Johnny Fagan, at that point the Twin’s manager and possibly part of its Weisenberg ownership group, died on Jan. 29, 1973. By May 1974, the Amarillo Globe-Times said that Paul McDonald was the owner of the Twin.
The Motion Picture Almanac finally switched the Twin’s owner from Weisenberg to McDonald in its 1980 edition, another example of how slow the MPA could be to notice changes.
Then the MPA switched again, for the 1983 edition, to “J. Dydzak,” who was also listed as the owner of the 121 Twin in Lewisville TX and the Bruton Road in Mesquite TX. That’s a very unusual name, so I’ve got to think it’s related to the Dydzak Drive-In Theatres Ltd. of Hamilton, Ontario, in Canada. That operation was started by brothers Joe and John Dydzak, and John Jr. and Judy also worked in the movie business, so that first J could have been any of them.
The MPA carried that same Twin listing through its final drive-in list in the 1988 edition. A 1991 aerial photo showed the screens gone and a few bushes growing in the south field ramps, so I’d guess that the Twin closed around 1989.
I can’t find anything online linking the Dydzaks to anything in Texas. Anyone else know of their Lone Star presence, or when the Twin closed?
The Oklahoma Historical Society said that this photo of an April 26 reopening was taken by Taylor Studio of Vinita and is part of the William B. Turk Collection.
Ron Stahl of the Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department, in a column carried by the Okmulgee Daily Times on June 27, 2007: “The comeback story belongs to the Airline Drive-In on West Highland in Ponca City. The venerable old theatre near the airport endured an ignoble decade of disuse before it was re-opened, refurbished, and rediscovered by outdoor movie lovers.”
The Pirate Drive-In opened on Sunday, June 28, 1953, according to a (Bristow) Record-Citizen report two days later. Because owner Henry Simpson had been uncertain whether delayed sound equipment would arrive in time to be installed for the opener, the Pirate didn’t advertise the grand opening except for “a sound truck announcement Saturday night.” About 200 carloads watched William Lundigan and Mitzi Gaynor in “Down Among the Sheltering Palms”.
Boxoffice, April 13, 1964: “Ray Depuy has purchased the Tuscan Drive-In near Eva, which is about 45 miles west of Hooker, Okla., where he lives. The seller was A. D. "Doug” Smith, also of Hooker."
Eva is a tiny, unincorporated community in Texas County, Oklahoma, about 15 miles south of Elkhart KS.
Boxoffice, April 18, 1960: “Lamar Guthrie, former theatre owner at Erick, has been elected president of the Rotary Club at Hollis … His Vogue (sic) at Erick has been dismantled and the Bearcat Drive-In has been bought by Garland Dodston.”
The best address for the Tesuque is probably the address of the present-day Mesa Verde Community Center in Mesa Verde Park: 7900 Marquette Ave. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87108
Motion Picture Daily, Oct. 11, 1938: “Omaha, Oct. 10. — Lester Dollison, former Texas independent circuit operator, will open the 350-seat Nebraska here shortly. He remodeled M. Sigal’s Time Theatre, dark for over a year.”
Film Daily, Oct. 17, 1938: “Omaha — The Nebraska Theater, located in the city’s downtown business sector, reopens today. Lester Dollison, former Kermit, Tex., exhib., will operate with duals at 5-10-15 cents.
Make that four ownership changes record by Film Daily in 1937. You can insert this note from Jan. 26 that year: “Park (formerly Ritz) transferred to Lester Dollison.”
The Film Daily, March 8, 1934: “The Kiva in Santa Rosa, N. M., one of the few houses in this (Denver) territory still using discs, will install sound-on-films.”
Motion Picture Daily, May 25, 1936: “J. T. Whelan purchased the Kiva at Santa Rosa, N. M. from R. L. Riddle. He will rename it the Pecos.”
Motion Picture Herald, July 25, 1936: “T. A. Whalen, who recently purchased the Kiva theatre at Santa Rosa, N. M., from R. L. Riddle, has reopened it as the Pecos after remodeling.”
Motion Picture Herald, June 15, 1946: “Max Kugelman has bought the Pecos at Santa Rosa, N. M., from W. J. Flannery.”
