Guy's Drive-In

2643 Front Street,
Richlands, VA 24641

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Guy's Drive-In

Guy’s Drive-In Theatre was named after the same person who started in the local movie theatre in 1912: Robert Guy “R.G.” Flanary. Guy opened Guy’s Drive-In in September 1950. By 1955 it was operated by F.G. Flanary Jr. It appears to have closed at the end of a 30-year lease in 1979. And when the drive-in was closed for the season, you could go to the downtown hardtop theatre which had a good run as the Flanary Theatre, among its names.

Contributed by dallasmovietheaters

Recent comments (view all 2 comments)

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on December 18, 2021 at 9:35 pm

Chiming in as the spelling stickler. There’s a lot of evidence for alternate spellings, but I’d go with R. G. Flanary, Jr. From 1953 forward, that was the consistent spelling from Boxoffice and Motion Picture Daily as the theater owner was repeatedly named as part of the Virginia Motion Picture Theatres Association. Also, the Richmond Times Dispatch reported on Oct. 2, 1978, that one Robert Guy Flanary III, 22, of Richlands, uh, made the news.

Two notes (with different spellings) that suggest a September opening for the Guy Drive-In:

The Exhibitor, Sept. 6, 1950: “(new equipment) in Guy Flannery’s completely remodelled Star, Richlands, Va. Flannery has also started construction of a new 300-car drive-in at Richlands named the Guy in memory of his father.”

The Exhibitor, Sept. 20, 1950: “Buddy Flanary’s ozoner in Richlands, Va., made its debut.”

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on December 19, 2021 at 4:19 am

Since Guy Flanary, Jr. placed the family surname as “Flanary” on the Flanary Theatre which remained there for three decades, there is no question that the name is Robert Guy “R.G.” Flanary. Thanks for September 20, 1950 opening date.

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