Hollywood Drive-In

The Hollywood Drive-In, in the Hollywood neighborhood on the east side of Ruidoso, was active for two short seasons. The drive-in was built by H. H. Daniels and featured a screen tower with a mural painted by two high school boys.

The Hollywood Drive-In opened on August 6, 1954, with the John Derek movie “Prince of Pirates” and two cartoons. An accompanying story in the Ruidoso News that day said its ramps could hold about “80 cars”; that might have been a misprint, but it’s the only capacity number I could find. The drive-in had in-car speakers and a short throw from the booth to the screen.

In April 1955, high winds toppled the Hollywood’s screen, but Daniels rebuilt it and reopened on May 10. The drive-in’s final night was on September 20, 1955, when it showed Barbara Stanwyck in “Cattle Queen of Montana”.

The Daniels family advertised the drive-in for sale in both off-seasons. In early-1956, the owners of the competing Mt. Vue Drive-In bought the Hollywood Drive-Ijnand kept it closed. They sold it along with the Mt. Vue Drive-In in September 1957.

Probably in reaction to the construction of the nearby Downs Drive-In, in April 1959 the new owners announced they would quickly build another drive-in in Hollywood, but it appears than nothing came of that announcement.

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