Tru-Vu Drive-In
1001 Highway 92,
Delta,
CO
81416
1001 Highway 92,
Delta,
CO
81416
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According to an article in the Sept. 22, 1996 edition of the Rocky Mountain News, the Tru-Vu “opened on Friday, March 11, 1955, with Randolph Scott in Canadian Pacific and Abbott and Costello in The Naughty Nineties.”
Adding detail to the reported 1960 fire, 1996-owner Jeannie Dewsnup told the News that she had heard that a then-juvenile related to “the owner of the Big Sky once piled bales of hay in the projection room of the Tru Vu, and set them afire. When they (the Dewsnups) purchased the Tru Vu in 1967, the walls of the projection room were still black – lending credence to at least part of the story.”
Stanley and Jeanne Dewsnup bought two other Delta theaters in 1966, according to a Sept. 21, 2013 article in The Daily Sentinel of Grand Junction. An earlier Daily Sentinel story added, “A year later came the acquisition of the Tru-Vu,” which would make the year of their purchase 1967.
Stan passed away in 2008, and Jeanne died April 9, 2019.
Grouped together, these stories from The Daily Sentinel of Grand Junction CO read like a novel.
Jan. 6, 1958: “Vandals wrought about $1,000 damage to the exterior of the Tru-Vu drive-in theatre, which is closed for the winter. … The marquee was torn up and all glass except in three windows was broken.”
Sept. 8, 1958: “Vandals (ripped out 14 speakers,) and 72 wires connecting speakers with the main system were found missing”.
Oct. 14, 1958: Twenty-six speakers and connecting wires were missing Sunday when Fred Chubka, owner, went to the theatre and noticed the vandalism.
July 21, 1960: “A blazing fire gutted the Tru-Vue Drive-In theatre building … causing about $7,000 in damages. The blaze apparently was set, according to Fire Chief Harvey Richards.”
Oct. 4, 1961: Mr. & Mrs. Chubka have sued the owners of the nearby Starlite Drive-In. At the time of the fire, the defendants were also co-owners of the Tru-Vu. “Claiming that one or more of the defendants set fire to the Tru-Vue Theater to eliminate competition, the Chubkas sought actual damages of $30,000 and exemplary damages of $100,000.”
(That trial ended in a hung jury. The case was rescheduled for early 1962. After delays, on May 14, the date the second trial was to begin, the two parties reached an out-of-court settlement.)
Jan. 5, 1963: June Chubka was granted a divorce from Fred Chubka, filed Aug. 20, 1962.
May 28, 1963: “The two drive-in theaters at Delta, the Skylite and Tru-Vu, were burglarized early this morning … (a few items) were found missing at the Skylite theater. Nothing was taken from the unused Tru-Vu Theater. The break-ins were discovered this morning by the owner, Fred Chubka.”
Sept. 12, 1963: “The Tru-Vue Drive-In Theater was reopened Wednesday night (Sept. 11) under the new ownership of Police Chief Dan Morgan and James Hanson, both of Delta. The theater … was sold through the district court to expedite property settlement in a divorce case”.
A short note from the Aug. 1, 1960 issue of BoxOffice: “The Tru-Vu Drive-In, Delta, was destroyed by fire and is closed.”
With their projection booth on top, they ought to twin this theater.
The Jan. 29, 1955 Motion Picture Herald reported: “Ann and Stanley Dixon have bought the Motor-Vu (sic) drive-in, Delta, Colo., from Max Storey.”
It must have meant the Tru-Vu, which is the closest name. The 1955-56 Theatre Catalog listed the Tru-Vu’s owner as S. H. Dixon.
couldn’t they move the drive-in screen to the tru-vu drive-in and twin it?
Current website for the Tru Vu Drive-In.
Uploaded some pictures from there FB page.
Here is the correct website: http://movies.qwestoffice.net/34401.html
The Big Sky was (is) on Crawford Ave, one street over. It was closed during the 80’s when Exxon pulled out in the mid-80’s and the local economy collapsed.
Now there is commercial development next door (WalMart, Safeway) and the property will never be good for a drive in again because of the light pollution.