The marquee appears in a 2007 Google Street View, albeit surrounded by trees with only the top of the sign sticking out. By 2012, it was gone along with some of the trees. That opened up the old entrance road of the drive-in. It’s quite probable that the few feet of concrete pavement which directly connects to the street dates back to the drive-in.
The old projection booth/concession stand is still present, but has been upgraded with new siding. If you never knew a drive-in stood there, you’d probably never guess what the building originally was looking at it from the street.
A 1985 aerial shows a distinctive fan-shaped drive-in outline that sits to the north of the Starlite Drive-In. It it impossible to tell where the entrance road was, but a reasonable guess is where the strip mall currently stands.
The area is now totally changed with new roads and several buildings that sit on the property. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
As I pointed out in the Minot Outdoor page, both drive-ins appear to be in the same location. It’s just that different streets are used in their addresses.
It does seem like they were two different theaters, but a better address will be needed to locate the Minot.
A slightly better address is 33 Crawley Falls Rd, Brentwood, New Hampshire.
This puts the marker right on the property. And the entrance road is connected to Crawley Falls Road.
In the 1962 aerial, the screen appears to be gone. The concession stand/projector booth appeared to have survived at least through 1975, but looks to be gone by 1984.
Today, the property is a big mess with cars, dilapidated small buildings, and various materials and items strewn about. Even traces of the ramps have long faded away.
Although the overhead Google view shows the drive-in still basically intact minus the screens, there has been some major construction done on the site.
A October 2019 Google Street view at the entrance shows a sign indicating that the flea market closed permanently.
A October 2022 Google Street view shows a large building being constructed next to the entrance roads which have been cut off from the rest of the property. It’s difficult to see if the new building is large enough to cover part of the drive-in itself, but access to that part of the property is currently unavailable.
So, just to be clear. The Starlite started off at 1300 Stanford Street where it existed as a single screen drive-in until at least the late 1960s.
The property was sold and the drive-in moved to roughly 4400 South Washington Street. It was twinned and remained open until 1985, save for one night in 1990.
The 4400 South Washington Street address became a driving range by 1991 and remained that way until the construction of the Aurora Clinic sometime in the late 1990s/early 2000s.
Today, the property is known as South Washington Medical Park with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
A November 2022 Google Street View shows little has changed. The property is still covered with junked vehicles and various items as if the place was hit by a tornado.
It’s a stunning setting with mountains visible in the background on all sides, albeit in the distance. There is even a full moon present in the November 2022 street view as well just to make it look even more lovely. Too bad the property will remain a salvage yard in great need of a big, hot fire to clear the land.
Today, the drive-in is an empty field with trailers parked on it. From the overhead view, it appears that the concession stand/projection booth is in ruins with no roof. The screen is also gone. But the general outline of the drive-in remains.
“South Clinton” may not have an official designation, but there is a South Clinton Elementary School, a South Clinton Community Center, and a South Clinton Park. So, it does seem that the part of the town that is south of the river is called South Clinton.
A closer address is 448 Stanaford Rd, Beckley, WV.
It’s not quite perfect, just a few feet south of the entrance. But this address is really close. The entrance is now Dixieland Road and there is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
Interestingly enough, the demolished remains of the Eugene Drive-In were still present in a 1965 aerial. So it wasn’t immediately turned into a shopping mall. Although you can see construction equipment in the aerial, so it was happening by 1965.
It is roughly the same size and shape from the overhead view. And it sits on the same foundation.
However, the Google Street view shows what appears to be a new construction. The building has a gable roof, not the flat roof of a snack bar/projection booth which is apparent in the old aerial photos.
Most likely, the old building was torn down and a new one built on the foundation.
The original entrance road has long since disappeared. This makes the original ticket booth that is still standing worthless in its current location. It appeared to still be in use in a 1986 aerial, but was overgrown by 1993.
I wonder why the original entrance road was abandoned?
I find it difficult to believe that the Cuddihy Drive-In existed for more than a year. The airfield was abandoned towards the end of World War II and purchased by the city in 1947. That leaves a very short window for someone to run a drive-in on the field.
