Billboard, Oct. 25, 1952: “S. H. Easling has been named manager of Seymour Drive-In Theater, Wichita Falls, Tex. … A new, hard-surfaced balcony has been added and the spot’s capacity has been increased to 800 cars.”
Billboard, Sept. 27, 1952: “L. Lipscomb, manager of Jacksboro Drive-In, Fort Worth, estimated damage to the theater at between $35,000 and $50,000 as the result of a freak windstorm. The top of the screen, made of concrete blocks, was whisked away like straw. The corrugated iron fence surrounding the drive-in was found scattered over about a three-square-mile area. Some parts of the fence were found wrapped around the loud-speaker posts on the ramps. Lipscomb also reported that the walls and roof of the concession stand also were demolished.”
Billboard, Sept. 20, 1952: “Norman T. Hodge has added several improvements to his Pioneer Drive-In at Merkle, Tex.” (But the note didn’t mention what they were.)
Billboard, Sept. 13, 1952: “Bill Chester has announced the opening of the XIT Drive-In at Littlefield, Tex. The theater bears the name of a well-known cattle brand in that area.”
Billboard, Sept. 13, 1952: “L. W. Ellis, of Summerside, P. E. I., is owner-manager of the Starlite Drive-In near Summerside. Spot was started by R. Pope and Ellis.”
Adding some names, Billboard, Feb. 16, 1952: “Sun Drive-In has been opened at Comanche, Tex., by Sherman L. and Charles L. Root, James F. Kelley and George Witten.”
Billboard, Sept. 6, 1952: “Harold Flemins and Jack Arthur have purchased the 250-car capacity Sun Drive-In at Comanche, Tex.”
Billboard, Sept. 6, 1952: “The Twin Drive-In, said the be the largest in the State, has been opened by Charles Weisenberg, Harold B. Wilson and John L. Fagan at Amarillo. Located on a 17-acre tract, it has a capacity of 1,008 cars.”
Billboard, Aug. 16, 1952: “A. W. (Jack) Lilly plans to open a 300-car capacity theater at Commerce, Tex., soon. It will have four program changes each week.”
Billboard, Sept. 6, 1952: “A. W. (Jack) Lilly has opened the new 330-car capacity drive-in at Commerce, Tex.”
Billboard, Aug. 30, 1952: “The Park Drive-In at Abilene, Tex., is undergoing extensive improvements, according to James Tharp, manager. Three new ramps are being installed to increase the parking space from 456 to 670 cars. New sound equipment also will be added.”
Billboard, Aug. 23, 1952: “Green Acres Drive-In Theater at Lethbridge, Alta., has been sold by Green Acres Drive-In Theater, Ltd., Calgary, to Majestic Theaters, Ltd., Lethbridge. Majestic is jointly owned by Lethbridge Theaters, Ltd., and Famous Players Canadian Corporation.”
Maybe the Rietta started with another name? Billboard, July 26, 1952: “The Tower Drive-In, the town’s first, has been opened at Henrietta, Tex., by Jim Bailey. The drive-in has a 200-car capacity.”
The only drive-in for Henrietta in the 1955 Motion Picture Almanac was the Tower, capacity 184, owner Joe Bailey. The 1956 MPA listed both the Tower, same details, and the Rietta, no details. The 1957-59 editions still listed both and added a 300-car capacity for the Rietta. The Tower dropped off in 1960.
The first drive-in to appear in the Theatre Catalog was the Rietta, capacity 316, in the 1955-56 edition.
The only drive-in near Henrietta that I could find on a 1957 topo map was the one Kenmore found, west of town. That drive-in appeared to be active in a 1953 aerial photo.
Same drive-in? Billboard, July 26, 1952: “Al Cook has announced that construction has been started on a new 600-car capacity drive in at Pecos, Tex.”
The 1953-54 Theatre Catalog listed three drive-ins for Pecos. The largest, capacity 461, was the Eagle. That drive-in and the 300-car Sunset were owned by R. I. Payne, Theatre Entrs., Inc.
Some names from Billboard, July 26, 1952: “Cedar Rapids' second drive-in theater, with a capacity of 625 cars, opened July 11. It is located between Cedar Rapids and Marion and will be known as the Twixt Town. It occupies a 14-acre tract on First Avenue E. Owned by the Twixt Town Drive-In Theater Corporation, H. N. Schrodt is president. E. M. Garbett, R. G. Faulds and Arthur Thiele, Des Moines, are the other partners.”
