Twinkle Star Drive-In

Charlotte Road and Old Winter Haven Road,
Auburndale, FL 33823

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Talgar Theatre Company

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Twinkle Star Drive-In

The Twinkle Star Drive-In was opened around 1953. It catered specifically for an African-American audience, and was operated by Talgar Theatres. It was closed in 1962.

Contributed by Andy

Recent comments (view all 13 comments)

NYozoner
NYozoner on January 24, 2011 at 4:24 am

Here is a 1957 aerial photo of the drive-in, courtesy of Earth Explorer and USGS.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on January 24, 2011 at 8:57 pm

It parked 190 cars and was owned by Talgar theatre co,Out of Lakeland. Flordia.B.B.Garner,president,Mamie Newman was the booker.

gentillyorleans
gentillyorleans on January 11, 2012 at 12:05 pm

I’ve confirmed with Judy Crews, a lady who has worked in drive-in theatres since 1958, that the Twinkle Star was indeed on the corner of 92 & Dairy Road. She said it’s still a vacant lot, and the ramps are still visable.

jwmovies
jwmovies on December 26, 2012 at 12:28 pm

Approx. location for this drive-in was just north of Charlotte Rd & Old Winter Haven Rd. Dairy is north of Hwy 92, drive-in was SE of the highway.

Joelsongs
Joelsongs on August 28, 2019 at 8:40 am

If you go to this intersection on google earth, you can indeed still make out the ramps in the terrain.

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on March 18, 2021 at 3:57 pm

Boxoffice, Oct. 10. 1953: “AUBURNDALE, FLA. - D. C. Laird has sold the Twinkle Star Drive-In here. The new owner, Talgar Theatres, has taken over operation of the airer.”

Kenmore
Kenmore on September 14, 2023 at 8:58 am

Nothing had been constructed on the property in a 1952 aerial. So it most likely didn’t open until 1953 at the earliest.

The 1957 aerial is most interesting as the projection booth seems to have been on the back of the lot. That is quite a throw for a projector, which is normally much closer to the screen.

The entrance/exit behind the screen is now obliterated as HWY92 was expanded over that part of the property. The entrance off Charlotte Street is also totally gone. I’m not sure which entrance was the main one since the details in the aerial aerial are difficult to see.

Today, there are only parch marks of a partial outline and the ramps. It remains an open field.

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