Boxoffice ran an article on Oct. 18, 1976 about officer elections for the Southern Independent Theatre Exhibitors. One of the vice presidents was Larry Daniels, Nancy Cinema, Forsyth, Ga.
The Nancy was included in Boxoffice’s “For Sale or Lease” classified ads for several weeks in January 1977. “Central Georgia - 296 seats, two years old, 5,000 city population, 20,000 drawing area. Only theatre in town. Owner retiring, terms to suit. 100% first class. Nancy Cinema, P.O. Box 846, Forsyth, Ga. 31029. (912) 994-9467.”
Boxoffice, Aug. 1, 1977: “Southern Independent Theatres reported that they will begin doing the booking and buying for the Nancy Cinema, Forsyth”
Motion Picture Herald, June 11, 1955: “Drive-In Theatre Co. of Sioux Falls, S. D., will build a 650-car drive-in at Faribault, Minn. John Watters of Fairmont, Minn., will manage the project.”
Years earlier, Nash-Watters built Fairmont’s Family Drive-In. I guess they liked the name.
John Watters of the Nash-Watters Theatre Company appeared in an ad in the Nov. 3, 1951 issue of Boxoffice. At the time, Nash-Watters operated the Family Drive-In in Fairmont and the State Theatre in Jackson MN.
Here’s the ad that 50sSnipes probably found, the first I saw in the Daily World. The only previous mention I found in that newspaper was a front-page note on July 25, 1949, saying that the Fourth Street Drive-in Movie, Inc., could open August 1, weather permitting. It had incorporated by Sam Anderson, Ed Blair, Mrs. Irene Blair, and Mrs. Juanita Anderson.
In a roundup of theater openings, the Sept. 17, 1949 issue of Boxoffice reported, under Memphis, Tenn., that the Fourth Street Drive-In, with a capacity of 300 cars, had been “opened by Ed Blair.” That was the same name that the magazine mentioned on Oct. 7, 1950 in a list of visitors to Memphis' Film Row.
Boxoffice, Sept. 12, 1953: “Commerce, Ga. - James E. Jarrell, owner of the Roxy Theatre here, has purchased a site on the Commerce-Athens highway for construction of a drive-in, hoping to open next spring.”
US 441 was (and is) the highway between Commerce and Athens.
A 1956 aerial photo showed a drive-in about a mile southeast of Commerce on the west side of the highway, approximately where 627 GA-15 (then US 441) is today. There were dozens of cars parked there (a used parts lot?) in 1963. By 1981, the ramps were barely visible, and I can see no trace of the drive-in today.
Based on HistoricAerials and that hand-drawn, west-on-top map, I would choose the modern-day address as either 2145 5th Ave, the office building that sits where the Mesa had been, or 888 Mitchell Ave, the exact spot of the Mesa’s entrance. Both are Zip Code 95965.
The Denver Post reported today that the Oriental’s owners were trying again to restore the marquee. General manager Scott Happel said, “We’ve had it done twice, apparently by people that weren’t quite sure how to do it correctly.“ This time the work is being done by Morry Weseloh’s company, Morry’s Neon Signs. Full story with pictures here
The drive-in still existed in this Jan. 26, 1965 road conditions report in the San Francisco Chronicle. For US 101 convoys, “Heavy commercial vehicles assemble at the Garberville maintenance yard and all pickups and passenger cars assemble in the drive-in theater at Garberville. Chains should be carried.” The Humboldt Standard ran a similar note.
It’s a very minor data point, but it makes me wonder whether the current CalTrans yard existed then and was separate from the drive-in. Then I look again at the topo map, the note about the canyon north of the drive-in, and its described position (only?) a quarter-mile north of town. The topo map shows that the current Redwood Drive shifted from its old position when it was US 101.
Could it be that there was a flat area, perhaps on a plateau, just south of Bear Canyon, large enough for the drive-in? The new 101 would have used as much of it as possible, obliterating any trace of the drive-in in the 1968 aerial photo. I just don’t know.
