Corral Drive-In

50sSNIPES on January 20, 2024 at 3:08 pm

The actual opening date is July 20, 1949 with Abbott and Costello in “Ride ‘Em Cowboy” along with an unnamed Tom And Jerry cartoon, with an original capacity of 430 cars and installations of 430 Century speakers, Altec’s “Voice of the Theater” sound system (that was also used at the nearby Webster Theatre), and then-latest Century projection (which operates on 75 amperes of electrical current to throw the beam 242ft to the screen).

The original bricked concession stand measures 30x30ft, and featured a unique Sportservice stand. The size of the entire screen including its 70-foot poles that were buried 10ft in the ground measures 2,160 square feet, while the silver transite screen-plate only measures unknown. Behind the screen and between the six supports featured rooms that were built with a width of 12ft featuring switchboards for distributing power throughout the theater, as well as storage.

On March 1, 1964, Art Downard came to Webster City to operate the two remaining theaters, the Webster Theatre and the Corral Drive-In. He was the one that last owned the Corral Drive-In who closed it after the 1986 season.