66 Drive-In
3105 W. 3rd Street,
Elk City,
OK
73644
3105 W. 3rd Street,
Elk City,
OK
73644
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Closed in the late 1980s
When did Elk City’s 66 close? We know that it was still intact in February 1984. We know that Martin Theatres bought Video Independent, then sort of changed its name to Cinemark. The Motion Picture Almanac’s circuit lists were more accurate than its drive-in lists. In the 1986 edition, Cinemark included Elk City’s 66 Drive-In in its circuit entry. In the 1987 edition, Cinemark no longer claimed the 66.
My current guess is that the drive-in lasted through the 1985 season before it was replaced by a Wal-Mart (now a Tractor Supply store). I look forward to hearing more concrete details from someone with access to the local newspapers from back then.
This ad gives us a couple of opening dates. For the Westland, it was May 18, 1950. And now we know that the 66 Drive-In opened on April 5, 1949.
I removed the photo that belonged to the 66 Drive-In in Springfield Illinois. Thanks for pointing it out. I wish CT had a way of notifying us when comments get added beneath photos. I found on that had been responded to 10 years ago…
Boxoffice, Dec. 25, 1948: “ELK CITY, OKLA. – Construction work is under way on a new 400-car drive-in on highway 66 two miles west of here. Griffith Consolidated Theatres, Inc., is builder of the ozoner, which is scheduled for completion about March 1.”
First noticed by kencmcintyre, here’s a note from the May 6, 1950 issue of BoxOffice that suggests the 66 opened by 1949:
ELK CITY, OKLA. – Winfred Wilcoxon, formerly at the Elk Theater here, now is manager of the 66 Drive-In on Route 66 west of here. Dale Brister, who managed the drive-in last season, has been shifted to the Elk.
An Elk City history book, found at the Old Town Museum there, said that the 66 Drive-In Theatre was under construction in late 1949 and was owned by Griffith Theatre and Amusement Company, which also owned the Elk Theatre and the (also under construction) Westland Theatre.
The 66 Drive-In (no “Route” mentioned in the name) first appeared in the 1949-50 edition of the Theatre Catalog, capacity 400, owner Video Ind. Theatres, Inc. The 66 was also in the first Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list, the 1950-51 edition, and stayed through the final MPA list in 1988.
MPA drive-in list summary:
Above info is incorrect. Approx. address for this drive-in was 3105 West 3rd Street. Now Tractor Supply.