Linda Kay Drive-In

11949 US Frontage Road,
Dallas, TX 75253

450 cars

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Showing 13 comments

peacheyeball
peacheyeball on August 29, 2015 at 8:35 pm

This address will track right to it on Google Earth: 11900 C F Hawn Freeway, Dallas, TX 75253

Driveintheatre2001
Driveintheatre2001 on July 17, 2014 at 1:19 am

Updated photo I took back in July of 2012.. https://www.flickr.com/photos/racphotography/7658461890/ …..

Photo Taken By: Randy A Carlisle ALL Photos (Unless otherwise stated) Copyright RAC Photography

“Preserving AMERICAs History Thru Photography”

NO Photos are to be posted on ANY other website, or any kind of publication Without MY Permission. No Exceptions! They are not to be “Lifted”, Borrowed, reprinted, or by any other means other than viewing here on Flickr. If you want to use a photo of mine for anything, please email First. I’ll assist you any way I can. Thank You for your understanding.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on November 23, 2013 at 7:13 am

Frank Gillespie launched the Linda Kay in Dallas' incorporated town of Kleberg near Rylie on June 29, 1956 with “The Last Hunt” and “Red Sundown.” (The drive-in would later be listed as being in Rylie, TX followed by Dallas in ads.) The Linda Kay was another drive-in on the Kaufman Pike (Highway 175). With the main drive-in spurt in Dallas being 1948-1951, the Linda Kay had the advantage of opening as a CinemaScope enabled screen at the outset. A nasty incident in 1957 reportedly led to 75 cars with wrecked tires when an activist spiked the drive-in because Gilespie refused to hire a union projectionist. The perpetrators were found guilty but got a reduced sentence when the actual tire damage was said to have been just $75.

Charles Weisenburg bought the theater adding it to his circuit. In 1978, Weisenburg auctioned off his Kaufman Pike, Bruton Road, Lewisville 121 Twin and Linda Kay drive-ins as he was retiring from his circuit that had 38 theaters at its apex. The Linda Kay under new ownership would turn to porn and survive into the home video era. It earned its stripes as an adult theater by being raided by the police on February 19, 1982 with the film, “The Starlets” seized and 40 customers sent home. (Given that one could see the screen from the road – and after showing over a hundred adult films – this one must’ve had a particular scene that just outraged someone nearby.) As the adult film industry was decimated by home video in the mid-1980s, the Linda Kay would be denied a happy ending though surviving a very impressive 30 years. She outlasted many other area drive-ins that had far more publicity but not the longevity. The L-K was demolished at a listed address – though perhaps incorrect – of 11950 CF Hawn Freeway.

Driveintheatre2001
Driveintheatre2001 on January 17, 2012 at 9:57 pm

175/Hawn Freeway was once Second Avenue.. Only the Concessions stand/projection booth & marquee remain. Seen Here .. Enjoy! Randy A Carlisle – Historical Photographer

matt54
matt54 on August 18, 2011 at 11:07 am

lrostochil’s two links are indeed of the King’s demolition, not the Linda Kay’s. The King was originally opened as the Cinderella, so the crown thing still applies (I think).

Egostomus
Egostomus on July 26, 2011 at 1:43 pm

Just adjusted the street view. The red sign you can see in the photo was part of the marquee. The red house is not part of the theater, but the concession stand in in the background.

NYozoner
NYozoner on December 25, 2010 at 2:14 pm

U.S. 175 Frontage Rd & Silverado Dr, Dallas, TX 75253

This address will map to the site of the drive. 11950 Second Avenue does not take you anywhere close to the drive-in.

Don Lewis
Don Lewis on May 23, 2010 at 10:50 am

From 1963 a Dallas Area drive in theater ad.

dudeman37
dudeman37 on February 18, 2010 at 5:48 am

Here’s what I remember about this particular drive-in:

Yes, it was located where 635 and 175 connect, in which you would immediately see it once you came off 635 onto 175 heading towards Seagoville. I grew up going to this place most of my life! In the 70’s, they used to play triple features and it ranged from horror/drive-in dreck to specialty themed packages (for example, they played a LOT of Elvis films soon after his death). I first saw The Texas Chainsaw Massacre there at 8 years old!! They started showing porn films around 1982-1983 and continued until they finally shut down for good (I was heartbroken to hear about it). The funny thing I remember about it is during the time they showed porn, if you were coming FROM Seagoville towards 635, you could EASILY see what the screen was showing from the highway, so you can imagine a bus full of band students on Friday night coming back from an away game (heading back to Seagoville) and passing the drive-in and EVERYONE on the bus breaking their necks to look back to see what porn was showing!! Ah, good times!

I really miss this place. It’s a piece of my youth, gone forever. Life just isn’t fair.

Egostomus
Egostomus on September 23, 2009 at 8:15 am

Don’t mean to cause a controversy, but I think the photo of the screen with the crown on it may have been of the old King Drive-in on South Lamar. I don’t recall the Linda Kay having such a fancy screen and they didn’t do much dozer work to tear down the Linda Kay.

Egostomus
Egostomus on September 22, 2009 at 7:30 am

The theater did indeed show adult films and they were visible from Silverado St. and from several of the homes nearby. The old concession stand is still there, painted red, but nothing else remains.

lrostochil
lrostochil on August 15, 2008 at 1:27 pm

I found another photo of this theater as it was being torn down. You can view it here:

http://flickr.com/photos/25726169@N03/2764934973/

lrostochil
lrostochil on July 11, 2008 at 4:10 pm

The Linda Kay was located where Hwy 175 and, I think, I-635 intersect. It was open until the mid 1980’s, then it closed and was quickly torn down. I have one very bad photo from 1987. The screen was still up, but the parking area had been demolished.

Here it is:

http://flickr.com/photos/25726169@N03/2659454462/