I’m still convinced based on the adverts that the drive-in itself was on one of the runways or perhaps next to a hanger. So, there would be no scarring or evidence of any drive-in present. Especially if it was a temporary drive-in which was common at the time.
A slightly closer address is 5142 Leopard St, Corpus Christi, TX.
Google has updated their street addresses. It now lines up with the old entrance.
A 1951 aerial shows the drive-in demolished and apparently for a few years.
Today, the north part of the property is occupied by kennels for the Gulf Coast Racing facility. while the south part of the property is open ground. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
Creating 35mm prints is expensive when you no longer mass-order 35mm prints. It’s the same as asking why 8-tracks are no longer being made.
Single and even double-screen theaters have been going out of business for the past half-century. And while I am not a fan of seeing drive-ins go out of business, there are strong economic reasons as to why it has happened.
Wishing it wouldn’t happen is one thing, coming up with an alternative business model that withstands the changes the industry has undergone is another. Considering that today multi-screen theaters are going out of business, re-opening some of these older drive-ins is a challenge to say the least.
The marquee appears in a 2007 Google Street View, albeit surrounded by trees with only the top of the sign sticking out. By 2012, it was gone along with some of the trees. That opened up the old entrance road of the drive-in. It’s quite probable that the few feet of concrete pavement which directly connects to the street dates back to the drive-in.
The old projection booth/concession stand is still present, but has been upgraded with new siding. If you never knew a drive-in stood there, you’d probably never guess what the building originally was looking at it from the street.
A closer address is 3108 S Broadway, Minot, ND.
A 1985 aerial shows a distinctive fan-shaped drive-in outline that sits to the north of the Starlite Drive-In. It it impossible to tell where the entrance road was, but a reasonable guess is where the strip mall currently stands.
The area is now totally changed with new roads and several buildings that sit on the property. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/yjf48byh
So, is there another address for the Minot? Because it is in the same location as the Starlite.
As I pointed out in the Minot Outdoor page, both drive-ins appear to be in the same location. It’s just that different streets are used in their addresses.
It does seem like they were two different theaters, but a better address will be needed to locate the Minot.
The address is the same location as the Starlite Drive-In.
Given that the opening and closing dates are just a few years off, is it possible the Minout and Starlite are the same drive-in?
A slightly better address is 33 Crawley Falls Rd, Brentwood, New Hampshire.
This puts the marker right on the property. And the entrance road is connected to Crawley Falls Road.
In the 1962 aerial, the screen appears to be gone. The concession stand/projector booth appeared to have survived at least through 1975, but looks to be gone by 1984.
Today, the property is a big mess with cars, dilapidated small buildings, and various materials and items strewn about. Even traces of the ramps have long faded away.
https://tinyurl.com/e334rh7z
A slightly closer address is 60770 Southgate Rd, Byesville, OH.
This is the address of the Guernsey County Board of Development Disabilities which is smack-dab on the property.
Despite the northern section of the property being undeveloped, there is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/2yevdett
Although the overhead Google view shows the drive-in still basically intact minus the screens, there has been some major construction done on the site.
A October 2019 Google Street view at the entrance shows a sign indicating that the flea market closed permanently.
A October 2022 Google Street view shows a large building being constructed next to the entrance roads which have been cut off from the rest of the property. It’s difficult to see if the new building is large enough to cover part of the drive-in itself, but access to that part of the property is currently unavailable.
So, just to be clear. The Starlite started off at 1300 Stanford Street where it existed as a single screen drive-in until at least the late 1960s.
The property was sold and the drive-in moved to roughly 4400 South Washington Street. It was twinned and remained open until 1985, save for one night in 1990.
The 4400 South Washington Street address became a driving range by 1991 and remained that way until the construction of the Aurora Clinic sometime in the late 1990s/early 2000s.
Today, the property is known as South Washington Medical Park with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/r87pye2r
A November 2022 Google Street View shows little has changed. The property is still covered with junked vehicles and various items as if the place was hit by a tornado.
