When Robert Schwartz opened his Center Drive-In Theatre on July 2, 1953, he wanted to have the newest, largest and finest theater. He had “newest.” Largest was done with a massive 900-car lot. And finest was knocked down when the theater was Connecticut’s first built for widescreen film formats including CinemaScope. Frank McQueeney did beat him to it launching with widescreen to start his 1953 season at the Pine Drive-In in Waterbury.
The Nashua Theatre opened September 15, 1934 and operated by the Cass Theatre Circuit which had theaters in Sumner, Strawberry Point and Waucoma. The opening feature was “Murder at the Vanities.” It opened in the same location once housing the Senate Theatre and, prior to that, the Grand Theatre. The theater closed Nov. 1, 1954 only to be reopened just weeks later. In May of 1955, the theater closes again and is put up for sale. The theater reopens in October of 1957 closing in 1958. In 1960, the theater opens up in the summer for one last go around closing September 10, 1960 with “The Jayhawker.” That may end the theater’s lifecycle.
Hem Theatre Circuit operated the same theater under the Senate Theatre name. Opened as the Grand Theatre in 1915 which prior was the Moon Hotel building.
The Park Theatre at 72 Main Street in downtown Nashua dated back to 1834/5 when it was the First Congregational Church followed by the First Freewill Baptist Church. In 1870, the church was largely destroyed in a fire and the rebuilt structure became part of Nashua commercial realty in 1872 when it was incorporated into a larger structure extending to Pearson St. That retail space would have with long-running retail stores attached including a hardware and supply store opening in the 1870s which would take over the theater in 1955.
The church became a movie theater on July 3, 1918 as the Park Theatre and closed in 1955. The entire structure was known as the Park Theatre Building even after the theater closed. The theater was probably best remembered for two things: 1) giveaways and cash nights and 2) a massive fire causing between $200,000 and $300,000 in damage in 1947.
The fire on September 28, 1947 looked like it would be the end of the theater. But 11 months later on August 28, 1948, the Park was back with a grand re-opening and ran until Sept. 1, 1951 when business was very poor. Dormant for three years, the Park would get one more shot as a Cinema Treasure relaunching under Joseph G. Kennedy on Christmas Day 1954. Despite inexpensive double features, cash nights, and dish and glass giveaways, the era of movie palaces was behind it and the theater closed on May 2, 1955 and converted away from theatrical purposes. Its final screening on May 2, 1955 with a double feature of “King of the Khyber Rifles” and “Walking My Baby Back Home.” The final Cash Night prize amount was $185.
Launched by General Cinema as Nashua Mall Cinema I & II on March 29, 1972 with a preview night showing “The Hospital” and “Winter Comes Early.” Official opening was two nights later.
The Merrimack Drive-In Theater launched May 26, 1950 with “Oh You Beautiful Doll” and “The Big Sombrero.“ The theater was launched as an independent operated by business partners Morris LIffman, Joseph Bronstein, and Sidney & Henry Kessler. After just one season, the Graphic Theaters Circuit took on the Merrimack on April 19, 1951 they opened for the season under the name Nashua Drive-In Theater which it held until its closing.
The North Hampton Drive-In on Lafayette had a challenging time going from approval and construction dating back as far as 1949 then halted for traffic safety concerns. In 1951, the drive-in was – again – approved for construction, halted, and re-commenced but missing its targeted 1951 opening. But on May 31, 1952, owner Louis Fucci’s North Hampton Drive-In Theater had its long awaited grand opening with a comedy double feature of “The Milkman” and “The Bowery Champs.” Most exciting day was when a freight train near the operation sparked and set the theater on fire causing traffic delays.
For the 1960 season, the Lucci family transferred the N-H D-I to drive-in veterans Anthony Norcia and Phillip Adams came in and renamed the ozone as the Seacoast Drive-in having their grand opening on April 7, 1960. They fused their last name becoming Norad Entertainment. In June of 1960, a local baptist church held services at the Seacoast and “Gone with the Wind” played on the big screen. The Seacoast operated through the 1977 season. On September 25, 1977, the drive-in’s season closed with a Russ Meyer triple feature. If the local paper is correct, those are the final showings for the drive-in which would be a nice way to go.