The Film Daily, March 8, 1934: “Denver - Another town in this territory that has been without a theater for two years will have movies again when H. D. Bishop reopens the Star as Estancis (sic), N. M., after remodeling and installing new equipment.”
Boxoffice, March 8, 1965: “As promotion coincident with remodeling and repainting of the Pecos Theatre in Santa Rosa, N.M., owner Les Dollison has asked his patrons to submit suggestions for a new name for the house. He ran an ad in the local weekly paper suggesting that 30 years is long enough for the theatre to maintain the same name. He said a new name would fit in nicely with the remodeling and repair work in the house. In the ad, he carried a ballot for suggestions, with the winners to be selected by a panel of local merchants. The winner of that contest, announced February 14, was given a year’s free pass to the house.”
Boxoffice, March 22, 1965: “The former Pecos Theatre, Santa Rosa, N.M., is now the Rodeo”
Variety, Jan. 12, 1955: “Chicago, Jan 11 - Essaness interest in the Starlite Drive-In here has been bought by a syndicate headed by Stanton Kohlberg. Kohlberg has operated the suburban ozoner in the past in conjuction with the Essaness circuit. Starlite has been a strong drive-in competitor in this area with frequent gimmick shows and often as many as six features on a single bill.”
More details and names from the June 8, 1947 edition of the Longview News-Journal:
Construction is to begin immediately on a $50,000 drive-in theater, midway between Longview and Gladewater, just east of the Kilgore cutoff and highway 80 intersection.
The project is being financed by Park Amusement Co., organized by Frank Bolton Jr., and Henry Gossett Jr., local attorneys, and owners of the Gregg theater, Longview; with Dolmor theaters, an independent chain of theaters operating in Texas and New Mexico, headed by Bill Morrow of Longview and Lester Dollison of Sherman.
Ownership note in the June 13, 1953 issue of Boxoffice: “Del Drive-In Theatre, Inc., has filed notice of dissolution of charter of incorporation with the secretary of state.”
The Hinton and State were separate theaters. The Hinton was advertising in the local Hinton Record as early as May 1919. On the other hand, it appears that the State opened in 1944, per Showmen’s Trade Review, April 29, 1944: “J. C. Smock, Oklahoma City exhbitor, has scheduled the opening of his new State Theatre at Hinton, Okla., for the second week in May. The house has a seating capacity of 320.”
More about the Hinton:
Motion Picture News, June 5, 1926: “A. G. Carlyle is enlarging the Hinton Theatre at Hinton, Okla., to a seating capacity of 150 seats.”
Motion Picture Herald, Nov. 13, 1937: “Recent Operadio sound installations in the middle west include A. G. Carlisle’s Hinton theatre at Hinton, Okla.”
The 1950 Film Daily Year Book listed both the Hinton (400 seats) and the State (300) in tiny Hinton OK.
The Hinton Record, April 13, 1961: “The possibility of a bad accident occurring on main street was eliminated this week when workmen removed the sagged and rotted awning from the Hinton Theatre. Hasten Snow, owner of the building, plans to replace it with a new awning”
The Hinton was still advertising in the Record in 1962.
Quay County Sun, March 23, 2010: (looking back, 50 years ago today) “Tucumcari’s school board held a special session 50 years ago today and unanimously approved a plan to build a new high school. The board agreed to acquire 32 acres and a concrete building – formerly used by a drive-in theater – on the “Yessler property,” where the school would be constructed, according to the Tucumcari Daily News. Voters approved the plan, 829-427, a few weeks later and construction soon began on the school that remains today at 1100 S. Seventh St.”
I think that means that the Yessler family kept the land even as it leased the drive-in, that the County closed by the end of the 1959 season if not earlier, and that the correct address is that of the high school, still 1100 S. Seventh St.
This photo also appeared in the 1955-56 Theatre Catalog on a page of Adler Silhouette Letter Co. installations. It ran with the very odd, misleading caption, “Blue Sky, Chola Vista, Calif.”
