Paris Drive-In
3635 Arkansas 22,
Paris,
AR
72855
3635 Arkansas 22,
Paris,
AR
72855
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The Paris Drive-In was opened in 1950 and was operated by A.N. Zeiler & Exhibitor’s Service. It operated to at least the mid-1980’s. Capacity was for 300 cars.
Contributed by
Ken McIntyre
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Recent comments (view all 11 comments)
It was open and run by the Zeiler Brothers. This from 1956.
A.N. and Emil Zeiler opened the Paris Drive-In on June 5, 1950. In the opening announcement in Boxoffice of June 17, the surname Zeiler was misspelled as Seiler. A.N. Zeiler (his first name was Aloysius, though Boxoffice usually refers to him as Ollie) was usually mentioned as the manager for the first few years.
Mr. and Mrs. Emil Zeiler were the operators of the Paris Drive-In when Boxoffice of August 11, 1975, ran an item about the drive-in’s 25th anniversary.
A June 5, 1954, Boxoffice article about the installation of a miniature train at the Paris Drive-In is interesting for providing one of only three references I’ve found to a second drive-in at Paris. It says that Zeiler “…got his first competition….” that year. An August 8, 1953, item datelined Paris says that the K. Lee Williams circuit had bought a site for a 500 car drive-in which would be completed by the next summer. A January 25, 1960, item about the Logan Theatre says that the Williams circuit also operated the Strand and Auto theaters at Paris.
Did they ever show any French movies there?
I doubt it, Even the Cinéma de Paris in Montreal,QC shown mostly English movies.
Approx. location for this drive-in was 3532 Arkansas 22. It was west of this address. Some ramps are still there.
My grandfather Emil and my Uncle Ollie Zeiler opened up the Paris Drive-In when Ollie came back from the Korean War.
They did have the Train which kids loved They also had a playground.
My Grandparents had 5 children they all worked the Drive-In. Most of the older grandchildren worked there on weekends.
Tues night used to be $1.00 per carload night.
They had the best burgers..Really great food!
My grandmother Helen Zeiler once said,“ We liked offering the Paris Community a place where the whole family can enjoy a good clean movie.” She also told me they picked all their movies from the Catholic approved movie list.
I was born in 1975, I called my mother to ask when Grandma and Grandpa closed it but she couldn’t remember. I do remember watching Grease 1 and 2 on the big screen. I remember swinging on the swings and cleaning up afterwards always finding money on the ground. I wish I had some pictures to share.
My Husband Ran This Theater From Around 1983 To1987.
I found another drive-in in the 1962 aerial photo, also on AR-22, but roughly 1 ¼ miles to the east of the Paris Drive-In. Does anyone have a name for this second drive-in?
In 1951 and 1952 there was listing for “Drive-In” along with the Paris DI
The June 5, 1954 issue of Boxoffice ran a full-page story, with photos, on the new miniature railroad at the Paris. There’s a picture of Guy Conley driving in the last spike on the track before the inaugural run. “The railroad train runs over a 2,450-foot track, on a bed which has been built up from one to three feet from the ground to give it a more realistic look.”