Boxoffice, Nov. 23, 1964: “Howard Wagonheim, vice-president of Schwaber Theatres, which recently purchased the Aurora and renamed it the Seven East, in the next block from the Five West, also a Schwaber house, reported that the theatre will be opened in the next ten days. Seating has been reduced from 369 to 303, a new sound system installed and the marquee is undergoing changes.”
Boxoffice, Nov. 23, 1964: “The El Patio Theatre in Tyrone, once one of the most modern motion picture houses in the state, will make way for an expansion of the Williams Appliance store, now adjacent to the theatre on Pennsylvania avenue. George C. Wilson, president of the theatre circuit that operated the El Patio and the Wilson Theatre in Tyrone, plus other theaters, and Richard D. Williams, owner of the appliance store, made the announcement.”
Boxoffice, July 27, 1964: “Associated Theatres, which operated 35 theatres, has purchased the building at 119 Sixth Ave. which houses the Gateway, the circuit’s downtown flagship. This modern building on the site of the former Alvin Theatre was purchased for $325,000 from Harvard University … Harvard owned the building for many decades and in years past rented it to the former Harris Theatre interests. When Harris Amusements sold out to the Associated group, with Associated taking a long term lease, the name was changed from the J. P. Harris to the Gateway Theatre.”
Boxoffice, July 27, 1964: “Ned Cristiano has relighted Lee Theatre at Lee, Mass., which is owned by his aunt Elizabeth Sarra. He operated the 400-seat house (with murals in the lobby, French provincial paintings and fine carpets) for a time before 1959.”
The name change, from Hiway 218 to Austin Outdoor, must have occurred between these two stories.
Boxoffice, Jan. 1, 1962: “Mickey Justad, operator of the Hiway 218 Drive-In at Austin, and his wife are back from a month’s vacation in Florida looking taned and healthy”
Boxoffice, Aug. 6, 1973: “AUSTIN, MINN. - High-velocity winds severely damaged the screen of the Austin Outdoor Theatre at approximately 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 3, it was reported by Robert Saaranen, manager. Several sections of the screen were torn from the center portion of the tower, causing a two-day shutdown of the ozoner. Damage was estimated at several thousand dollars. Quick work by repair crews had the Austin Outdoor Theatre back in operation for the Thursday night, July 5, showing.”
If today’s Google Maps is accurate, a Walmart Supercenter still occupies part of the old Harbor Boulevard’s viewing field. If you want to be thorough, a small strip-mall-type building with a UPS Store and other tenants sits about where its screen used to be. Everything west of that was a vacant lot next to the drive-in, at least in 1972.
My dear Jamey_monroe45, I am very happy to see another enthusiastic poster here, but I am troubled that you may not feel the friendly, helpful vibe that some of us try to promote.
In this case, the previous address the CT had for Harbor was 23444 S. Vermont Avenue. That modern-day address is closer to where the old Harbor sign had been, according to comparison tools at HistoricAerials.com. On the other hand, 23314 looks to be closer to the original exit path; I can’t tell where the box office had been. Of course, these addresses are barely one block apart - either address is defensible, either guides the reader to the correct location. I might call it a tweak; I’ve been enough of a stickler to suggest similar minor changes.
About its city location, one of my earlier posts on this page outlined a logical thread to explain why the evidence that I found suggested that it the Harbor was in unincorporated Los Angeles County when it was active. If you’ve found something that suggests that it was was within the city limits back then, that would be a great thing to share. I always enjoy being proven wrong, as so often happens.
I am so confused, although that’s normal. The trade publications talked about Youmatz’s People’s Forest, but the first ad I could find in the Hartford Courant was for Rogers Corner.
On the other hand, a Courant note on March 22, 1956 included the tax assessment for the “Peoples Drive-In Theatre”. Maybe that was just its corporate name?
Dallas Morning News, Oct. 9, 1986: “Paul and Martha Klaptt have built and operated many drive-ins, but they feel closest to the last one they built, in Monahans: the Lobo Drive-in. Last July was the Lobo’s 34th anniversary. In August, the couple retired and sold it.”
(If accurate, that anniversary would mark the opening year as 1952.)
