Beacon Drive-In
2404 S. Division Street,
Guthrie,
OK
73044
2404 S. Division Street,
Guthrie,
OK
73044
5 people
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Opened with Joel McCrea in “Ramrod” (unknown if any extras added but a fireworks display was presented after the movie).
I wonder if anyone still has a copy of the Grand Opening program. From the May 27, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
Al Powell, co-owner and manager of the affiliated Griffith Theatres in Guthrie, Okla., recently opened the Beacon Drive-In, an event that was marked by special cooperation from local merchants.
Powell prepared a special 48-page souvenir program giving complete details on the service and comforts offered by the new operation, biographical information on all executives in the organization, and a list of future attractions booked at the three local theatres.
Merchant ads covered complete cost of the program.
The fine web site has a historical outline and color shots of the Beacon,
View link
The Beacon, looking good in spring 1993:
View link
View link
The caption for the image shown may need to be changed. It says it is the DI used in ‘Twister,’ But stated above the owners say it isn’t.
Mid page on this online gallery can be seen an image of the Beacon Drive-In Theater…
http://66.221.1.53/states/ok.htm
I’ve got lots of new pictures to post of this great Drive-in, too! Again, a.s.a.p.
No, this theatre was not used for the movie Twister. I spoke with the owners, the Powells, and they confirmed this. A Drive-in was built and destroyed especially for the movie. This Drive-in was in Guthrie, but it wasn’t a real one. The Beacon did send over all its trash for the movie to add realism. They also popped all the popcorn used, but the Beacon wasn’t used in the movie. I hope this clears up the “Twister” confusion.
This was the theater featured in the movie Twister.
My son used to love when I took him & his friends to this old fashioned drive-in. I still go every summer with my honey. It’s now set up where you can hear the sound through your radio. That’s a good thing since it gets cool at night here even in the summer. But other than that, it’s a trip back to your childhood. Downtown Guthrie is a great place to visit, too. It has B&Bs, several good restaurants, antique & gift shops, a trolley, historic buildings, including one that was one of the oldest houses of ill repute, I think it’s now a cafe, theatrical performances, a printing museum, a gorgeous masonic temple you can tour & Victorian houses to look at. My favorite place to eat is a cafe called The Stables. I get the shredded pork BBQ sandwich & their amazing onion rings.
This one’s still the best one in the state. With the I-35 road construction it’s a little hard to get to from OKC, but it is well worth it! Just go to the next exit and come back from the North. It sits up on the hill at the South end of Guthrie. For Drive-in fans, this one’s a “must see.” Odds are, your kids haven’t ever experienced the Drive-In atmosphere. Well, this one is safe, clean, and well maintained. We love it. Our 5-year-old nephew calls it the “Big TV.”
During the summer, my wife and I attend this one every week if possible. This is the best Drive-in around. It’s like stepping into the past. It’s clean, well maintained, and simply a blast! Don’t miss this one if you love Drive-ins.