Edgewood Drive-In
3001 Gardner-Edgewood Drive,
Neosho,
MO
64850
3001 Gardner-Edgewood Drive,
Neosho,
MO
64850
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The opening - and only - name of the venue was the Edgewood Drive-In Theatre and, as noted, it launched May 18, 1951 with Alexis Smith in “Wyoming Mail” supported by the Grantland Rice sports short, “Desert Hi-Jinks,” and the Bugs Bunny cartoon, “The Homeless Hare.”
No, davidcoppock, that’s not accurate. The undated season-opening ad that’s in this drive-in’s photo section here couldn’t have before 1955, because that’s when that movie, The Americano, was released.
The 1951 grand (or season-) opening ad I referenced above unfortunately included no details about the movies that night.
Opened on 18/5/1951 with “April fool’s frolics” and “Americano”.
Looks like this was always the Edgewood. An ad/column in the July 2, 1950 issue of the Neosho Daily Democrat by Hugh Gardner mentioned that his 30th anniversary of his presence in town while “we are in the midst of contract letting for the new EDGEWOOD DRIVE-IN, that we hope to be able to open sometime in September for at least a few weeks operation before cold weather.”
Although the indoor Band Box and Orpheum theaters advertised regularly in the Daily Democrat, the Edgewood didn’t do so very often. One ad, on May 18, 1951, was for the Edgewood’s “grand opening”, though it’s possible that it was just a seasonal opening.
Boxoffice, Nov. 5, 1955: “The plantation atmosphere of the Old South is now complete at the Edgewood Drive-In, Neosho, Mo. Built in the town which served briefly as Missouri’s state capital for the Confederates in the War Between the States, the Edgewood’s screen tower front resembles the stately Hermitage, historic home of Andrew Jackson near Nashville, Tenn. True to old southern tradition, the cookhouse (snack bar) is built apart from the mansion and is known as "Mammy’s Kitchen.” Even the name “Edgewood” is from owner Hugh Gardner’s ancestral Tennessee plantation. To complete the southern atmosphere, the manager of the Edgewood is - Jeff Davis."
A new owner by the start of the 1960 season, per Boxoffice, May 2 that year: “Ed Harris opened the Edgewood Drive-In at Neosho April 14 and closed the Orpheum downtown house.”
I wonder why the Carmar didn’t open on schedule, as elaborated in the June 3, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
NEOSHO, MO. – Hugh Gardner will open a 225-car drive-in one mile south of Neosho on Highway 71 which leads into Camp Crowder. The opening is scheduled for July 1 to coincide with the 30th anniversary date on which Gardner took over the old Whiteway Theatre, which was renamed the Orpheum. Besides the Orpheum he now operates the Band Box. Harley Fryer, who has been manager of the city theatres for seven years, also will manage the new drive-in.
One of the rare “Architectural Styles – Colonial” for a drive-in. See photos.