Tower Drive-In

2214 N. Broadway,
Poteau, OK 74953

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Related Websites

Tower Drive-In Poteau (Official)

Additional Info

Functions: Movies (First Run)

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 918.647.3606

Nearby Theaters

Tower Drive-In

The Tower Drive-In opened on June 10, 1950 with John Wayne in “The Flying Kentuckian”. It originally had a capacity for 250 cars and there was a childrens' playground in front of the screen. This drive-in has a single screen that measures 75 feet wide by 40 feet tall. The Tower Drive-In remains open today.

Contributed by Lost Memory

Recent comments (view all 10 comments)

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on September 6, 2007 at 2:52 am

There was also “Y” Drive-In in Poteau in the early sixties. I’m not sure if the name is supposed to be a rhetorical question.

Lauren Durbin
Lauren Durbin on March 21, 2008 at 8:58 pm

On a recent trip to Poteau I stopped at the library and looked for information on this theater. I couldn’t find any information. Long-time locals told me that there was only one drive-in theater in town – the Tower.
The name leads me to believe that if this existed, it was probably at or near one of the highway splits that resemble a “Y.” Either the 59/112 split on the north side of town or the 59/271 split on the south side of town. Of course this is just speculation as I was unable to find any evidence.

raybradley
raybradley on June 18, 2009 at 12:03 am

We can thank roadsideok for these nice pictures,
View link

drivein2001
drivein2001 on January 25, 2011 at 3:36 am

The Drive Ins' website shows them to be closed for the season. They are to re-open this coming Spring…
View link ..
RAC Photography

whorton
whorton on July 13, 2012 at 9:57 pm

From the AIDA database:

POTEAU (Le Flore County)

Tower Drive-in Theatre

Found ad in July 1952

Location given as 1 Mile North

Location: N 35° 4.50',W 94° 37.66'

Satellite photo shows little remains

1955 Theatre Catalog lists Ray Hughes an O.K. Kemp as Exec C300

1965 IMPA lists Hughes & Kemp as owners

1965 IMPA lists Capacity as 208

1984 IMPA lists P. Zearley as owner

Wesley Horton AIDA

Chris1982
Chris1982 on October 2, 2014 at 7:32 am

Their website gives this address: 2214 N. Broadway, Poteau, OK 74953 with the telephone number 918-647-3606. This address maps right to the drive-in.

whorton
whorton on July 22, 2016 at 3:43 am

To Lauren Durbin, I just noticed your question about the “Y” drive-in of Poteau. I can assure you that, yes there was a “Y” drive-in, It opened in 1949. If I knew how to get in touch with you, I could share the information.

Wesley Horton

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on February 28, 2017 at 3:41 pm

Nothing in the 1948-49 Theatre Catalog, but the Y is listed in the 1949-50 Catalog, Exec: M. A. Harris, M9-C300-D7. (In the 1952 Catalog, the Tower is listed as C208, but no Y.)

Both theaters are listed in the 1959 IMPA, the Y still with M.A. Harris but with capacity 200. Ditto 1963 IMPA. Both are also listed in the 1964 Film Daily Year Book. The 1969 IMPA lists only the Tower.

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on June 6, 2019 at 2:49 pm

The June 10, 1950 issue of BoxOffice included the Tower “250 cars, owned by Ray Hughes, O. K. and W. O. Kemp” in a list of drive-ins scheduled to open later that month.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on July 9, 2022 at 4:18 pm

O.K. Kemp opened the Tower Drive-In on June 10, 1950 with John Wayne in “The Fighting Kentuckian” along with an unnamed cartoon and an unknown amount of unnamed shorts, chosen by Ray Hughes who traveled to Oklahoma City for selection. The theater originally had a playground in front of the screen, and its original capacity sits 250 cars.

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