Boxoffice, July 25, 1953: “An estimated 2,000 persons attended the opening night program of the new Midway Drive-In Theatre recently. The 400-space ozoner is owned by William B. Derrickson, Rehoboth Beach exhibitor.”
This photo is by John Margolies, and is part of the John Margolies Roadside America photograph archive at the Library of Congress. You can download it from Flickr or LOC.gov. All of photos in that collection are effectively in the public domain.
I wonder whether all of these features made it into the finished product.
Boxoffice, July 18, 1953: “Construction of a $250,000 combination drive-in theatre, restaurant, motel and service station at Chestermere Lake, a suburb of Calgary, is scheduled to begin this summer and be ready for business in 1954. Tentative plans also call for construction of a golf course, swimming pool, bowling alley, tennis court and children’s playground. Paul Hansen, a Calgary real estate man, is in charge of the promotion. Plans call for a glass-fronted auditorium with a seating capacity of 350 to cater to walk-in patrons. Capacity of the outdoor theatre will be 500 cars.”
Boxoffice, Aug. 22, 1953: “Cashing in smartly on (Corinne) Calvet’s personal appearance in Winnipeg, the Airport Drive-In, a stone’s throw from the Stadium, featured "Rope of Sand,” featuring the French actress, opening the film 20 minutes after the ceremonies at the Stadium, giving motorists enough time to see Miss Calvet in person at the ceremonies, then drive several feet over to the drive-in and see her on the screen."
Boxoffice, Aug. 1, 1953: “The Corinth Drive-In, Guys, Tenn., opens August 6, John M. Carter, secretary-treasurer of Corinth Drive-In Corp., owner, announced. This is a new drive-in.”
The Auto Sho opened in 1950? Boxoffice, Aug. 1, 1953: “"Flying saucers” descended on audiences at the Auto Sho Drive-In Theatre during the theatre’s third anniversary. The saucers were sailed from the top of the concession stand. “Lucky” saucers contained $20 and $10 bills. There were a total of 350 prizes. Free lollipops were passed out to the kids."
Johnny Fagan, at that point the Twin’s manager and possibly part of its Weisenberg ownership group, died on Jan. 29, 1973. By May 1974, the Amarillo Globe-Times said that Paul McDonald was the owner of the Twin.
The Motion Picture Almanac finally switched the Twin’s owner from Weisenberg to McDonald in its 1980 edition, another example of how slow the MPA could be to notice changes.
Then the MPA switched again, for the 1983 edition, to “J. Dydzak,” who was also listed as the owner of the 121 Twin in Lewisville TX and the Bruton Road in Mesquite TX. That’s a very unusual name, so I’ve got to think it’s related to the Dydzak Drive-In Theatres Ltd. of Hamilton, Ontario, in Canada. That operation was started by brothers Joe and John Dydzak, and John Jr. and Judy also worked in the movie business, so that first J could have been any of them.
The MPA carried that same Twin listing through its final drive-in list in the 1988 edition. A 1991 aerial photo showed the screens gone and a few bushes growing in the south field ramps, so I’d guess that the Twin closed around 1989.
I can’t find anything online linking the Dydzaks to anything in Texas. Anyone else know of their Lone Star presence, or when the Twin closed?
The Oklahoma Historical Society said that this photo of an April 26 reopening was taken by Taylor Studio of Vinita and is part of the William B. Turk Collection.
Ron Stahl of the Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department, in a column carried by the Okmulgee Daily Times on June 27, 2007: “The comeback story belongs to the Airline Drive-In on West Highland in Ponca City. The venerable old theatre near the airport endured an ignoble decade of disuse before it was re-opened, refurbished, and rediscovered by outdoor movie lovers.”
The Pirate Drive-In opened on Sunday, June 28, 1953, according to a (Bristow) Record-Citizen report two days later. Because owner Henry Simpson had been uncertain whether delayed sound equipment would arrive in time to be installed for the opener, the Pirate didn’t advertise the grand opening except for “a sound truck announcement Saturday night.” About 200 carloads watched William Lundigan and Mitzi Gaynor in “Down Among the Sheltering Palms”.
