Mt. Healthy Drive-In
1376 Compton Road,
Mount Healthy,
OH
45231
1376 Compton Road,
Mount Healthy,
OH
45231
2 people
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Additional Info
Previous Names: Mt. Healthy Park-In
Nearby Theaters
The Mt. Healthy Park-In opened August 15, 1947, screening the 1946 Walt Disney animation/live action comedy “Song of the South” with Ruth Warwick, Bobby Driscoll and James Baskett. The new drive-in was opened by Robert W. Tusch (dba Park-In Theatre Inc.) and could park 575 cars with RCA in-a-car speakers. In 1949, Louis Wiethe who was operating a chain of theatres in the Cincinnati area took control of Park-In Theatre Inc. Wiethe remodeled the screen tower and installed new neon letters on the front with a new name Mt. Healthy Drive-In. On April 2, 1949, it reopened screening the 1948 western “Untamed Breed” with Sonny Tufts, Barbarra Britton and George ‘Gabby’ Hayes.
In 1962 the Mt. Healthy Drive-In was sold to Ben Cohen (dba Holiday Amusements Co.) from Hamilton, OH. He increased the capacity to 900 cars. Joanne Cohen, now president of Holiday Amusements Co. closed the Mt. Healthy Drive-In at the end of the 1988 season. She is quoted as saying “We want to get out of the drive-in business”. Cohen said rampant year-round vandalism, property taxes and utility costs have gotten out of sight. The city put in a bid of $250,000 which was accepted and they recieived the property. The drive-in was demolished and it is now commercial & medical offices.
Contributed by
Randy Studer, T. O'Connor
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
Was a cinder block drive in theatre in Mt Healthy, Ohio. They used to run Dawn to Dusk movies when I was in high school (early 80’s). My grandfather Harry H Shafer built the theatre. I have a key chain which says “The Park-IN Theatre, Mt Healthy, Ohio, The Auto Theatre of Tomorrow”, apparently the keys go to the gate and the snack bar.
The other Mt Healthy Drive-In was located at 6 Monroe Drive
In 1963, this drive-in was operated by Lou Wiethe. Car capacity was 575 per the motion picture almanac of that year.
On Google street view the address 1375 is nearly the same as the camera shot. the 2 driveways are about the same as the entrance-exits to the drive in. The MtH was prob tied with Wyoming for 3rd best drive-in in Cincinnati behind Jolly Roger (1) and Ferguson Hills (2). Just a great, well run neighborhood DI .
I grew up in Skyline Acres 1963-1971, this was my favorite place to see movies as a kid, they had an immense playground! I remember seeing comedies like “Munster Go Home”, “The Ghost & Mr. Chicken”, Disney films like “The Aristocats”, and war movies like “The Green Berets”. A real family-oriented Drive-In.
Back in 2005, another commenter mentioned a second Mt. Healthy Drive-In, “The other Mt Healthy Drive-In was located at 6 Monroe Drive.”
To the best of my knowledge, there is no Monroe Drive in Mt. Healthy. Maybe there was 50 years ago, but that doesn’t help us much now. Does anyone have any information on this other drive-in? Approximately what decade did it operate, approximately when did it close? What part of town was it in?
There was Park-In DI listed in 1951 located in Mt. Healthy, Ohio. In 1952 they were both listed, the Park In and Mt. Healthy DI’s. So I’m thinking they are both the same one and Park In was renamed to Mt Healthy DI. In 1953 there is no Park In DI listed. The Mt. Healthy DI is on my to-do list for research