Motor-Vu Drive-In
5368 S. 1050 W,
Riverdale,
UT
84405
5368 S. 1050 W,
Riverdale,
UT
84405
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The 1955-56 Theatre Catalog listed the “Weber Motor Vu D. I.” under Ogden, owned by Associated Amuse. Co. and Clyde Blasius, capacity 726 cars.
A July 2023 Google Street View image showed the Motor Vu closed but intact.
Boxoffice, April 17, 1967: “OGDEN, UTAH - The 800-car Motor Vu Drive-In here started operating under the banner of Fox Mountain-Midwest Theatres Wednesday (12), it is announced by William H. Thedford and Dan A. Polier, vice-presidents and co-directors of theatre operations for National General Corp. Howard Coleman will continue as manager of the drive-in which has been acquired from Sam Gillette and Bill Hazan.”
Per a KUTV story last month, the Motor Vu has been sold to a housing developer. The drive-in’s web site says “Until Further Notice Movies are Closed”. I’d call it closed.
And by the way, the IMPAs list the Motor Vu in Ogden and only one screen all the way to 1988, the last IMPA drive-in list. Sometimes I wonder whether the details on the IMPA lists are ever accurate.
There’s a good article from 2016 in the Ogden Standard-Examiner. “The original theater had only one screen. Two more were added in the 1980s, and a fourth was added in 1996.” It said that current manager “Brent Coleman’s family has worked at the cinemas since his dad (Howard Coleman?) started as a Motor-Vu lot boy in 1952. He bought the drive(sic) in 1979.” Regarding current ownership, “(Brent) Coleman now co-owns the Motor-Vu with his two brothers, who also operate theater chains on opposite coasts of the country.”
Much more here: http://www.standard.net/Entertainment/2016/06/26/Riverdale-Colemans-Motor-Vu-drive-in-brings-movies-for-decades
1948 print ad added courtesy of Rod Nelson.
Nice family run drive-in. I made my only visit back in 2002. It looks like they have remodeled the snack bar since then, gone the ‘retro’ look. I got the chance to talk to the owner, Howard Coleman. He basically worked his way up in the theater business over 30 years.
The drive-in is right off I-84, but there is enough of a buffer in between, that I didn’t really notice any distractions. The last field to added, #4, has no ramps, so the screen is higher up than normal. Each field has their own booth as well & they are going open the 2014 season with digital pictures.