Boxoffice, April 13, 1964: “Ray Depuy has purchased the Tuscan Drive-In near Eva, which is about 45 miles west of Hooker, Okla., where he lives. The seller was A. D. "Doug” Smith, also of Hooker."
Eva is a tiny, unincorporated community in Texas County, Oklahoma, about 15 miles south of Elkhart KS.
Boxoffice, April 18, 1960: “Lamar Guthrie, former theatre owner at Erick, has been elected president of the Rotary Club at Hollis … His Vogue (sic) at Erick has been dismantled and the Bearcat Drive-In has been bought by Garland Dodston.”
I found this note on the Oklahoma Historical Society’s web site for this photo:
21412.M958.7. Drive-in movie theater (oil wells in background), Oklahoma City, National Theatre Supply Acct., photo by Meyers Photo Shop. Aug. 1947
The best address for the Tesuque is probably the address of the present-day Mesa Verde Community Center in Mesa Verde Park: 7900 Marquette Ave. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87108
Motion Picture Daily, Oct. 11, 1938: “Omaha, Oct. 10. — Lester Dollison, former Texas independent circuit operator, will open the 350-seat Nebraska here shortly. He remodeled M. Sigal’s Time Theatre, dark for over a year.”
Film Daily, Oct. 17, 1938: “Omaha — The Nebraska Theater, located in the city’s downtown business sector, reopens today. Lester Dollison, former Kermit, Tex., exhib., will operate with duals at 5-10-15 cents.
Make that four ownership changes record by Film Daily in 1937. You can insert this note from Jan. 26 that year: “Park (formerly Ritz) transferred to Lester Dollison.”
The Film Daily, March 8, 1934: “The Kiva in Santa Rosa, N. M., one of the few houses in this (Denver) territory still using discs, will install sound-on-films.”
Motion Picture Daily, May 25, 1936: “J. T. Whelan purchased the Kiva at Santa Rosa, N. M. from R. L. Riddle. He will rename it the Pecos.”
Motion Picture Herald, July 25, 1936: “T. A. Whalen, who recently purchased the Kiva theatre at Santa Rosa, N. M., from R. L. Riddle, has reopened it as the Pecos after remodeling.”
Motion Picture Herald, June 15, 1946: “Max Kugelman has bought the Pecos at Santa Rosa, N. M., from W. J. Flannery.”
The Film Daily, March 8, 1934: “Denver - Another town in this territory that has been without a theater for two years will have movies again when H. D. Bishop reopens the Star as Estancis (sic), N. M., after remodeling and installing new equipment.”
Boxoffice, March 8, 1965: “As promotion coincident with remodeling and repainting of the Pecos Theatre in Santa Rosa, N.M., owner Les Dollison has asked his patrons to submit suggestions for a new name for the house. He ran an ad in the local weekly paper suggesting that 30 years is long enough for the theatre to maintain the same name. He said a new name would fit in nicely with the remodeling and repair work in the house. In the ad, he carried a ballot for suggestions, with the winners to be selected by a panel of local merchants. The winner of that contest, announced February 14, was given a year’s free pass to the house.”
Boxoffice, March 22, 1965: “The former Pecos Theatre, Santa Rosa, N.M., is now the Rodeo”
Variety, Jan. 12, 1955: “Chicago, Jan 11 - Essaness interest in the Starlite Drive-In here has been bought by a syndicate headed by Stanton Kohlberg. Kohlberg has operated the suburban ozoner in the past in conjuction with the Essaness circuit. Starlite has been a strong drive-in competitor in this area with frequent gimmick shows and often as many as six features on a single bill.”
More details and names from the June 8, 1947 edition of the Longview News-Journal:
Construction is to begin immediately on a $50,000 drive-in theater, midway between Longview and Gladewater, just east of the Kilgore cutoff and highway 80 intersection.
The project is being financed by Park Amusement Co., organized by Frank Bolton Jr., and Henry Gossett Jr., local attorneys, and owners of the Gregg theater, Longview; with Dolmor theaters, an independent chain of theaters operating in Texas and New Mexico, headed by Bill Morrow of Longview and Lester Dollison of Sherman.
Ownership note in the June 13, 1953 issue of Boxoffice: “Del Drive-In Theatre, Inc., has filed notice of dissolution of charter of incorporation with the secretary of state.”