It’s a stunning setting with mountains visible in the background on all sides, albeit in the distance. There is even a full moon present in the November 2022 street view as well just to make it look even more lovely. Too bad the property will remain a salvage yard in great need of a big, hot fire to clear the land.
The projection booth/concession stand existed until at least 1994, but by 2004 it had been removed.
Today, there is no trace of the drive-in.
https://tinyurl.com/ymxtsps9
Today, the drive-in is an empty field with trailers parked on it. From the overhead view, it appears that the concession stand/projection booth is in ruins with no roof. The screen is also gone. But the general outline of the drive-in remains.
“South Clinton” may not have an official designation, but there is a South Clinton Elementary School, a South Clinton Community Center, and a South Clinton Park. So, it does seem that the part of the town that is south of the river is called South Clinton.
https://tinyurl.com/3ts8bzdc
A closer address is 448 Stanaford Rd, Beckley, WV.
It’s not quite perfect, just a few feet south of the entrance. But this address is really close. The entrance is now Dixieland Road and there is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/2hzvz53y
Interestingly enough, the demolished remains of the Eugene Drive-In were still present in a 1965 aerial. So it wasn’t immediately turned into a shopping mall. Although you can see construction equipment in the aerial, so it was happening by 1965.
It is roughly the same size and shape from the overhead view. And it sits on the same foundation.
However, the Google Street view shows what appears to be a new construction. The building has a gable roof, not the flat roof of a snack bar/projection booth which is apparent in the old aerial photos.
Most likely, the old building was torn down and a new one built on the foundation.
The drive-in was still intact in a 1985 aerial, but had been demolished by 1994.
A closer address is 1421 IL-32, Sullivan, IL.
Google has updated their addresses and this one is right on the house in the middle of the property.
You can still clearly see the outline and ramps.
https://tinyurl.com/2arw4257
The original entrance road has long since disappeared. This makes the original ticket booth that is still standing worthless in its current location. It appeared to still be in use in a 1986 aerial, but was overgrown by 1993.
I wonder why the original entrance road was abandoned?
The screen was still standing as of July 2021, but by September of 2022 it was gone.
A closer address is 4215 S Staples St, Corpus Christi, TX.
A 1956 aerial shows a drive-in at this location which is now the Covenant Baptist Church.
A 1960 aerial shows the drive-in demolished. Today, there is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/487x5p3p
I find it difficult to believe that the Cuddihy Drive-In existed for more than a year. The airfield was abandoned towards the end of World War II and purchased by the city in 1947. That leaves a very short window for someone to run a drive-in on the field.
I’m still convinced based on the adverts that the drive-in itself was on one of the runways or perhaps next to a hanger. So, there would be no scarring or evidence of any drive-in present. Especially if it was a temporary drive-in which was common at the time.
A slightly closer address is 5142 Leopard St, Corpus Christi, TX.
Google has updated their street addresses. It now lines up with the old entrance.
A 1951 aerial shows the drive-in demolished and apparently for a few years.
Today, the north part of the property is occupied by kennels for the Gulf Coast Racing facility. while the south part of the property is open ground. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/4ydwzpd4
Sometime between October 2018 and April 2021 the marquees were taken down. In fact, most of the items on the property were removed.
A closer address is 22371 OK-34, Mangum, OK.
Google has updated their street addresses. This puts it right in the middle of the property.
https://tinyurl.com/vcxjr7n9
Creating 35mm prints is expensive when you no longer mass-order 35mm prints. It’s the same as asking why 8-tracks are no longer being made.
Single and even double-screen theaters have been going out of business for the past half-century. And while I am not a fan of seeing drive-ins go out of business, there are strong economic reasons as to why it has happened.
Wishing it wouldn’t happen is one thing, coming up with an alternative business model that withstands the changes the industry has undergone is another. Considering that today multi-screen theaters are going out of business, re-opening some of these older drive-ins is a challenge to say the least.