Melody Cruise-In Auto Theatre

4025 E. National Road,
Springfield, OH 45505

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Chakeres Theaters Inc.

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Melody Cruise-In Auto Theatre

Opened July 3, 1947 with Cornel Wilde in “Bandit of Sherwood Forest”. It opened with a 500-car capacity. By 1955 it was operated by Chakeres Theatres, the Melody Cruise-In Auto Theatre showed first run movies throughout the Summer season, but only opened on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A second screen was added on May 16, 1980. Located just down the street from Chakeres Cinema 10 and the closed Show Boat Drive-In, the Melody Cruise-In was Springfield’s last drive-in. It was closed in 2016 and used as a church. It was demolished in November 2022 for housing.

Contributed by ReelMovieInfo

Recent comments (view all 19 comments)

dansdriveintheater
dansdriveintheater on October 25, 2018 at 1:19 am

my bad it does have two screens!

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on March 18, 2021 at 8:50 pm

Boxoffice, Nov. 14, 1953: “A number of improvements are planned at the Melody Cruise-In before its reopening next spring, according to Michael H. Chakeres, general manager of the Springfield Theatres Co. A 65-foot-wide screen will be installed, along with about 100 more speakers, at the airer on Route 40 east of Springfield.”

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on April 8, 2021 at 3:23 am

Boxoffice, July 5, 1947: “SPRINGFIELD — Clark county’s first drive-in theatre, Melody Cruise-In, opened July 2 at a site a mile and a half east of Springfield on U.S. 40. The drive-in has a 500-car capacity. It is owned by Raymond K. Stout of Dayton. Manager is E. G. Babb, Springfield. ‘The theatre will operate on four changes a week. Bookings are handled by “Woody” Bressler of Cincinnati.”

rivest266
rivest266 on April 14, 2022 at 9:37 pm

Grand opening ads posted.

rivest266
rivest266 on April 18, 2022 at 8:53 pm

The second screen opened on May 16th, 1980, with yellow speaker posts. the Ramps were not realigned. Grand opening ad posted

Keith
Keith on November 2, 2022 at 6:06 pm

Demolition has begun. New housing will be built.

Randy A Carlisle
Randy A Carlisle on February 13, 2024 at 3:43 am

Jan of 2023, showed to be in the process of being demo’d.. By Aug of 2023, it was all gone.. Per Googlemaps. RAC Photography

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