A 2015 Seacoast News online article stated that in 1978, the Fucci family decided to discontinue the drive-in. Ricardo Fucci began the redevelopment of the former Seacoast Drive-In Theater “successfully transforming the site into the retail and commercial property" which was part of Lafayette Acres. That makes the timeline of the ozoner about 25 years from 1952-1977.
The predecessor to the Carroll was the Earle Theatre. The 800-seat Earle Theatre opened in 1927 architected by John Latenser & Sons and owned by Earl N. Neu. Latenser’s Italian athmospheric theater with Cornthian columns melded in Lombardy poplar trees and two Pompeiian fountains along with Chris Fuchs’ murals set the tone. The 800-pipe Mighty Wurlitzer Pipe Organ made the Earle appear as if it were in a metropolitan area. Pioneer Theatre Circuit bought the Earle in 1930.
It was extensively remodeled in 1942 with a grand re-opening under Pioneer. After a damaging fire in 1945, it was remodeled and became the Carroll Theatre on May 7, 1946. Pioneer was bought out by Carroll Theater Inc. in 1963. Carroll Theatre purchased by Fridley Theaters Circuit in July 1970. In 1975, Fridley theater twinned the Carroll but it could show 70mm film. The theater had a long run but was fairly unrecognizable from any of its first three iterations due to modernizing.
Opened by Tri-States Theatre Circuit on July 14, 1950 showing “The Big Wheel.” The land cost $23,970 with the drive-in costing $100,000. Central States Theatre Circuit took on the theater shortly thereafter getting involved with in a price-fixing case along with seven other drive-ins.
The ozoner operated until closing at the end of the 2006 season with Central States Theatre selling it in January of 2007 for $1,250,000. The theater was demolished later that year.
There were two Carroll Drive-In Theatres. The first was one mile North on U.S. 71 launching with “Abie’s Irish Rose” on September 9, 1948 by Ted Keogh and Cecil Crouse. The 300-car ozone called Drive-In Theatre caught the attention of the city’s theatre circuit. Just weeks after Drive-In Theatre’s launch, Pioneer Theatre Corporation announced it would build the Carroll Drive-In Theatre on a ten-acre plot just east of Carroll on Highway 30. Despite architectural plans and beginning to get the its new drive-in built, Pioneer reversed course and bought the existing Drive-In Theatre in February of 1949. It totally revamped the less than one year old drive-in and would operate there from May-September for four seasons renaming it the Carroll Drive-In Theatre. The Carroll D-I ceased operations in September of 1952 as Pioneer built an improved and larger facility on the parcel of land it had acquired in 1948. The original drive-in would later be demolished.
Carroll Drive-In Theatre “#2” was architected by Associated Design Inc. of Minneapolis. It opened with “Small Town Girl” on July 4, 1953. All 500 spaces were in use in the drive-in lot and liked the improved 52 x 40 screen. The water-cooled long throw projection system allowed for the concession and projection area to be at the rear of the theater freeing the center for prime parking spots.
The Pioneer group of theatres in Carroll would become part of W.C. Arts' Carroll Theatre Company. On July 1, 1970, Carroll Theatre Corporation sold its theaters including the drive-in to Fridley Theatre Circuit. The Carroll Drive-In would get to its 25th anniversary as a long-time staple of the community but would be discontinued as the home video era was beginning.
Opened as the Royal Theatre at least as of 1913. Pioneer Theatres Corporation took on the Earle and the Royal. Pioneer renovated the Royal in 1936 and rebranded it as the State Theatre. It would then build Carroll Theatre where the Earle was destroyed by fire in 1945. Pioneer shuttered the State Theatre in 1952. The theatre building would be demolished but just across the street, the multiscreen Carroll Theater would entertain the community for decades.
The theater’s name for its first 12 years is the Alt-Wood Outdoor Theatre. The name of the theatre was given because it was between East Alton and Wood River. And on June 10, 1949, the feature film “Wild Harvest” was on the big screen. Mayors from nine surrounding cities and towns were on hand to commemorate the event including those of Alton and Wood River. 500 roses were given out to the ladies who were in attendance.
