Carpo Teatro

804 E. Alice Avenue,
Kingsville, TX 78363

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Showing 1 - 25 of 37 comments

Yakima1
Yakima1 on May 25, 2011 at 3:31 am

Thank you. I’m not sure how to contact you. I can be reached at

LarryFM
LarryFM on March 21, 2011 at 11:54 am

Yakima, I am VERY impressed with your research on drive-in theatres. I’m interested in your findings. Please contact me at your convenience. Thank you.

Silicon Sam
Silicon Sam on January 8, 2011 at 2:05 pm

In regards to the October 8th, 2010 comments:

I went through Kinsgsville 1/5/11, and the old King HS is in the process of getting a brand new roof, so it looks like the old building is being saved after all. The old roof was gone, and the new roof was being sheathed when I went by.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on October 18, 2010 at 9:29 pm

Great Research Guys!

Yakima1
Yakima1 on October 18, 2010 at 5:43 pm

Thanks Matt54. I need to figure out the rules for adding theaters properly. I have info for the following drive-ins that need a page:

In Corpus Christi – Texas, Boulevard, Cuddihy, Osage, Twin Palms, Surf, Bel-Aire (aka 62&Lexington, Capri, Lexington), Viking Twin.
In Alice – Coyote, Ranch
In Robstown – Starlite (aka Robstown), Airport, San Pedro
In Portland – Portland Drive-in
In Aransas Pass – Tarpon, Trail
In Rockport – Cove
In Refugio – Rancho
In Sinton – Sinton Drive-in
In Beeville – Beeville, Texas
In Victoria – Tejas / Aztec
In Pleasanton – Trail

I also have info for the existing theater pages:
In Corpus Christi – The Corpus (aka Thunderbird), Gulf, Buccaneer
In Kingsville – Hi-Way, King’s, Brahma, Rancho
In Alice – Buckhorn
In Mathis – Mathis Drive-in
In Beeville – Bronco (aka Broncho)
In Port Lavaca – Port Twin
In Victoria – Twin Ranch (aka Gemini), Lone Tree

matt54
matt54 on October 17, 2010 at 11:44 pm

Outstanding, Yakima! Thanks! We need a Texas page linked from the Corpus Christi section now!

Yakima1
Yakima1 on October 17, 2010 at 11:11 pm

Here is The Texas Drive-in from The Doc MacGregor photo collection

View link

View link

Here is an aerial from around 1971 barely showing The Texas “scars”

View link

Here is the next aerial in the series showing that the Corpus Drive-in, aka Thunderbird, was just a few blocks away….

View link

Yakima1
Yakima1 on October 17, 2010 at 10:55 pm

The Texas, the first permanent drive-in in Texas and one of the earliest in the coountry, was opened by Nick and Pete Katsaris, Charles A Richter and Leon Newman just past Navigation on Leopard (SH 9). It opened on Nov 11, 1939 as opposed to the often published March 1939. Google Earth historical imagery in 1956 shows the “scars” at the location which is now the Greyhound Racetrack kennels. Richter and Newman aka Southwest Theaters opened the next drive-in for Corpus, the Boulevard Drive-in, on Lexington Ave where The Trade Center is today at SPID and Richter in Feb 1942, right after WWII started for us. The two drive-ins operated together until the Texas was old and falling apart and Richter and Newman built The Corpus Drive-in in Oct 1948. The Corpus would someday be renamed the Thunderbird. It was located a few blocks closer to town on Leopard where Baldwin and Leopard intersect. The three drive-ins operated together for about a month when The texas had it’s last advertisement int the Caller-Times on Nov 5, 1948.
My next post will contain links to photos.

Silicon Sam
Silicon Sam on October 17, 2010 at 10:30 pm

See my comment on the Thunderbird page.

matt54
matt54 on October 17, 2010 at 3:45 pm

Yakima, or any old Corpus hands out there:

Was there also a Texas Drive-In on Leopard Street near the Thunderbird Drive-In? I am told it was on or near “old Hwy 9 to San Antonio.” Is that present-day Leopard Street (State 407)?

matt54
matt54 on October 16, 2010 at 4:54 am

Good eye, SiliconSam!

Great movies, Yakima!

Thanks to you both.

Yakima1
Yakima1 on October 13, 2010 at 3:10 am

I believe those Robstown drive-ins are as follows:

Ruben Chavez Dr at John Wayne Dr – ‘The Airport Drive-in’ opened in Fall 1955 by Ray and Gilbert Garza (aka Garza Brothers). It started as a Spanish language drive-in.

Western Ave at W Ave D – ‘The San Pedro Drive-in’ opened in late 1953 or early 1954 by Arnulfo Gonzales and Tito Sandoval, managed by Tito Sandoval. It started with a two language double feature policy.

Hwy 44 – ‘The Starlite Drive-in’ and later as ‘The Robstown Drive-in’ when Hurricane Celia blew it down. It was operated by Robb-Rowley, Rowley United and finally United Artists.

Silicon Sam
Silicon Sam on October 13, 2010 at 2:47 am

The 3 in Robstown I can find are:

Ruben Chavez Dr. with John Wayne Dr circling inside the old drive in HERE

Way out on Hwy 44, Where 44 goes from a divided road, to undivided hwy. Looks like a construction company lot now. HERE

Western Ave and W. Ave D. HERE

Yakima1
Yakima1 on October 12, 2010 at 2:49 pm

I have that photo of The Robstown blown down by Hurricane Celia on Aug 3, 1970. I understand it never came back after that.

