Velda Rose Drive-In
103 S. Recker Road,
Mesa,
AZ
85205
103 S. Recker Road,
Mesa,
AZ
85205
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The Velda Rose Drive-In opened October 13, 1972 with “Joe Kidd”. This drive-in had a capacity for 700 cars. The Velda Rose Drive-In closed September 11, 1983 with “Octopussy” and “Krull”.
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Lost Memory
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Recent comments (view all 11 comments)
Google maps looks like it is still a trailer park.
1969 aerial shows that the screen is up, but no ramps or any other thing up.
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October 6th,1973 grand opening ad is at
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I visited This Theater (Vela Rose Drive In) in 1978 or 1979 and just after arriving parked looking directly SOUTH on the south side of main street and before the movie began saw an exploding meteor directly to the south raining a cone of shards possibly 50 miles south after seeing that the movie was simply second rate.
No one says this but I believe this Velda Rose Drive In was much closer to Apache Junction south off main street than is Recker Road. The one I remember was within a mile of Meridian but now its called East Mesa and Not Apache Junction. It was not located at Recker Road. It was South of Main Street and quite small for a drive in.
It was on Main and Recker rd, southeast corner, in Mesa. At some point there was a Jack in the Box on the southwest corner. Buckhorn Bathes was kitty corner. I was born and raised in Mesa, lived in the same house for 17 years on Main and 76th street, my mom and dad owned The Meat King on 64th st and Main. My first movie there was The Exorcist….any many many more until it closed in the early to mid 80’s.
October 4th, 1972 grand opening ad in photo section.
According to the ads in the Arizona Republic, the Velda Rose was to open on October 6, 1972 with the film “War Between Men and Women”, but this was pushed ahead to October 13 with “Joe Kidd”.
Final night of operation was September 11, 1983 with the films “Octopussy” and “Krull”
Odd name!
Looking at the photo, it looks like the ramps are just dirt.
Why the name Velda Rose?