Rutland Twin Drive-In
129 VT-4A,
Castleton,
VT
05735
129 VT-4A,
Castleton,
VT
05735
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I’m updating my Drive-In spreadsheets; I see that I have marked down that the Rutland Twin reopened for an apparent third time in 2011 and closed for good in 2013. Could anybody please verify this?
Boxoffice, Sept. 22, 1969: “Herbert Goldstein, younger brother of Howard, reported the General Warren Drive-In, Castleton, Vt., enjoyed a pretty good summer despite rain and product shortage. "The Love Bug” proved among the top grossers, Herb added. A fourth grade teacher in the Troy public school system, the articulate, quiet-spoken partner in the Vermont ozoner now lives in Niskayuna with his wife (ex-instructor at Shaker Ridge School, Colonie) and their two children"
In 1977, the Fort Warren Drive-In got new ownership changing its name to the Rutland-Ft. Warren Drive-In. The Rutland Drive-In ceased operations October 22, 1975 so the merger of names was consolation to the diehard fans of the old Rutland.
On July 27, 1980, the facility added a second screen renaming as the Rutland Twin Drive-in Theatre. The Rutland Twin ended operations at the end of the 1988 season. It closed August 28, 1988 with “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” and “Three Men and a Baby” on Screen One and “Big” with “License to Drive” on Screen Two.
The Fort Warren Drive-In opened on May 10th, 1949 and closed in 1980. Grand opening ad posted.
Between 1945 and 1950, I lived in East Hubbardton, south of Monument Hill. During that time, I frequently visited the Fort Warren drive in, with farm friends just down the road.
First, the address 129 VT-4A, Castleton, VT will more accurately map the location of the drive-in. You can still barely make out some of the ramps. https://goo.gl/maps/m3H9e
Second, there’s something not right or complete about the information to when the theater operated. According to a 2003 aerial overhead photograph, the drive-in already gone by that point in time having last been present in a 1994 aerial photo.
Based on that, either the drive-in was moved to another location or it did not last into the 21st century.
The highest-numbered card among the MGM Theatre Reports is the card for this drive-in in Castleton VT. It’s Card # 608. It’s in the Theatre Historical Society on-line archive under “New England Special Collection”. And it’s not in numerical order: it’s listed between cards 573 and 574. There’s not much activity with these cards after 1950-51 or so, which indicates the Ft. Warren must have opened around then. Unfortunately, no one filled the card out; there is only a photo of a twin-gated entrance. There is a movie poster at left and, if you can read it, you can date the photo from the title.