New US 23 Drive-In

5200 Fenton Road,
Flint, MI 48507

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Showing 1 - 25 of 27 comments

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on December 4, 2021 at 10:35 pm

“Opened on 15th June, 1951 with Dreaming out loud”, “Fatal hour” and “Trail of Robin Hood”.

rivest266
rivest266 on December 4, 2021 at 2:52 pm

The US-23 Drive-In Theatre opened on June 15th, 1951. Grand opening ad posted.

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on July 13, 2017 at 2:00 pm

At WaterWinterWonderland, there’s a 2003 comment by “Cinema Treasures” (hmm), saying, “The second 38 x 76 screen was assembled in 1986 using parts from a dismanted (sic) drive in screen tower, which originally measured 60 x 120, fabricated by Selby Industries. The original wood screen tower was destroyed in a 1997 arson fire and was replaced that year with the remaining parts from the aforementioned screen tower. As a result of the fire, a planned third screen will not be built.”

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on July 13, 2017 at 1:37 pm

Robert, that’s an old caption. I count fewer than 330 active US drive-ins as of July 2017.

Nice ad video, steelbeard1! As great as that sign looks, it’s ever better with the arrow in motion.

TenPoundHammer, the 1949-50 Theatre Catalog already listed two Flint drive-ins. The Corunna West Side had an address of M-21, and the Dort East Side was on Dort Highway. Each had a capacity of 775 and was run by W. M. Rice.

Those two were joined by the U. S. 23 in the 1952 Catalog. For Exec, it listed (deep breath): L. Stallard, L. Warrington, Wallace O. James, Mgr., and William Clark. Capacity 1200. (The Corunna’s capacity grew to 900, the Dort’s to 1010.)

R. O. Fredley was the US 23’s Exec in the 1955-56 Catalog. Its capacity was down to 1130, while the Dort had mushroomed to 1406.

There were four Flint drive-ins listed in the 1959 IMPA – Eastside (Dort?), Westside (Corunna?), Northland, and US 23. With a few name changes that foursome continued through the 1976 edition.

By the 1982 IMPA, those four were joined by the Miracle Red & Blue. All five survived through the last IMPA drive-in list in 1988.

Robert Allen
Robert Allen on April 25, 2013 at 1:08 pm

The caption says “…with only 800 remaining drive-ins…”. That may be down from 5,000 several decades ago but is up from 500 just a few years ago.

steelbeard1
steelbeard1 on July 11, 2011 at 7:29 am

Cinema Treasures has uploaded a TV commercial for this drive in. http://cinematreasures.org/video/us-23-drive-in-theater

TenPoundHammer
TenPoundHammer on May 11, 2011 at 5:43 pm

Description’s inaccurate now. This was always the only DI in Mundy Township. For a long time, Flint did have two DI’s (the Miracle Twin being the other) but it wasn’t even close nearby. 23 is now the only one left.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on April 20, 2010 at 5:29 pm

1956, it was co-owned by Stallard and Warrington.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on April 20, 2010 at 12:05 pm

Cool looking marquee ken mc.

steelbeard1
steelbeard1 on January 1, 2010 at 1:01 pm

Become a US 23 Drive-in Facebook friend. Their Facebook page is at View link

lexmarks567
lexmarks567 on October 20, 2009 at 12:46 am

the 3rd screen is made up of shipping containers stacked ontop of each other. pictures here View link

steelbeard1
steelbeard1 on September 20, 2009 at 6:48 pm

To update info, the US 23 Drive-in Theatre has three screens now.

lexmarks567
lexmarks567 on June 6, 2009 at 4:46 pm

something i thought about. what would make this theater even better is to rebuild the original screen. dig up the blue prints and rebuild it. FYI the original screen burned down.

lexmarks567
lexmarks567 on May 7, 2009 at 12:45 am

the drive in will remain open for another 5 years. the theater has been leased to a company who plans to overhaul the theater which includes adding 2 more screens to bring the count up to 4. it opens may 8th and will remain open through October.

steelbeard1
steelbeard1 on March 14, 2009 at 12:25 pm

There’s a 1997 interview with Lou Warrington posted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUXCJXvHZ40

Denny Pine
Denny Pine on March 4, 2009 at 11:29 am

I’ve already started making plans to come up to this one. Looks like a great place from the photos I saw. Hopefully somebody will buy the drive-in and keep it open in memory of Mr. Warrington.

steelbeard1
steelbeard1 on February 28, 2009 at 4:01 pm

The Warrington family will reopen the drive-in for one more season in late April in Lou’s memory. Lou’s widow, 75-year-old Diane Warrington will manage it again with granddaughter Avery Warrington running the refreshment stand. Eldest son Lou Warrington III is not interested in holding onto the drive-in so after it closes this fall, it will be put up for sale. My fear is that in a couple of years, it could be a larger Kroger store to replace the smaller one next door.

unclesteed
unclesteed on February 26, 2009 at 4:55 am

Aw, how sad. Lou loved that drive-in. Any news on what will happen with it after this season?

Michigandriveins.com
Michigandriveins.com on February 22, 2009 at 3:58 pm

The owner, Lou Warrington, passed away on February 18th, 2009. According to a Flint News story, the family will open the drive-in for more year as a tribute to Lou. Please come out often this summer and experience this fantastic theater. Lou and the 23 will be missed.
US-23 photos here.

lexmarks567
lexmarks567 on June 12, 2008 at 3:18 am

this could be its last year of operation. the owner suffered a massive heart attack he survived but is incapacitated. sense he does all the up-keep and maintenance himself this could be its last year of service. please support this drive in while you can.

GGriffin3080
GGriffin3080 on April 3, 2006 at 4:22 am

The screen parts were from the South Dort Drive-In

steelbeard1
steelbeard1 on February 18, 2006 at 5:10 pm

Mundy Township is in southern Genesee County.

steelbeard1
steelbeard1 on May 7, 2005 at 5:52 pm

This drive in is mentioned in my article in The Uncommon Sense at View link