From Paul Klatt’s obituary in the Weatherford (TX) Democrat, March 18, 2012: “Paul Klatt … owned and operated Drive-in-Theatres in several places. Paul moved to Weatherford from Monahans, where he owned The Lobo Drive-in-Theatre.”
More info about the Twin Peaks' owner in the Feb. 21, 1966 issue of Boxoffice, on the occasion of his purchase (and closure) of the competing Lobo Drive-In. “Joe T. Davidson … had been in the general contracting business for 25 years in Detroit before moving to Texas in 1947, when he started building drive-in theatres. In 1951 he moved to Alpine and built the Twin Peaks Drive-In and has been operating it ever since.”
A later note recorded that Davidson, an Ohio native, died at the age of 75 on Dec. 21, 1970.
The Twin Peaks advertised in Alpine’s Sul Ross State University’s Skyline through at least the fall of 1978.
Boxoffice picked up that closure news in its Feb. 21, 1966 issue. “Fred Jack spent the better part of 40 years in one form or another of the motion picture business. He was for years division manager for Warner Bros. and later for United Artists before moving to Alpine, where he operated the Grande Theatre and Lobo Drive-In until his health dictated that he retire.”
Kenmore is absolutely right. I have removed the misleading topo map.
Just sayin', it’s a little odd that there was no east side drive-in on the 1975 Alpine topo map, given that we’re sure the Lobo was still operating then. The 1984 aerial photo shows at least the ramps and projection booth of a drive-in less than two miles east of Alpine. As I type, the site is home to Alpine Diesel Service, with the confusing Google Maps address of 90530 east hwy 90 3539 e, US-90. Not quite as accurate but easier to type is the address of the animal shelter across the street at 2900 Old Marathon Rd.
The Merced Sun-Star reported on May 1, 1973 that burglars stole food from the Dos Palos Drive-In Theater. The manager found the door ajar when he reported for work in the morning, so the drive-in must have been active.
Boxoffice ran an article on Oct. 18, 1976 about officer elections for the Southern Independent Theatre Exhibitors. One of the vice presidents was Larry Daniels, Nancy Cinema, Forsyth, Ga.
The Nancy was included in Boxoffice’s “For Sale or Lease” classified ads for several weeks in January 1977. “Central Georgia - 296 seats, two years old, 5,000 city population, 20,000 drawing area. Only theatre in town. Owner retiring, terms to suit. 100% first class. Nancy Cinema, P.O. Box 846, Forsyth, Ga. 31029. (912) 994-9467.”
Boxoffice, Aug. 1, 1977: “Southern Independent Theatres reported that they will begin doing the booking and buying for the Nancy Cinema, Forsyth”
Motion Picture Herald, June 11, 1955: “Drive-In Theatre Co. of Sioux Falls, S. D., will build a 650-car drive-in at Faribault, Minn. John Watters of Fairmont, Minn., will manage the project.”
Years earlier, Nash-Watters built Fairmont’s Family Drive-In. I guess they liked the name.
John Watters of the Nash-Watters Theatre Company appeared in an ad in the Nov. 3, 1951 issue of Boxoffice. At the time, Nash-Watters operated the Family Drive-In in Fairmont and the State Theatre in Jackson MN.
Here’s the ad that 50sSnipes probably found, the first I saw in the Daily World. The only previous mention I found in that newspaper was a front-page note on July 25, 1949, saying that the Fourth Street Drive-in Movie, Inc., could open August 1, weather permitting. It had incorporated by Sam Anderson, Ed Blair, Mrs. Irene Blair, and Mrs. Juanita Anderson.
In a roundup of theater openings, the Sept. 17, 1949 issue of Boxoffice reported, under Memphis, Tenn., that the Fourth Street Drive-In, with a capacity of 300 cars, had been “opened by Ed Blair.” That was the same name that the magazine mentioned on Oct. 7, 1950 in a list of visitors to Memphis' Film Row.
Boxoffice, Sept. 12, 1953: “Commerce, Ga. - James E. Jarrell, owner of the Roxy Theatre here, has purchased a site on the Commerce-Athens highway for construction of a drive-in, hoping to open next spring.”
