La Fonda Drive-In

3601 N. Prince Street,
Clovis, NM 88101

Unfavorite No one has favorited this theater yet

Additional Info

Nearby Theaters

La Fonda Drive-In

The La Fonda Drive-In sat on the north side of town and was owned and operated by Lloyd Franklin. The La Fonda Drive-In was opened in 1951 with Burt Lancaster in “Ten Tall Men”. The screen burnt down in August 1959. It was rebuilt and the drive-in reopened. However, it was subsequently closed and demolished.

Today, a Lowe’s sits on the property with no sign that the drive-in ever existed.

Contributed by Ken McElhaney

Recent comments (view all 4 comments)

Drive-In 54
Drive-In 54 on April 3, 2015 at 12:50 pm

The Yucca opened on July 16, 1948. There was four known DI’s in Clovis. There was the 4 Lane, Yucca, LA Fonda and the Comet DI’s.

The address given is for the La Fonda which was north of town. The Yucca was south and the 4 lane was east of town. The Comet was west of town.

The correct address for the Yucca DI is:2029 South Prince Street, Clovis, NM

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on August 11, 2019 at 5:29 pm

“Lloyd Franklin of Clovis, N. M., is dickering with his partner W. O. Bearden of Lubbock, Tex., and with contractors, on rebuilding the screen tower at the LaFonda Drive-In, which burned to the ground last August during a thunderstorm and Franklin was not sure whether or not lightning or faulty wiring caused the fire.” — BoxOffice, March 21, 1960

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on December 29, 2019 at 10:44 am

Boxoffice, July 26, 1952: “CLOVIS, N. M. – The La Fonda airer, owned by Lord Franklin and W. O. Bearden, has opened. Construction of the $100,000 situation began last May 12.”

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on February 2, 2021 at 3:17 pm

Clovis News-Journal, July 4, 1982, in a retrospective: “In 1952 (W.O.) Bearden and (Lloyd) Franklin built the LaFonda Drive-In Theater on North Prince and Llano Estacado … In 1974 the LaFonda rebuilt a mile north of the old location and in 1979 leased to Commonwealth Theaters, Inc.”

Clovis News Journal, April 22, 2002, in an extended interview with Loyd Franklin: “The partners (Franklin and Bearden) also built the Comet Drive In out on West Seventh, but Loyd said the theater only lasted about a year. Lightning destroyed the screen at the La Fonda and the Comet screen replaced it. In 1974, the La Fonda was moved a mile north to the southwast corner of Wilhite and Prince.”

You must login before making a comment.

New Comment

Subscribe Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.