Mid-America bought the theater — operators of the Bel-Air Drive-In and several other locations — in March of 1961 converting it to the Capri Drive-In Theatre on March 24, 1961 mid-retrofitting.
With all due respect to the local library, the Twin Star Theater was definitely closed in 1937 becoming Woody Electric appliances in October of 1937 followed soon after by Walsh Furniture. With the Collegian coming and the Twin Star at end of lease, the writing was on the wall for the aged theater which was converted for retail use. On the opposite end, the entertainment place started as a turn of the century bowling alley owned by John Kintzley. It became Ames first motion picture theater as the Scenic in 1907.
Began its run in September of 1937 with “Double or Nothing” and Western Electric’s Mirrophonic sound system. Ended its run January 23, 1974 with “Instinct for Survival.” Seven customers showed up for the beginning of the show and just one was there when the feature ended.
Architected by Norm Rudi, the Century Cinemas I & II was the first theater built as a twin-screen in Ames and launched February 20, 1970 for Heartland Cinemas Circuit. The larger screen was 430 seats at opening — first film “The Undefeated.” And the smaller screen was 270 seats — first film “Gone with the Wind.” The theater was taken over by the Ames Theatre Circuit in December of 1973.
The theater should have been named the Century Dive-In as its South Duff location was frequented by damaging flood waters in 1975, 1993, and 1996. But the knockout was the flood of 1998 which — combined with the Cinemark megaplex built that year — spelled the end of the Century. It was mercifully razed the next year as the Century would not quite last into the new century.
On November 18, 1971, the Central States Theatre Circuit opened its latest Ames cinema with the Mall Theatres 1 & 2. Its first films were “Scandalous John” and “T.R. Baskin.” The circuit opened a second mall theater with the North Grand 5 in 1996. The twin-screen theater closed in the summer of 1998 with Cinemark opening the Movies 12 megaplex. Cinemark then purchased the remaining mall theater, the North Grand 5, converting it to dollar house runs from 1999 to 2014.
The long-running Ranch Drive-In opened in 1949 with “The Return of October” by the Ames Theatre Company. In August of 1962, operational control of the Ames Theatres including the Ranch to the Central States Theatre Circuit. The theatre closed in 1995 and demolished in 1999.
The Starlite Drive-In Theatre launched June 9, 1949 with “Drums Along the Mohawk” and was operated by Wilmer Brown, Earl Spike, and Paul McCarty. Just prior to its one year anniversary a storm toppled the screen tower but the theater got back in business quickly. Following the 1973 season, the Starlite name was dropped and the theater became the Algona Drive-In Theatre the remainder of its operation. It celebrated its 30th anniversary but was a casualty in the home video era.
Estherville’s entry into drive-in theaters was conceptualized and proposed in 1947 but, the city council unanimously voted against the outdoor theatre as well as a drive-in restaurant to serve both passers by and for theater goers as traffic hazards. But by 1949, a construction permit was authorized and the Hi-Land Drive-In Theatre was built and another permit allowed a nearby and disconnected concession stand. The root beer and fast food stand opened in 1949 but the theater didn’t begin until 1950.
The Hi-Land Drive-In Theatre on Highway 9 scheduled its grand opening on May 12, 1950 with “The Spoilers.” A huge storm destroyed much of the theater just a week before the opening on May 5, 1950 including the attraction / welcome sign and knocking down the hastily constructed 30’ by 40’ canvas screen supported by telephone poles. The 200-space drive-in was owned by three partners in Stan Richey, Lester Larsen and Merlyn Clark of Wallingford had a centralized speaker system. And the concession stand built on Highway 9 was open generally 5p-1a for anyone whether they went to the film. The drive-in theater and restaurant closed for the season on October 2, 1950 with the theater promising a better experience for 1951. But that may have just been too much to consider for the operators.
