King Center Twin Drive-In
6400 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard,
Houston,
TX
77033
6400 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard,
Houston,
TX
77033
4 people
favorited this theater
The King Center Twin Drive-In opened at 6:00 p.m. on June 25, 1952. Movie star Tim Holt was slated to appear, along with the Light Crust Doughboys. The opening night double feature was Tim Holt’s film “Hot Lead”, plus “One Big Affair” with Evelyn Keyes and Dennis O'Keefe.
The King Center Twin Drive-In was closed in 1981.
Contributed by
Bob Machann
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Recent comments (view all 11 comments)
All i am going on is my 1956 Motion Picture Almanac.Maybe they expanded the concession or play area?
The Aug/Sept 2010 Reminisce Magazine has an article with stories about people’s experiences at old Drive In theatres.
One writer mentions that her Bethany Lutheran Church would host Easter services in various Houston Drive Ins.
The story includes a picture credited to RDA-MKE/Don Sanders, Dallas TX, of a giant cross erected in front of the screen at one such event. All the cars are mid to late `50’s.
Thanks David.
I remember the entrance from the feeder.. you entered under the screen which was like a tunnel and at the end you paid for your movie, then turned left or right depending on what screen your movie was on
We moved to the EDGEWOOD neighborhood(close to the intersection of SouthPark Blvd & Belforte Blvd) in 1952, the original entrance to the King Drive-in was right next to SouthPark Blvd(MLK Blvd), they had to change the entrance location when the freeway was built(late 1960’s) next to the theater.I’ve been to countless movies there,GOOD MEMORIES!
That entrance in 1953 was at Holmes Rd and South Park Dr (now MLK Jr) according to the aerial images on Google Earth.
Uploaded Goggle Earth View From 1978
Doyle Oliver was the first manager of the King Center. The stars who appeared for the opening were Colleen Gray and Preston Foster. He also managed two other theaters in the area: Post Oak and Shepherd Drive In.
Grand opening ad posted.
In 2021 a Prep School campus was built on part of the drive in property. The rest of property is still for sale.