Webb City Drive-In
1104 S. Madison Street,
Webb City,
MO
64870
1104 S. Madison Street,
Webb City,
MO
64870
1 person
favorited this theater
The Webb City Drive-In was opened on June 26, 1953 with Mitzi Gaynor in “Bloodhounds on Broadway”. It was operated by Howard Larson. It was later operated by Dickinson Theatres. It was closed on October 2, 1997.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 7 comments)
June 26th, 1953 grand opening ad has been uploaded in the photo section for this theatre.
The site is now a Walmart Super Center.
The Webb City opened on June 27, 1953 per an article the next day in the Joplin Globe. “Howard Larsen, manager, said some 800 persons were present. Larsen said a park playground with children’s rides and a lake stocked with fish will be added later on part of the 18-acre tract lease from Mrs. George Hammill.”
An Aug. 25, 1991 article in the Springfield (MO) News-Leader said that the Webb City was still operating on weekends.
The 1955-56 Theatre Catalog listed the Webb City with a capacity of 400, owner Howard Larsen.
Appearances in the Motion Picture Almanac drive-in lists:
The Salina (KS) Journal reported on Sept. 18, 1994 that some projection equipment from a closed Dickinson theater there was going “to a drive-in theater in Webb City, Mo.”
In a 1996 aerial, the drive-in still looked active. A Facebook photo collection includes the marquee advertising Kingpin, which came out in late July 1996.
Per another aerial, the drive-in was completely gone by 2003.
On June 26, 1998, in an article about active drive-ins, the Joplin Globe mentioned, “More recently, Webb City Drive-In closed.”
As suggested by the Motion Picture Almanac, Howard Larsen must have sold to William Bradfield, owner of Carthage MO’s 66, in 1956. Also, two notes in Boxoffice but nowhere else AFAIK indicate that the Webb City was known as the Dixie Drive-In under both owners. Spot-checking, it advertised in the July 20, 1956 and Aug. 5, 1957 Joplin News Herald as the Webb City. Maybe the Boxoffice columnist had a wire permanently crossed?
Boxoffice, July 21, 1956: “Howard Larsen closed his Civic Theatre at Webb City, Mo., for the balance of the summer. He operates the Dixie Drive-In there.”
In Joplin Globe ads, the Webb City switched to $1 carload pricing, same as the Bradfield-owned 66 Drive-In, on Aug. 10, 1956, so that might indicate when the Webb City was sold.
Boxoffice, March 30, 1957: “WEBB CITY, MO. – The Civic Theatre, closed since last December, was reopened under new management Friday (22). Bill Bradfield of Carthage is the new owner … The Dixie Drive-In, under the same management, reopened the following Friday (29).”
Dickinson ran the Webb City for 34 seasons, 1964-1997.
Boxoffice, Dec. 16, 1963: “Dickinson, Inc., has acquired the Webb City Drive-In, Webb City; the 66 Drive-In and the Roxy, Carthage, from William D. Bradfield, effective April 1964, according to Glen W. Dickinson jr., head of the circuit.”
Hollywood Theatres took over Dickinson’s Joplin-area indoor theaters on Oct. 3, 1997. The Webb City was the last movie house to stay under the Dickinson banner for one more weekend. Its final show was on Sunday, Oct. 12, the double feature of “Conspiracy Theory” & “Fire Down Below.” Dickinson announced the sale of the drive-in to Wal-Mart the following spring.