Veteran exhibitors Charles W. Legg and Robert L. Johnson acquired property to conceive of a more modern drive-in theater concept for Estherville but it would take a couple of years. They would expand to a 340-car capacity as their Chief Drive-In launched on July 9, 1951 with “At War with the Army.” Much as the Hi-Land Drive-In had done, the central speaker concept was used instead of individual speakers. They used an indoor type of theater screen but still supported by telephone poles. There was a low power AM radio concept so that patrons could listen on their car radios. That concept was discontinued at year’s end when the theater installed individual speakers.
On June 23, 1952, a storm blew over the telephone-pole screen which closed the theater for nearly two months but did allow for a real screen to be built anchored in 80 tons of concrete. The 4x8 On the final weekend of its 1952 season, a blaze caused by nitrate cartoons catching fire destroyed the projector building causing $8,000 damage, destroying the projectors and the season’s final feature.
The theater hit is stride during the 1954 calendar year. It expanded to 400 cars and bought new projection equipment to start its 1954 season April 1st with “Battle of Rogue River.” and the screen was enlarged to 92 by 56 feet for the 1955 season to accommodate widescreen formats including CinemaScope. Also in 1954, the theater went into concessions on the premises in a more serious way incorporating a pizza oven as America was just beginning a nationwide pizza boom.
In 1958, the theater bought in-car heaters so that it could operate in colder months on weekends. In 1970, the theater was taken over by Fridley Theatres Circuit along with the downtown Grand Theatre. In 1976 , the managers of the Chief from 1973 to 1976 – Laddie Kozak and his wife – bought the theater from the Fridleys and steered it to its closure in 1978. Thirty years later, the abandoned screen was dismantled and taken to the Superior 71 Drive-in in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Locals inform that the original concession stand still can be found on Highway 9.
Status: Demolished
AKA: Hi-Land Drive-In Theatre (opened May 12, 1950)
U.S. News & World Report said that the West-Vue Drive-In closed in 1984 and opened in 1950. So a conflict with the date above.
Opened April 26, 1949 with “The Prince of Thieves” and Abbott & Costello in “Pardon My Sarong.”
When Robert Schwartz opened his Center Drive-In Theatre on July 2, 1953, he wanted to have the newest, largest and finest theater. He had “newest.” Largest was done with a massive 900-car lot. And finest was knocked down when the theater was Connecticut’s first built for widescreen film formats including CinemaScope. Frank McQueeney did beat him to it launching with widescreen to start his 1953 season at the Pine Drive-In in Waterbury.
The Nashua Theatre opened September 15, 1934 and operated by the Cass Theatre Circuit which had theaters in Sumner, Strawberry Point and Waucoma. The opening feature was “Murder at the Vanities.” It opened in the same location once housing the Senate Theatre and, prior to that, the Grand Theatre. The theater closed Nov. 1, 1954 only to be reopened just weeks later. In May of 1955, the theater closes again and is put up for sale. The theater reopens in October of 1957 closing in 1958. In 1960, the theater opens up in the summer for one last go around closing September 10, 1960 with “The Jayhawker.” That may end the theater’s lifecycle.
Hem Theatre Circuit operated the same theater under the Senate Theatre name. Opened as the Grand Theatre in 1915 which prior was the Moon Hotel building.
The Park Theatre at 72 Main Street in downtown Nashua dated back to 1834/5 when it was the First Congregational Church followed by the First Freewill Baptist Church. In 1870, the church was largely destroyed in a fire and the rebuilt structure became part of Nashua commercial realty in 1872 when it was incorporated into a larger structure extending to Pearson St. That retail space would have with long-running retail stores attached including a hardware and supply store opening in the 1870s which would take over the theater in 1955.
The church became a movie theater on July 3, 1918 as the Park Theatre and closed in 1955. The entire structure was known as the Park Theatre Building even after the theater closed. The theater was probably best remembered for two things: 1) giveaways and cash nights and 2) a massive fire causing between $200,000 and $300,000 in damage in 1947.
The fire on September 28, 1947 looked like it would be the end of the theater. But 11 months later on August 28, 1948, the Park was back with a grand re-opening and ran until Sept. 1, 1951 when business was very poor. Dormant for three years, the Park would get one more shot as a Cinema Treasure relaunching under Joseph G. Kennedy on Christmas Day 1954. Despite inexpensive double features, cash nights, and dish and glass giveaways, the era of movie palaces was behind it and the theater closed on May 2, 1955 and converted away from theatrical purposes. Its final screening on May 2, 1955 with a double feature of “King of the Khyber Rifles” and “Walking My Baby Back Home.” The final Cash Night prize amount was $185.