The Hinton and State were separate theaters. The Hinton was advertising in the local Hinton Record as early as May 1919. On the other hand, it appears that the State opened in 1944, per Showmen’s Trade Review, April 29, 1944: “J. C. Smock, Oklahoma City exhbitor, has scheduled the opening of his new State Theatre at Hinton, Okla., for the second week in May. The house has a seating capacity of 320.”
More about the Hinton:
Motion Picture News, June 5, 1926: “A. G. Carlyle is enlarging the Hinton Theatre at Hinton, Okla., to a seating capacity of 150 seats.”
Motion Picture Herald, Nov. 13, 1937: “Recent Operadio sound installations in the middle west include A. G. Carlisle’s Hinton theatre at Hinton, Okla.”
The 1950 Film Daily Year Book listed both the Hinton (400 seats) and the State (300) in tiny Hinton OK.
The Hinton Record, April 13, 1961: “The possibility of a bad accident occurring on main street was eliminated this week when workmen removed the sagged and rotted awning from the Hinton Theatre. Hasten Snow, owner of the building, plans to replace it with a new awning”
The Hinton was still advertising in the Record in 1962.
Quay County Sun, March 23, 2010: (looking back, 50 years ago today) “Tucumcari’s school board held a special session 50 years ago today and unanimously approved a plan to build a new high school. The board agreed to acquire 32 acres and a concrete building – formerly used by a drive-in theater – on the “Yessler property,” where the school would be constructed, according to the Tucumcari Daily News. Voters approved the plan, 829-427, a few weeks later and construction soon began on the school that remains today at 1100 S. Seventh St.”
I think that means that the Yessler family kept the land even as it leased the drive-in, that the County closed by the end of the 1959 season if not earlier, and that the correct address is that of the high school, still 1100 S. Seventh St.
This photo also appeared in the 1955-56 Theatre Catalog on a page of Adler Silhouette Letter Co. installations. It ran with the very odd, misleading caption, “Blue Sky, Chola Vista, Calif.”
Boxoffice, July 25, 1953: “An estimated 2,000 persons attended the opening night program of the new Midway Drive-In Theatre recently. The 400-space ozoner is owned by William B. Derrickson, Rehoboth Beach exhibitor.”
This photo is by John Margolies, and is part of the John Margolies Roadside America photograph archive at the Library of Congress. You can download it from Flickr or LOC.gov. All of photos in that collection are effectively in the public domain.
I wonder whether all of these features made it into the finished product.
Boxoffice, July 18, 1953: “Construction of a $250,000 combination drive-in theatre, restaurant, motel and service station at Chestermere Lake, a suburb of Calgary, is scheduled to begin this summer and be ready for business in 1954. Tentative plans also call for construction of a golf course, swimming pool, bowling alley, tennis court and children’s playground. Paul Hansen, a Calgary real estate man, is in charge of the promotion. Plans call for a glass-fronted auditorium with a seating capacity of 350 to cater to walk-in patrons. Capacity of the outdoor theatre will be 500 cars.”
Boxoffice, Aug. 22, 1953: “Cashing in smartly on (Corinne) Calvet’s personal appearance in Winnipeg, the Airport Drive-In, a stone’s throw from the Stadium, featured "Rope of Sand,” featuring the French actress, opening the film 20 minutes after the ceremonies at the Stadium, giving motorists enough time to see Miss Calvet in person at the ceremonies, then drive several feet over to the drive-in and see her on the screen."
Boxoffice, Aug. 1, 1953: “The Corinth Drive-In, Guys, Tenn., opens August 6, John M. Carter, secretary-treasurer of Corinth Drive-In Corp., owner, announced. This is a new drive-in.”
The Auto Sho opened in 1950? Boxoffice, Aug. 1, 1953: “"Flying saucers” descended on audiences at the Auto Sho Drive-In Theatre during the theatre’s third anniversary. The saucers were sailed from the top of the concession stand. “Lucky” saucers contained $20 and $10 bills. There were a total of 350 prizes. Free lollipops were passed out to the kids."