Sky-View Drive-In

The Sky-View Drive-In Theatre was established in Elsa, Texas, by Archer Theater Corp. and the family of Fred P. Archer. Construction took place in 1948, and the venue officially launched on February 19, 1949. While the theatre advertised space for 400 cars, trade publications at the time listed the capacity at what appears to be a more accurate 250 cars.

At the time of the Sky-View’s opening, Elsa was experiencing a boom, with its population growing 216% since its 1940 incorporation. The area had no shortage of entertainment options. The Sky-View joined three existing indoor “hardtop” theatres in downtown Elsa. This included the Roxy Theatre that was opened in May 1947 by Miguel Benitez, Jr. and the newly added Tropics Theatre opening in 1950.

Capitalizing on the market, the Archers expanded their area drive-ins, opening the Wes-Mer Drive-In Theatre between Weslaco and Mercedes on July 6, 1950 (it has its own page on Cinema Treasures). In 1957, operations shifted to Miguel Benitez, Jr., a key figure in the Benitez family chain of theatre operators (which included Hector and Miguel Sr.). Benitez, Jr. took over both the Sky-View Drive-In and the Wes-Mer Drive-In. Under his management, the Sky-View Drive-In sometimes referred to as the Sky-Vue—screened both English and Spanish-language features. Like many theatres of the era, the local market faced a theatrical shakeout due to the rising popularity of television.

The Sky-View Drive-In remained in operation at least into 1964. Eventually, however, the business closed permanently. The theatre was demolished, and the land has since been redeveloped. While originally established and advertised in Elsa for its entire operational cycle, the drive-in’s address maps today to Weslaco and is listed there for mapping purposes.

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