The property has since been demolished.
CORRECTION: Re-opening was in 1948 (not 1958)
Opening date was July 2, 1949 and — in addition to two features “Thief of Baghdad” and “Fall In,” there was a fireworks show as well.
Launched by General Cinema as Nashua Mall Cinema I & II on March 29, 1972 with a preview night showing “The Hospital” and “Winter Comes Early.” Official opening was two nights later.
Opened June 24, 1969 with “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and “Goodbye Columbus.”
The Merrimack Drive-In Theater launched May 26, 1950 with “Oh You Beautiful Doll” and “The Big Sombrero.“ The theater was launched as an independent operated by business partners Morris LIffman, Joseph Bronstein, and Sidney & Henry Kessler. After just one season, the Graphic Theaters Circuit took on the Merrimack on April 19, 1951 they opened for the season under the name Nashua Drive-In Theater which it held until its closing.
The North Hampton Drive-In on Lafayette had a challenging time going from approval and construction dating back as far as 1949 then halted for traffic safety concerns. In 1951, the drive-in was – again – approved for construction, halted, and re-commenced but missing its targeted 1951 opening. But on May 31, 1952, owner Louis Fucci’s North Hampton Drive-In Theater had its long awaited grand opening with a comedy double feature of “The Milkman” and “The Bowery Champs.” Most exciting day was when a freight train near the operation sparked and set the theater on fire causing traffic delays.
For the 1960 season, the Lucci family transferred the N-H D-I to drive-in veterans Anthony Norcia and Phillip Adams came in and renamed the ozone as the Seacoast Drive-in having their grand opening on April 7, 1960. They fused their last name becoming Norad Entertainment. In June of 1960, a local baptist church held services at the Seacoast and “Gone with the Wind” played on the big screen. The Seacoast operated through the 1977 season. On September 25, 1977, the drive-in’s season closed with a Russ Meyer triple feature. If the local paper is correct, those are the final showings for the drive-in which would be a nice way to go.
A 2015 Seacoast News online article stated that in 1978, the Fucci family decided to discontinue the drive-in. Ricardo Fucci began the redevelopment of the former Seacoast Drive-In Theater “successfully transforming the site into the retail and commercial property" which was part of Lafayette Acres. That makes the timeline of the ozoner about 25 years from 1952-1977.
The Mason City Drive-In launched May 10, 1949 with Abbott & Costello’s “In the Navy.” The 800-car lot was operated by Central States Theatres Corp.
John Latenser and Sons architected the Chief, a $200,000 theater built in 1945 just after WW2 had ended.
The predecessor to the Carroll was the Earle Theatre. The 800-seat Earle Theatre opened in 1927 architected by John Latenser & Sons and owned by Earl N. Neu. Latenser’s Italian athmospheric theater with Cornthian columns melded in Lombardy poplar trees and two Pompeiian fountains along with Chris Fuchs’ murals set the tone. The 800-pipe Mighty Wurlitzer Pipe Organ made the Earle appear as if it were in a metropolitan area. Pioneer Theatre Circuit bought the Earle in 1930.
It was extensively remodeled in 1942 with a grand re-opening under Pioneer. After a damaging fire in 1945, it was remodeled and became the Carroll Theatre on May 7, 1946. Pioneer was bought out by Carroll Theater Inc. in 1963. Carroll Theatre purchased by Fridley Theaters Circuit in July 1970. In 1975, Fridley theater twinned the Carroll but it could show 70mm film. The theater had a long run but was fairly unrecognizable from any of its first three iterations due to modernizing.
Opened by Tri-States Theatre Circuit on July 14, 1950 showing “The Big Wheel.” The land cost $23,970 with the drive-in costing $100,000. Central States Theatre Circuit took on the theater shortly thereafter getting involved with in a price-fixing case along with seven other drive-ins.