Billboard, July 19, 1952: “John Carlisle, featured columnist of the Detroit News, paid tribute to Adolph and Irving Goldberg of Community Theaters and supervisor David Wilson for making their shows at the Bel-Air Drive-In available to patients of a nearby hospital. Finding the patients on a porch were able to see the screen without too much difficulty, they arranged to put in a special line to the hospital and amplifying equipment so they could hear the sound as well.”
Billboard, July 19, 1952: “Mrs. Ethel Jones Howze and son, Sammy Jones, held open house at their Rustic Drive-In Theater at Brownfield, Tex., celebrating 30 years of theater operation in the city. … The Rig Drive-In will be opened soon there, according to Mrs. Howze.”
Billboard, July 19, 1952: “Earl Worley has announced the opening of the new Chief Drive-In at Quanah, Tex., It is the first outdoor theater in that area.”
Billboard, July 12, 1952: “C. Coombes and E. G. Hudson have opened a drive-in theater, the town’s first, at Lloydminster, Sask. Pair operates the Empress and Rio theater in Lloydminster. New spot will accommodate 350 cars.”
Billboard, July 5, 1952: “F. W. McManus and H. Wood Fain have opened the new 500-car capacity Jasper Drive-In at Jasper, Tex. McManus will serve as manager.”
Billboard, July 5, 1952: “Jerry Ebeirer has sold his King Drive-In, San Marcos, Tex., to Frank W. Zimmerman who operates all the other theaters in that town.”
Same drive-in? Billboard, June 21, 1952: “Drive-In 84 Theater has been opened at Sudan, Tex., by Mr. and Mrs. C. R. Stevens. Spot has a 250-car capacity.”
Billboard, June 21, 1952: “Barton R. McLendon, head of the Tristates Theater Circuit, has announced that construction has been started at Atlanta, Tex., on the Rancho Drive-In, which is being built at a cost of $75,000. The drive-in is to be completed early in July.”
The “Broncho” was still open on May 30, 1965, when it was included as Wellington’s entry in a statewide ad for the movie “Shenandoah” in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Billboard, Oct. 25, 1952: “S. H. Easling has been named manager of Seymour Drive-In Theater, Wichita Falls, Tex. … A new, hard-surfaced balcony has been added and the spot’s capacity has been increased to 800 cars.”
Billboard, Sept. 27, 1952: “L. Lipscomb, manager of Jacksboro Drive-In, Fort Worth, estimated damage to the theater at between $35,000 and $50,000 as the result of a freak windstorm. The top of the screen, made of concrete blocks, was whisked away like straw. The corrugated iron fence surrounding the drive-in was found scattered over about a three-square-mile area. Some parts of the fence were found wrapped around the loud-speaker posts on the ramps. Lipscomb also reported that the walls and roof of the concession stand also were demolished.”
Billboard, Sept. 20, 1952: “Norman T. Hodge has added several improvements to his Pioneer Drive-In at Merkle, Tex.” (But the note didn’t mention what they were.)
Billboard, Sept. 13, 1952: “Bill Chester has announced the opening of the XIT Drive-In at Littlefield, Tex. The theater bears the name of a well-known cattle brand in that area.”
Billboard, Sept. 13, 1952: “L. W. Ellis, of Summerside, P. E. I., is owner-manager of the Starlite Drive-In near Summerside. Spot was started by R. Pope and Ellis.”
Adding some names, Billboard, Feb. 16, 1952: “Sun Drive-In has been opened at Comanche, Tex., by Sherman L. and Charles L. Root, James F. Kelley and George Witten.”
Billboard, Sept. 6, 1952: “Harold Flemins and Jack Arthur have purchased the 250-car capacity Sun Drive-In at Comanche, Tex.”
Billboard, Sept. 6, 1952: “The Twin Drive-In, said the be the largest in the State, has been opened by Charles Weisenberg, Harold B. Wilson and John L. Fagan at Amarillo. Located on a 17-acre tract, it has a capacity of 1,008 cars.”
Billboard, Aug. 16, 1952: “A. W. (Jack) Lilly plans to open a 300-car capacity theater at Commerce, Tex., soon. It will have four program changes each week.”
Billboard, Sept. 6, 1952: “A. W. (Jack) Lilly has opened the new 330-car capacity drive-in at Commerce, Tex.”
Billboard, Aug. 30, 1952: “The Sunset Drive-In has been opened at Earth, Tex., by E. Ted Borum. The theater has a 252-car capacity.”