US 441 was (and is) the highway between Commerce and Athens.
A 1956 aerial photo showed a drive-in about a mile southeast of Commerce on the west side of the highway, approximately where 627 GA-15 (then US 441) is today. There were dozens of cars parked there (a used parts lot?) in 1963. By 1981, the ramps were barely visible, and I can see no trace of the drive-in today.
Based on HistoricAerials and that hand-drawn, west-on-top map, I would choose the modern-day address as either 2145 5th Ave, the office building that sits where the Mesa had been, or 888 Mitchell Ave, the exact spot of the Mesa’s entrance. Both are Zip Code 95965.
The Denver Post reported today that the Oriental’s owners were trying again to restore the marquee. General manager Scott Happel said, “We’ve had it done twice, apparently by people that weren’t quite sure how to do it correctly.“ This time the work is being done by Morry Weseloh’s company, Morry’s Neon Signs. Full story with pictures here
The drive-in still existed in this Jan. 26, 1965 road conditions report in the San Francisco Chronicle. For US 101 convoys, “Heavy commercial vehicles assemble at the Garberville maintenance yard and all pickups and passenger cars assemble in the drive-in theater at Garberville. Chains should be carried.” The Humboldt Standard ran a similar note.
It’s a very minor data point, but it makes me wonder whether the current CalTrans yard existed then and was separate from the drive-in. Then I look again at the topo map, the note about the canyon north of the drive-in, and its described position (only?) a quarter-mile north of town. The topo map shows that the current Redwood Drive shifted from its old position when it was US 101.
Could it be that there was a flat area, perhaps on a plateau, just south of Bear Canyon, large enough for the drive-in? The new 101 would have used as much of it as possible, obliterating any trace of the drive-in in the 1968 aerial photo. I just don’t know.
Boxoffice, Nov. 23, 1964: “Howard Wagonheim, vice-president of Schwaber Theatres, which recently purchased the Aurora and renamed it the Seven East, in the next block from the Five West, also a Schwaber house, reported that the theatre will be opened in the next ten days. Seating has been reduced from 369 to 303, a new sound system installed and the marquee is undergoing changes.”
Boxoffice, Nov. 23, 1964: “The El Patio Theatre in Tyrone, once one of the most modern motion picture houses in the state, will make way for an expansion of the Williams Appliance store, now adjacent to the theatre on Pennsylvania avenue. George C. Wilson, president of the theatre circuit that operated the El Patio and the Wilson Theatre in Tyrone, plus other theaters, and Richard D. Williams, owner of the appliance store, made the announcement.”
Boxoffice, July 27, 1964: “Associated Theatres, which operated 35 theatres, has purchased the building at 119 Sixth Ave. which houses the Gateway, the circuit’s downtown flagship. This modern building on the site of the former Alvin Theatre was purchased for $325,000 from Harvard University … Harvard owned the building for many decades and in years past rented it to the former Harris Theatre interests. When Harris Amusements sold out to the Associated group, with Associated taking a long term lease, the name was changed from the J. P. Harris to the Gateway Theatre.”
Boxoffice, July 27, 1964: “Ned Cristiano has relighted Lee Theatre at Lee, Mass., which is owned by his aunt Elizabeth Sarra. He operated the 400-seat house (with murals in the lobby, French provincial paintings and fine carpets) for a time before 1959.”
The name change, from Hiway 218 to Austin Outdoor, must have occurred between these two stories.
Boxoffice, Jan. 1, 1962: “Mickey Justad, operator of the Hiway 218 Drive-In at Austin, and his wife are back from a month’s vacation in Florida looking taned and healthy”
Boxoffice, Aug. 6, 1973: “AUSTIN, MINN. - High-velocity winds severely damaged the screen of the Austin Outdoor Theatre at approximately 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 3, it was reported by Robert Saaranen, manager. Several sections of the screen were torn from the center portion of the tower, causing a two-day shutdown of the ozoner. Damage was estimated at several thousand dollars. Quick work by repair crews had the Austin Outdoor Theatre back in operation for the Thursday night, July 5, showing.”