The ozoner operated until closing at the end of the 2006 season with Central States Theatre selling it in January of 2007 for $1,250,000. The theater was demolished later that year.
There were two Carroll Drive-In Theatres. The first was one mile North on U.S. 71 launching with “Abie’s Irish Rose” on September 9, 1948 by Ted Keogh and Cecil Crouse. The 300-car ozone called Drive-In Theatre caught the attention of the city’s theatre circuit. Just weeks after Drive-In Theatre’s launch, Pioneer Theatre Corporation announced it would build the Carroll Drive-In Theatre on a ten-acre plot just east of Carroll on Highway 30. Despite architectural plans and beginning to get the its new drive-in built, Pioneer reversed course and bought the existing Drive-In Theatre in February of 1949. It totally revamped the less than one year old drive-in and would operate there from May-September for four seasons renaming it the Carroll Drive-In Theatre. The Carroll D-I ceased operations in September of 1952 as Pioneer built an improved and larger facility on the parcel of land it had acquired in 1948. The original drive-in would later be demolished.
Carroll Drive-In Theatre “#2” was architected by Associated Design Inc. of Minneapolis. It opened with “Small Town Girl” on July 4, 1953. All 500 spaces were in use in the drive-in lot and liked the improved 52 x 40 screen. The water-cooled long throw projection system allowed for the concession and projection area to be at the rear of the theater freeing the center for prime parking spots.
The Pioneer group of theatres in Carroll would become part of W.C. Arts' Carroll Theatre Company. On July 1, 1970, Carroll Theatre Corporation sold its theaters including the drive-in to Fridley Theatre Circuit. The Carroll Drive-In would get to its 25th anniversary as a long-time staple of the community but would be discontinued as the home video era was beginning.
Opened as the Royal Theatre at least as of 1913. Pioneer Theatres Corporation took on the Earle and the Royal. Pioneer renovated the Royal in 1936 and rebranded it as the State Theatre. It would then build Carroll Theatre where the Earle was destroyed by fire in 1945. Pioneer shuttered the State Theatre in 1952. The theatre building would be demolished but just across the street, the multiscreen Carroll Theater would entertain the community for decades.
The theater’s name for its first 12 years is the Alt-Wood Outdoor Theatre. The name of the theatre was given because it was between East Alton and Wood River. And on June 10, 1949, the feature film “Wild Harvest” was on the big screen. Mayors from nine surrounding cities and towns were on hand to commemorate the event including those of Alton and Wood River. 500 roses were given out to the ladies who were in attendance.
Mid-America bought the theater — operators of the Bel-Air Drive-In and several other locations — in March of 1961 converting it to the Capri Drive-In Theatre on March 24, 1961 mid-retrofitting.
With all due respect to the local library, the Twin Star Theater was definitely closed in 1937 becoming Woody Electric appliances in October of 1937 followed soon after by Walsh Furniture. With the Collegian coming and the Twin Star at end of lease, the writing was on the wall for the aged theater which was converted for retail use. On the opposite end, the entertainment place started as a turn of the century bowling alley owned by John Kintzley. It became Ames first motion picture theater as the Scenic in 1907.
Began its run in September of 1937 with “Double or Nothing” and Western Electric’s Mirrophonic sound system. Ended its run January 23, 1974 with “Instinct for Survival.” Seven customers showed up for the beginning of the show and just one was there when the feature ended.
Architected by Norm Rudi, the Century Cinemas I & II was the first theater built as a twin-screen in Ames and launched February 20, 1970 for Heartland Cinemas Circuit. The larger screen was 430 seats at opening — first film “The Undefeated.” And the smaller screen was 270 seats — first film “Gone with the Wind.” The theater was taken over by the Ames Theatre Circuit in December of 1973.
The theater should have been named the Century Dive-In as its South Duff location was frequented by damaging flood waters in 1975, 1993, and 1996. But the knockout was the flood of 1998 which — combined with the Cinemark megaplex built that year — spelled the end of the Century. It was mercifully razed the next year as the Century would not quite last into the new century.