Billboard, Aug. 30, 1952: “The Park Drive-In at Abilene, Tex., is undergoing extensive improvements, according to James Tharp, manager. Three new ramps are being installed to increase the parking space from 456 to 670 cars. New sound equipment also will be added.”
Billboard, Aug. 23, 1952: “Green Acres Drive-In Theater at Lethbridge, Alta., has been sold by Green Acres Drive-In Theater, Ltd., Calgary, to Majestic Theaters, Ltd., Lethbridge. Majestic is jointly owned by Lethbridge Theaters, Ltd., and Famous Players Canadian Corporation.”
Maybe the Rietta started with another name? Billboard, July 26, 1952: “The Tower Drive-In, the town’s first, has been opened at Henrietta, Tex., by Jim Bailey. The drive-in has a 200-car capacity.”
The only drive-in for Henrietta in the 1955 Motion Picture Almanac was the Tower, capacity 184, owner Joe Bailey. The 1956 MPA listed both the Tower, same details, and the Rietta, no details. The 1957-59 editions still listed both and added a 300-car capacity for the Rietta. The Tower dropped off in 1960.
The first drive-in to appear in the Theatre Catalog was the Rietta, capacity 316, in the 1955-56 edition.
The only drive-in near Henrietta that I could find on a 1957 topo map was the one Kenmore found, west of town. That drive-in appeared to be active in a 1953 aerial photo.
Same drive-in? Billboard, July 26, 1952: “Al Cook has announced that construction has been started on a new 600-car capacity drive in at Pecos, Tex.”
The 1953-54 Theatre Catalog listed three drive-ins for Pecos. The largest, capacity 461, was the Eagle. That drive-in and the 300-car Sunset were owned by R. I. Payne, Theatre Entrs., Inc.
Some names from Billboard, July 26, 1952: “Cedar Rapids' second drive-in theater, with a capacity of 625 cars, opened July 11. It is located between Cedar Rapids and Marion and will be known as the Twixt Town. It occupies a 14-acre tract on First Avenue E. Owned by the Twixt Town Drive-In Theater Corporation, H. N. Schrodt is president. E. M. Garbett, R. G. Faulds and Arthur Thiele, Des Moines, are the other partners.”
Billboard, July 19, 1952: “John Carlisle, featured columnist of the Detroit News, paid tribute to Adolph and Irving Goldberg of Community Theaters and supervisor David Wilson for making their shows at the Bel-Air Drive-In available to patients of a nearby hospital. Finding the patients on a porch were able to see the screen without too much difficulty, they arranged to put in a special line to the hospital and amplifying equipment so they could hear the sound as well.”
Billboard, July 19, 1952: “Mrs. Ethel Jones Howze and son, Sammy Jones, held open house at their Rustic Drive-In Theater at Brownfield, Tex., celebrating 30 years of theater operation in the city. … The Rig Drive-In will be opened soon there, according to Mrs. Howze.”
Billboard, July 19, 1952: “Earl Worley has announced the opening of the new Chief Drive-In at Quanah, Tex., It is the first outdoor theater in that area.”
Billboard, July 12, 1952: “C. Coombes and E. G. Hudson have opened a drive-in theater, the town’s first, at Lloydminster, Sask. Pair operates the Empress and Rio theater in Lloydminster. New spot will accommodate 350 cars.”
More names in Billboard, July 12, 1952: “The Apache Drive-In has been opened at Center, Tex., by Mac Riley and Bryan and George Smith.”
Billboard, July 5, 1952: “F. W. McManus and H. Wood Fain have opened the new 500-car capacity Jasper Drive-In at Jasper, Tex. McManus will serve as manager.”
Billboard, July 5, 1952: “Capacity of the Caprock Drive-In, Slaton, Tes., has been increased to 224 by Joe Dennis.”
Billboard, July 5, 1952: “Jerry Ebeirer has sold his King Drive-In, San Marcos, Tex., to Frank W. Zimmerman who operates all the other theaters in that town.”
Same drive-in? Billboard, June 21, 1952: “Drive-In 84 Theater has been opened at Sudan, Tex., by Mr. and Mrs. C. R. Stevens. Spot has a 250-car capacity.”
Billboard, June 21, 1952: “Barton R. McLendon, head of the Tristates Theater Circuit, has announced that construction has been started at Atlanta, Tex., on the Rancho Drive-In, which is being built at a cost of $75,000. The drive-in is to be completed early in July.”
The “Broncho” was still open on May 30, 1965, when it was included as Wellington’s entry in a statewide ad for the movie “Shenandoah” in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.