31 West Drive-In
6250 Nashville Road,
Franklin,
KY
42134
6250 Nashville Road,
Franklin,
KY
42134
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The owners announced this week on Facebook that they have sold the Franklin, which will not reopen as a theater.
First constructed on June 9, 1949, the Franklin Drive-In has an original capacity of 700 cars, and would later open its gates that mid-September.
This week’s Franklin Favorite includes the blurb that the Nashville Road Franklin DI “has been family owned and operated since 1969.”
“The theater is currently owned by Gary and Tina Price and Wayne and Judy Price Price and operates seasonally from March until October.”
Articles in the College Heights Herald and The Tennessean both include quotes from the owner and a start date of 1969.
CinemaTour says the 31W was built “in the 1960s by Joe Rhoton” and later sold when his health declined.
The 1955 Theatre Catalog shows no drive-ins in Franklin. Neither do the 1959 through 1969 IMPAs. The 1972 (my first after ‘69) shows the 31-W with a capacity of 312. By the 1982 IMPA, the listing changed to 31 West, J. C. Rhoton, and that’s how it stayed through the end of the IMPA lists.
OTOH, Movie-Theater.org (PDF) says that the Franklin Drive-In at this address was owned by “Jones, G. C.” from 1950-64. That’s a very specific note! Then again, the page also says that another drive-in, the 31-W, operated from about 1975-85, and that matches the possible dates for the old Franklin Drive-In on Russellville Road. Confusing!
That’s a lower than normal marquee.
Te Franklin Drive-In opened in 1950. Car capacity is listed at 300. The drive-in has made the conversion to digital projection.
Here is a photo:
http://tinyurl.com/yfdhz7x