La Fonda Drive-In
3601 N. Prince Street,
Clovis,
NM
88101
3601 N. Prince Street,
Clovis,
NM
88101
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The La Fonda Drive-In sat on the north side of town and was owned and operated by Lloyd Franklin. The La Fonda Drive-In was opened in 1951 with Burt Lancaster in “Ten Tall Men”. The screen burnt down in August 1959. It was rebuilt and the drive-in reopened. However, it was subsequently closed and demolished.
Today, a Lowe’s sits on the property with no sign that the drive-in ever existed.
Contributed by
Ken McElhaney
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
The Yucca opened on July 16, 1948. There was four known DI’s in Clovis. There was the 4 Lane, Yucca, LA Fonda and the Comet DI’s.
The address given is for the La Fonda which was north of town. The Yucca was south and the 4 lane was east of town. The Comet was west of town.
The correct address for the Yucca DI is:2029 South Prince Street, Clovis, NM
“Lloyd Franklin of Clovis, N. M., is dickering with his partner W. O. Bearden of Lubbock, Tex., and with contractors, on rebuilding the screen tower at the LaFonda Drive-In, which burned to the ground last August during a thunderstorm and Franklin was not sure whether or not lightning or faulty wiring caused the fire.” — BoxOffice, March 21, 1960
Boxoffice, July 26, 1952: “CLOVIS, N. M. – The La Fonda airer, owned by Lord Franklin and W. O. Bearden, has opened. Construction of the $100,000 situation began last May 12.”
Clovis News-Journal, July 4, 1982, in a retrospective: “In 1952 (W.O.) Bearden and (Lloyd) Franklin built the LaFonda Drive-In Theater on North Prince and Llano Estacado … In 1974 the LaFonda rebuilt a mile north of the old location and in 1979 leased to Commonwealth Theaters, Inc.”
Clovis News Journal, April 22, 2002, in an extended interview with Loyd Franklin: “The partners (Franklin and Bearden) also built the Comet Drive In out on West Seventh, but Loyd said the theater only lasted about a year. Lightning destroyed the screen at the La Fonda and the Comet screen replaced it. In 1974, the La Fonda was moved a mile north to the southwast corner of Wilhite and Prince.”