Ritz Drive-In
1485 Old Highway 4,
Council Grove,
KS
66846
1485 Old Highway 4,
Council Grove,
KS
66846
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Additional Info
Previous Names: Chief Drive-In
Nearby Theaters
Originally opened as the Chief Drive-In on April 29, 1953 with Mickey Rooney in “All Ashore”. It was operated by Cle Bratton. It was re-named the Ritz Drive-In in 1976. By 1980, the Ritz Drive-In had closed.
The Ritz Drive-In was located about 1 mile NE of Council Grove at the intersection of Old Highway 56 and Old Highway 4.
The land is currently private property and nothing is left of the drive-in save for the faint outline and ramps.
Contributed by
Ken McElhaney
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Recent comments (view all 2 comments)
Opened as the Chief Drive-In on April 29, 1953 with “All Ashore.” Mrs. Cle Barton sold the theatre following the 1975 season with new operators Mr. and Mrs. Davy Picolet relaunching on May 7, 1976 as the Ritz Drive-In Theatre with “Hearts of the West” and “Westworld”. It closed on September 25, 1983 as the Ritz Drive-In Theatre at the end of a thirty year lease and didn’t reopen the following season. 82 mph winds destroyed the vacant theatre in 1986.
Boxoffice, April 19, 1976: “COUNCIL GROVE, KAS. – Mr. and Mrs. Cle Bratton, who have operated theatre here the past 42 years, announce the recent sale of the Chief Drive-In to Mr. and Mrs. Davy Picolet who plan some remodeling work for the theatre before its early May opening.”