Manager J. R. Wills reviewed “If I Were King” in the May 6, 1939 issue of Boxoffice. He wrote that the Eaton Theatre’s capacity was 200.
If today’s Google Maps is accurate, a Walmart Supercenter still occupies part of the old Harbor Boulevard’s viewing field. If you want to be thorough, a small strip-mall-type building with a UPS Store and other tenants sits about where its screen used to be. Everything west of that was a vacant lot next to the drive-in, at least in 1972.
My dear Jamey_monroe45, I am very happy to see another enthusiastic poster here, but I am troubled that you may not feel the friendly, helpful vibe that some of us try to promote.
In this case, the previous address the CT had for Harbor was 23444 S. Vermont Avenue. That modern-day address is closer to where the old Harbor sign had been, according to comparison tools at HistoricAerials.com. On the other hand, 23314 looks to be closer to the original exit path; I can’t tell where the box office had been. Of course, these addresses are barely one block apart - either address is defensible, either guides the reader to the correct location. I might call it a tweak; I’ve been enough of a stickler to suggest similar minor changes.
About its city location, one of my earlier posts on this page outlined a logical thread to explain why the evidence that I found suggested that it the Harbor was in unincorporated Los Angeles County when it was active. If you’ve found something that suggests that it was was within the city limits back then, that would be a great thing to share. I always enjoy being proven wrong, as so often happens.
I am so confused, although that’s normal. The trade publications talked about Youmatz’s People’s Forest, but the first ad I could find in the Hartford Courant was for Rogers Corner.
On the other hand, a Courant note on March 22, 1956 included the tax assessment for the “Peoples Drive-In Theatre”. Maybe that was just its corporate name?
Dallas Morning News, Oct. 9, 1986: “Paul and Martha Klaptt have built and operated many drive-ins, but they feel closest to the last one they built, in Monahans: the Lobo Drive-in. Last July was the Lobo’s 34th anniversary. In August, the couple retired and sold it.”
(If accurate, that anniversary would mark the opening year as 1952.)
From Paul Klatt’s obituary in the Weatherford (TX) Democrat, March 18, 2012: “Paul Klatt … owned and operated Drive-in-Theatres in several places. Paul moved to Weatherford from Monahans, where he owned The Lobo Drive-in-Theatre.”
More info about the Twin Peaks' owner in the Feb. 21, 1966 issue of Boxoffice, on the occasion of his purchase (and closure) of the competing Lobo Drive-In. “Joe T. Davidson … had been in the general contracting business for 25 years in Detroit before moving to Texas in 1947, when he started building drive-in theatres. In 1951 he moved to Alpine and built the Twin Peaks Drive-In and has been operating it ever since.”
A later note recorded that Davidson, an Ohio native, died at the age of 75 on Dec. 21, 1970.
The Twin Peaks advertised in Alpine’s Sul Ross State University’s Skyline through at least the fall of 1978.
Boxoffice picked up that closure news in its Feb. 21, 1966 issue. “Fred Jack spent the better part of 40 years in one form or another of the motion picture business. He was for years division manager for Warner Bros. and later for United Artists before moving to Alpine, where he operated the Grande Theatre and Lobo Drive-In until his health dictated that he retire.”
Kenmore is absolutely right. I have removed the misleading topo map.
Just sayin', it’s a little odd that there was no east side drive-in on the 1975 Alpine topo map, given that we’re sure the Lobo was still operating then. The 1984 aerial photo shows at least the ramps and projection booth of a drive-in less than two miles east of Alpine. As I type, the site is home to Alpine Diesel Service, with the confusing Google Maps address of 90530 east hwy 90 3539 e, US-90. Not quite as accurate but easier to type is the address of the animal shelter across the street at 2900 Old Marathon Rd.
The Merced Sun-Star reported on May 1, 1973 that burglars stole food from the Dos Palos Drive-In Theater. The manager found the door ajar when he reported for work in the morning, so the drive-in must have been active.