On November 18, 1971, the Central States Theatre Circuit opened its latest Ames cinema with the Mall Theatres 1 & 2. Its first films were “Scandalous John” and “T.R. Baskin.” The circuit opened a second mall theater with the North Grand 5 in 1996. The twin-screen theater closed in the summer of 1998 with Cinemark opening the Movies 12 megaplex. Cinemark then purchased the remaining mall theater, the North Grand 5, converting it to dollar house runs from 1999 to 2014.
The long-running Ranch Drive-In opened in 1949 with “The Return of October” by the Ames Theatre Company. In August of 1962, operational control of the Ames Theatres including the Ranch to the Central States Theatre Circuit. The theatre closed in 1995 and demolished in 1999.
The Starlite Drive-In Theatre launched June 9, 1949 with “Drums Along the Mohawk” and was operated by Wilmer Brown, Earl Spike, and Paul McCarty. Just prior to its one year anniversary a storm toppled the screen tower but the theater got back in business quickly. Following the 1973 season, the Starlite name was dropped and the theater became the Algona Drive-In Theatre the remainder of its operation. It celebrated its 30th anniversary but was a casualty in the home video era.
Estherville’s entry into drive-in theaters was conceptualized and proposed in 1947 but, the city council unanimously voted against the outdoor theatre as well as a drive-in restaurant to serve both passers by and for theater goers as traffic hazards. But by 1949, a construction permit was authorized and the Hi-Land Drive-In Theatre was built and another permit allowed a nearby and disconnected concession stand. The root beer and fast food stand opened in 1949 but the theater didn’t begin until 1950.
The Hi-Land Drive-In Theatre on Highway 9 scheduled its grand opening on May 12, 1950 with “The Spoilers.” A huge storm destroyed much of the theater just a week before the opening on May 5, 1950 including the attraction / welcome sign and knocking down the hastily constructed 30’ by 40’ canvas screen supported by telephone poles. The 200-space drive-in was owned by three partners in Stan Richey, Lester Larsen and Merlyn Clark of Wallingford had a centralized speaker system. And the concession stand built on Highway 9 was open generally 5p-1a for anyone whether they went to the film. The drive-in theater and restaurant closed for the season on October 2, 1950 with the theater promising a better experience for 1951. But that may have just been too much to consider for the operators.
Veteran exhibitors Charles W. Legg and Robert L. Johnson acquired property to conceive of a more modern drive-in theater concept for Estherville but it would take a couple of years. They would expand to a 340-car capacity as their Chief Drive-In launched on July 9, 1951 with “At War with the Army.” Much as the Hi-Land Drive-In had done, the central speaker concept was used instead of individual speakers. They used an indoor type of theater screen but still supported by telephone poles. There was a low power AM radio concept so that patrons could listen on their car radios. That concept was discontinued at year’s end when the theater installed individual speakers.
On June 23, 1952, a storm blew over the telephone-pole screen which closed the theater for nearly two months but did allow for a real screen to be built anchored in 80 tons of concrete. The 4x8 On the final weekend of its 1952 season, a blaze caused by nitrate cartoons catching fire destroyed the projector building causing $8,000 damage, destroying the projectors and the season’s final feature.
The theater hit is stride during the 1954 calendar year. It expanded to 400 cars and bought new projection equipment to start its 1954 season April 1st with “Battle of Rogue River.” and the screen was enlarged to 92 by 56 feet for the 1955 season to accommodate widescreen formats including CinemaScope. Also in 1954, the theater went into concessions on the premises in a more serious way incorporating a pizza oven as America was just beginning a nationwide pizza boom.
In 1958, the theater bought in-car heaters so that it could operate in colder months on weekends. In 1970, the theater was taken over by Fridley Theatres Circuit along with the downtown Grand Theatre. In 1976 , the managers of the Chief from 1973 to 1976 – Laddie Kozak and his wife – bought the theater from the Fridleys and steered it to its closure in 1978. Thirty years later, the abandoned screen was dismantled and taken to the Superior 71 Drive-in in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Locals inform that the original concession stand still can be found on Highway 9.
Status: Demolished AKA: Hi-Land Drive-In Theatre (opened May 12, 1950)