Hurricane Celia also put an end to The Surf Drive-in in Corpus Christi where employees soon put “Gone With The Wind” on the marquee. Celia also finished off what was left of ‘The Lexington’ aka ‘Capri at 62nd & Lexington’ aka ‘62nd & Lexington’ aka ‘Belaire’; as it disintegrated large pieces of it came flying towards our house which was just 2 blocks away. Very brief glimpses of those two drive-ins can be seen in our home movies of the aftermath of Celia which are on Youtube View link

The Surf is at 1:44 and The Lexington is at 4:20. I inlcuded many of the published still photos, but I inadvertantly left out the Robstown drive-in. I should go back and add it to the movie.

matt54
matt54 on October 12, 2010 at 3:14 am

Cool, RWolfe – and yeah, I agree with you about downtown Corpus – what a beautiful place I remember it being. Not now, though. Why don’t you post your Corpus drive-in info under the heading for that city – you and Yakima might be able to create some new pages.

Yakima, I remember seeing a photo of the Robstown Drive-In screen tower after it was blown down by high winds. Don’t know when that occurred. Would love to see some of your info posted. If you have an account on flickr or pbase or some other picture hosting site, you can post a link to it in your text for whatever theater you’re posting about.

Hope to hear more from you soon!

Yakima1
Yakima1 on October 11, 2010 at 10:49 pm

I have recently researched drive-ins in Corpus Christi, Kingsville, Robstown and Alice (among other surrounding cities), and I have a lot of hard information to share. I don’t exactly know yet how I am going to share or disseminate these newspaper articles and ads, but I can surely answer questions in the meantime. I have info about locations and grand openings and some closings.

Silicon Sam
Silicon Sam on October 11, 2010 at 4:12 pm

Old Google Earth shows up to 9 drive-ins in Corpus in the 50’s. I found 3 in nearby Robstown, can you help identify them?

Russ22
Russ22 on October 11, 2010 at 3:45 pm

Hey Matt54 – oh yeah, the vinyl still exists!! Re the above
comments – even as sad as Kingsville looks, I think downtown
Corpus is even worse. I’m not sure how I even stumbled on to
this website, but also can provide some info on the drive-ins
and theaters in Corpus.

Silicon Sam
Silicon Sam on October 9, 2010 at 3:20 am

I’ll do it later tonight, unless someone else wants to.

matt54
matt54 on October 8, 2010 at 10:57 pm

Hey, RWolfe, that’s great – just knowing those great old drive-ins survived into the seventies is cool. You sound like you were a hardcore rocker – been years since I heard anyone else mention “Wattstax” (or thought of it myself)! Still got all your old vinyl?

Yes, Sam, I have been back thru the K several times in the last few years, and to see how raggedy it’s getting to be (especially sad and forlorn old King High, but also St. Gertrude’s School across from the church) is a real downer, kinda like Corpus’s old courthouse. Afraid these fine old structures are goners.

Hey, we ought to add these drive-ins to the list of theaters for Kingsville, now that we have established where they are (were).

Silicon Sam
Silicon Sam on October 8, 2010 at 11:05 am

I am sure all you Kingsville guys remembered the old H. M. King High School building. I drove through there last week and say the grand old building and wanted to take some pics before it falls down. A good bit of the roof looks like it’s falling through in places. According to what I’ve read, it was supposed to be fixed up for the city offices, but it may get way to far gone. A shame since it’s over 100 years old now.

But like an idiot, I packed my camera, and left my memory cards at home.

Russ22
Russ22 on October 7, 2010 at 8:16 pm

Matt54 – I lived in Kingsville until 1978. I don’t know that I ever actually met Bud Piper, but remember Piper Funeral home very well.
The rest of the names look vaguely familiar, but can’t say that I knew any of them. The King was a regular family outing growing up – can remember getting my dad to drive me and my buddies there to see “Woodstock” (old enough to rock, too young to drive – legally) and cringing at sitting next to my dad when Country Joe yelled “Gimme an F!” El Rancho was just Spanish language until the last few years before it closed – they began showing some 2nd run and ‘alternative’ English movies (recall seeing “Wattstax” and Hendrix’s “Rainbow Bridge” there). Still have a few friends there that I keep in touch with – now live in Houston.

matt54
matt54 on October 7, 2010 at 10:13 am

Continuation of above:

My grandfather owned the Running W Plumbing Supply and my grandmother groomed dogs (poodles a specialty – she also showed them) – one of her friends was a woman named Pauline Fredericks, and my grandfather’s daughter (he was only my grandfather by marriage) was Patsy Miller, married to I.J. Miller.

My dad worked for Bud Piper at Cage-Piper (later just Piper) Funeral Home (which was then located in the building at 10th and E. Kleberg).

Know the chances are slim, but any of these names ring a bell with you?

matt54
matt54 on October 7, 2010 at 10:08 am

SiliconSam, I believe you found the one I always remembered (incorrectly) as being the El Rancho! (I DO remember you could easily see it from the King) Thanks so much!

RWolfe, you and I are from roughly the same days in Kingsville (I was born there in ‘54, lived there 'til '58, visited there 'til '65).

My grandparents were Betty and Louis J. Huppertz – they lived first at the corner of 10th and King (where the Diamond Shamrock is now) and later moved out to E. Ailsie, just down from where the Brahma was.

Russ22
Russ22 on October 6, 2010 at 4:18 pm

Hey matt54 – I never heard of or recall seeing the Hi-Way
Drive-In. But if the post above from SiliconSam is correct
and it ‘disappeared’ by 1961, that could explain why as I was
born in 1956 and guess I wasn’t taken to a drive-in until I was
a bit more ‘cooperative’.