Stewart Drive-In
735 W. Oglethorpe Highway,
Hinesville,
GA
31313
735 W. Oglethorpe Highway,
Hinesville,
GA
31313
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Pal Amusement Co.
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The Stewart Drive-In was located in Hinesville, Georgia. It was another in the Pal Amusement Co. chain, who operated many South Georgia theatres. It parked 406 cars making it a large drive-in for such a small Georgia town.
Contributed by
MikeRogers
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
Open 1955-1975?
Open for sure and owned by Pal Amusement Co. in 1967.
Need an address, more info, and photos.
There was a drive-in south of town at 735 W. Oglethorpe Highway, now the site of a Lowe’s store.
I was stationed in Hinesville at Ft. Stewart back in 1964-65, and the drive-in theatre on W. Oglethorpe Hwy. was in operation back then. Are you sure the spelling for the drive-in’s name wasn’t “Stewart”? The name “Stewart” seems familiar. Back in those days, in small-town Hinesville, most of the businesses were named either “Stewart” “Coastal”, or “Hinesville”. Unfortunately, I can’t remember for sure, but I think the spelling was “Stewart”.
The Stuart (or Stewart?) Drive-In was located on Oglethorpe Highway. However, according to Liberty County Tax Commissioner Carolyn Brown, the Brice Drive-In Theatre was located on U.S. 84. So they were two different theatres.
I recently returned from a tour of historic cemeteries at Fort Stewart, and had the opportunity to talk with a number of old-timers from the Hinesville area. I was fortunate to talk with a man who not only was raised in Hinesville but who actually worked at the drive-in theatre, and he has confirmed that the name of the drive-in was “Stewart” Drive-In Theatre, NOT “Stuart” Drive-In Theatre. He said that the theatre was named for General Daniel Stewart, a Liberty County native for whom the military installation was also named. Hinesville is located in Liberty County, GA.
I am aware that the International Motion Picture Almanac always listed the theatre as “Stuart”, but this was really just a scrivener’s error that was perpetuated year after year, probably due to a lack of attention given to small-town Hinesville. In recent years, of course, Hinesville’s population has boomed due to the expansion of Fort Stewart.
Interestingly, although the International Motion Picture Almanac incorrectly used the spelling “Stuart” in its “Hinesville” listing, it correctly used the “Stewart” spelling in its “Pal Amusement Co.” listing.
Thanks dwtpa97,you did something i couldn’t do, interview a Local.
The drive in theatre in Hinesville on Hwy 84 was converted into Brice’s Cinema City, named after Pete Brice, the owner of Pal Amusement Company. The general manager of Pal Amusement was Barron Godby. The original drive in was split in half. The front half remained a drive in with speakers, etc, The back half became an indoor twin cinema, A large fence was erected between the last row of the drive in and the indoor parking lot. You used the orignial ticket office to attend the drive in and the indoor had its own ticket office. The same projection booth served the drive in and the indoor screens and the concession stand also served both. I had to pick up a print of Ghost at the indoor and when I went to pick it up, the drive in part was closed, even though the speakers remained on the poles and the projectors were still aimed at the screen. Only film was needed to get the drive in going again. This site is now a lowes home supply store, nothing remains of the drive in or indoor.