Cleveland Drive-In
2506 E. Old Highway 64,
Cleveland,
OK
74020
2506 E. Old Highway 64,
Cleveland,
OK
74020
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The Cleveland Drive-In opened in late-June or early-July 1953.
A 1965 aerial shows the drive-in intact at the address listed.
However, a 1974 aerial shows the drive-in demolished and another drive-in a few hundred feet to the northwest, which is now at 367714 E 5020 Rd, Cleveland, OK.
So, I take it the drive-in was closed and moved to the new location where it still stands intact today?
https://tinyurl.com/a5cahd6j
BoxOffice used to get chatty, and this note from the March 7, 1960 issue told me more about John Sanders than I might have asked for:
John Sanders plans to reopen his Cleveland Drive-In about May 1. At present he is playing one picture a week in his Melba Theatre, on Friday-Saturday. When he reopens the drive-in, he will close the Melba to a Saturday only, using a film from the airer. He also has a cattle ranch. With all this snow, his feed bill is running into many dollars. His daughter is in high school in Cleveland and his son-in-law is finishing up his course at Oklahoma State University at Stillwater. During school hours, grandpa and grandma Sanders baby-sit with the daughter’s 10-month-old son. They think the grandson is about the finest thing that ever happened to them.
A more accurate address for this theater is 2506 E Old Hwy 64, Cleveland, OK 74020. This points to the Indian Electric Cooperative. The entrance road was SE of this on Old Hwy 64. There is no trace left. Source: 1965 historical aerial. Ramps are visible at that time.
Please update.
Just for the record, here is what I know about this theatre:
CLEVELAND (Osage Co.) Cleveland Drive-in May still be standing as of 2000 “On hiway 99 NW of Tulsa” Location: N 36° 17.16', W 96° 26.95' No newspaper found for Cleveland Oklahoma Listed in 1955 Theatre Catalog, Exec Jack Crain, Capacity 350 Listed in 1960 International Motion Picture Almanac, Owner John Sanders, Capacity 350 Listed in 1979 IMPA, owned by Woodall, Capacity not given 1984 IMPA lists Woodall as owner Aerial photograph suggests remains may be present.
This is from my database on Oklahoma drive in theatres. The fact that there was no newspaper listing means that I had gone to the newspaper archives at the Oklahoma Historical society and looked for any paper, with any listing for the drive in. NONE was found.
Wesley Horton
Yes, only Drive-in I can find is the Cleveland Drive-in owned by John Sanders.