the projection booth/concession stand is still there as well.
Hey guys! I stumbled upon your website while doing research on the Woodzo for our podcast. We’ll share it here if anyone would like to listen. Feedback is greatly appreciated.
In the few days since we released this one, we’ve gotten all kinds of info about the theater, so we’re looking at making either a part 2 or even a short documentary film about our beloved Woodzo.
https://soundcloud.com/aneveningwith/an-evening-withwoodzo-drive-in-memories
SCREEN still standing can see it from I-40..
Drove by there a few months ago,,Screen is still standing…
GreaT Comment mrkevt,just drove by Labor day weekend.Grown up,Snakey for sure,but Screen is up.
Woodzo was always called Woodzo. Remnants of the large metal sign on the ground can be found at the entrance to your right just as you go across the curbed entrance. This sign was destroyed by a microburst in the early 2000s. Harold Smith (owner) passed away the week that titanic came to Woodzo. The following summer was its last. The theatre beside (behind) the Woodzo was the Scenic and it did show some interesting movies. The Newport theatre comprised the now parking lot and buildings that Krystals shares. (The intersection of the first redlight as you come into Newport from the Woodzo). It was closed to make way for this shopping complex about 1984. The Scenic drive in name was changed to Newport and reopened in the mid 80s, closed around 1990?. The ticket booth and whats left of the screen can still be seen. The projector/concession building was demolished in 2004 after the roof collapsed. If you go up on the hill just behind the Woodzo (turn at the BP station) where the Rescue Squad building is you can get a decient view of the Woodzo layout. Harold Smith was my neighbor for many years and I enjoyed his company and I can still hear him over the intercom saying “your pizzas ready”. I miss those days…
No sign of the Newport when I was there last Wednesday. The field of the Woodzo is extremely overgrown save for the gravel car paths. It was impossible to get much of a picture of the back of the screen.
Great picture of the screen, see no Wal-Mart yet,bet there is not left of the Newport Drive-in right beside it.If you look quick you can see it from I-40 in the Winter.
I wish he could tell us the THIRD drive-in there.Thanks Bob.I watched some videos on the two Drive-ins I shot years ago,I guess weeds have covered up the Woodzo unless a Walmart is there now.LOl.
At the link below is a blog written by Newport resident in which he recalls that the Woodzco and Scenic were next door to each other in 1977 when STAR WARS was released. You will need to navigate to blog dated May 27, 2007
http://cupofjoepowell.blogspot.com
Bbrown1,yep, the Drive-in I was thinking about was closer to the city,but not far from the Scenic{Newport,which is still on the road marquee was called Newport] the Woodzo was next to it. So the third one was called NEWPORT DRIVE-in. I guess when they closed one closer to Town,they must have changed the Scenic to Newport,because I have family in East Tenn,and i make it a point to get off the interstate there and look at the old Drive-ins. The Woodzo a couple of years ago was standing with tall grass. There was also a walk in theatre on that same street closer to town,I remember “TROG” on the marquee when we drove by.It looked when they widen the road the theatre was torn down,but lokked quite modern.
Mike, I haven’t driven through Newport since the mid 1970’s, but I am fairly sure that at the time, the Woodzco and the Scenic were the 2 drive-ins that were next to each other on the edge of town, and the newer drive-in, which was closer to the center of town was called the Newport Drive-In. All 3 were open at the time. I have also seen mention of the Scenic Drive-In as the Scenic Newport Drive-In. Maybe either a) what I knew as the Scenic Drive In was originally called Newport Drive-In and changed names when the Newport Drive In opened or b) The Newport Drive-In closed before the Scenic Drive-In, and the Scenic Drive-In renamed itself the Newport Drive-In. Something similar happened in East St Louis IL when the Cahokia Drive-in in East St Louis closed, and a nearby drive-in (actually in the town of Cahokia) assumed the name Cahokia Drive-In.
I don’t think they would hurt each other money wise because they operated in that town for a long time,and like i said in walking distance there was another Drive-in on that same road. Just can’t remember it .
Would theat be the doulble-drive-in?
Bob, one other place where two Drive-ins were side by side and not a twin was in Augusta,Georgia where the FOREST HILLS and BON-AIR DRIVE INS were side by side.{both on CT]
Acording to later Box office reports I found these movies did the most business THE FLINTSTONES,TRUE LIES,LION KING, and FORREST GUMP.This is during a short period!
Bob, It might have been called the Scenic Drive in at one time but when i saw the Marquee it was called the Newport Drive in. Do you know the name of the other Drive in that was just down that same road?
The screen at the Woodzo was made of very solid concrete blocks and supports behind. It had a dark yellow/brown paint design. The last time I drove by the screen was still standing and the box office was still there with the glass windows.
You would’ve thought by now vandals would have broken those windows! The concession stand and booth are on one level and its really a nice size concessions with the booth to the right front. Four posted display cases were mounted on the wall separating the booth from concessions.
Walking through the lot the Johnson grass was almost waist high. I carefully watched for Copperhead snakes that surrond that drive-in near the mountains. The Projectors were gone but the booth had reels, trash, and coming attractions all over the floor. Popcorn baskets were still stacked in the stock room with cups and such.
I went back a year or so ago to find a padlock on the snackbar/booth. I did find a storage shed and grabbed several drive-in speakers! Many were rain-damaged and rusty. I couldn’t find the Woodzo listed in my 1956 Motion Picture Almanac so I assume it was built in the 60s.
I did find a ledger showing all the money the box office took in each night on each film. The last entry was “Die Hard 3” which took in $350.00 on Friday night 5-19-95, and $447.00 on Saturday night 5-20-95. So the Woodzo was still going in the mid-90s.
The ledger states that on 5-20-94 “Maverick” grossed a total of $1,081.00 for the first week. I can add more if people are interested in a certain movie between 5-20-94 and 5-20-95.
I don’t know if it was locally owned. The marquee was the only thing missing. I did got some letters and my kids spelled their names with them!