Rogers Drive-In
14543 OK-20,
Claremore,
OK
74019
14543 OK-20,
Claremore,
OK
74019
1 person
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The Rogers Drive-In reportedly launched May 31, 1950 with “The Plunderers” by Calvin Council and the Griffith Circuit and named for the late actor Will Rogers.
The Claremore Daily Progress, April 19, 2014: “The Rogers Drive-In showed its final movie in 1997. A short time later it was leveled to make room for a rental storage complex.”
However, a long article in the Daily Progress, reprinted in the Okmulgee Daily Times on Nov. 1, 1996, sure made it sound like the Rogers closed that year. “On a recent Sunday evening … It’s time to say goodbye to an old friend … Leo D. Woodall has owned the theater for 15 seasons now. In the film room he watches the final frames click, click, click … "I hate to see it go down,” Woodall says. “It’s like giving a child up, it really is. I’m sorry for the people. A lot have expressed their dissatisfaction on it.” … Theater manager Carol Heaton … has said some goodbyes tonight. She will be forced to say more before the last movie is complete … Woodall says he won’t be here when the screen comes down. He couldn’t bear to watch it … The last car exits, turning west toward Claremore. The lights are flicked off forever."
More details of the opener were in the July 22, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
CLAREMORE, OKLA. – With a large neon portrait of Will Rogers adorning the front, the new drive-in named for the famous Oklahoma humorist here recently was opened. Calvin Council is manager of the open-air theatre. A 50-foot screen tower supports a 29x39-foot screen. A building in the center of the parking area houses the projection booth and a concession stand. A playground for children is one of the features of the new drive-in.
Google Earth, using a USGS aerial, showed the Rogers still active-looking as of February 1995. It was completely gone by the next photo (from the USDA Farm Service Agency) in 2003.
The address provided by jwmovies points on Google Maps to a auto-salvage yard that is next-door to where the drive-in once stood.
A more accurate address for Google Maps is 14543 OK-20, Claremore, OK which is the address of the East Side Mini-Storage which currently sits on the property.
You can see some of the ramps from the old drive-in on the north side of the property.
https://tinyurl.com/y6ph4r8q
A more accurate address for this theater is 14613 Oklahoma 20, Claremore OK 74017. This points directly to the drive in itself.
Please update.
Come on guys. . this one is easy…
From the AIDA database. .
CLAREMORE (Rogers Co.)
Rogers Drive-in (article, ad)
Grand opening Friday, Jun 16, 1950
Location: N 36° 18.46', W 95° 34.33'
Location given as 1 ½ mile East on Highway 20
Operated by Video Theatres 16 June 1950 to 3 May 83
AKA GRIFFITH which became VIDEO theatres…
Listed in 1955 Theatre Catalog with a capacity of 300
Listed in 1960 International Motion Picture Almanac with a capacity of 296
1984 IMPA lists Video Theatres as owner.
Aerial photo suggest remains Actually very little. A part of the fence and a bit of the entrance concrete. .
Wesley Horton AIDA
I mean Tlsloews i have been corrected on THEATRES I managed.Ain’t worth it unless you can do like Nick and spend hours in research.
O.K.
Wait Don’t do it!If you can’t get the facts right it ain’t worth getting “called on the carpet” for a mistake and believe me if some guys and catch a small mistake i made on a few Augusta theatres,just think you being in a larger city they will eat you alive. I am a Scorpio.{not that i give it any creedence]
O.K. Mike I do not know that much about them,but I will try. You must be a Leo.? Am I right?
You are going to have to do what Nick as done and me to,to a lesser extent and start writing up a history on your city’s Drive-ins if they aren’t already on CT.
Maybe because we had more real theatres,just kidding.Yes Mike Crescent Amusement Company built many of them including the CRESCENT or LOEWS CRESCENT as I know it,their office was in the Crescent bulding they built many theatres in Nashville and other places,and by the way all of these drive-ins are long gone.At one time they owned most the theatres in Tennessee,wish I had more info on them.
Speaking Of Drive-ins do You have any stories on these fine NASHVILLE,Tenn Drive-ins.
1.Bel-Air Drive-in
2.Bordeaux Drive-In
3.Colonial
4.Crescent
5.Sky-Way
6. Drive-in
It seems odd that Augusta,much smaller had more Drive-ins than Nash
TLsloews, I want so bad to tell you my family ownes this Drive-in and I fly out everyweekend to manage it,but I would be caught in a lie.
Does Mike Rogers know of this one? Hes the man!
Check out this link for more info on the Rogers –
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