Neocha Drive-In
23810 Elk Lane,
Chanute,
KS
66720
23810 Elk Lane,
Chanute,
KS
66720
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The Neocha Drive-In was opened in late-1949. It was operated by Ray Walsh. It lost its screen tower in a tornado in 1955, but was rebuilt and continued operating until at least the mid-1960’s. Capacity was 500 cars. In 2019 the site is empty fields.
Contributed by
Ken McIntyre
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
The Nov. 5, 1949 issue of BoxOffice took care of the naming question:
CHANUTE, KAS. – Neocha, a combination of the first three letters of Neosho and Chanute, was the name selected for the new drive-in north of here by Ray Walsh and Dan Payton. W. R. Hill was winner of the $25 naming contest award. About 175 entries were received and each entrant will receive a complimentary ticket to the theatre when it opens next springs.
The drive-in was across the street from what is now an auto repair shop at 23705 Elk Rd, Chanute, KS 66720. Back then, the street was US Highway 169; now it’s just Elk Road.
The Oct. 15, 1977 issue of the Chanute Tribune reported that the Neosho County Attorney’s Office had issued a warning to the owners of the Neocha against any further obscene material. It quoted Bob Buscher, one of the owners of B&B Booking and Buying Company of Iola, as saying he couldn’t determine what is or isn’t obscene.
Betty Croley, who managed the Neocha, said part of the problem was people parked along the highway to watch. She called the highway patrol but was told it couldn’t do anything unless the landowner across the highway filed a complaint.
The movies in question were reportedly Panorama Blue and All the Loving Couples, which Buscher said were rated R. IMDb shows Panorama Blue (1974) and All the Loving Couples (1969) with X ratings, though it’s possible that these were edited versions.
A closer address is 23810 Elk Ln, Chanute, KS.
This address is across the street from where the drive-in once stood.
Today, nothing is left of the drive-in, save for the parch marks of the outline and ramps.
http://tinyurl.com/2msy9hwr