History Vanishing Americana--the drive in movie theater

Yesterday I was in Kanopolis, Kansas population 500 or so and stopped by the old movie theater to take a break. It looks permanently closed to me but not sure about that. I would imagine profits are hard to come by in such a small town. Here are some photos I took. <center>
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Only sign of life I could see were these 3 friendly horses. <center>
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I miss the old drive-ins, my first daughter was conceived at one.

 

Shame.....we still have a drive in here.....for how long who knows?

 

Thanks Paul, That brings back wonderful memories. Slim

 

We've got one too, The 49er Drive in opened for the season on April 16th. We'll be going as often as we can this summer.

 

We have one in Guthrie OK called the "Beacon Drive In", been there since the forties I am told, still open in the summer. I have not been in years, need to go and support it, maybe I will suggest to the locals we mave a meet there..? It even has the modern FM transmitter! When I was a kid the first few rows were for those watching the movie and the back was the party animals and over in the side shawdows was lovers lane, wow this brings back memories................

 

We still have one in the area...should be opening for the season Real Soon Now...

http://www.weirsbeach.net/wdi-faq.html

4 screens, double feature on each one.

 

I have pictures of the Beacon Drive In somewhere. I always take pictures of old theaters (both drive in and the classic walk ins) whenever I travel, like it's said, vanishing Americana.

Wasn't the Beacon used in the movie "Twister".

 

our old drive in is a target and lowes store now

 

Hey Slim, thanks for the cool photo shop.

 

Got 3 left in Melbourne, at least 2 used for Trash & Treasure markets on Sundays, (Makes a killing) All 3 seem to be busy, a bit of revival taking place. A lot of car clubs have runs to them.

 

Our Drive in was destroyed in a wind storm about 25 yrs ago..... never rebuilt.

I enjoyed the drive in...... it was a great evening to watch a movie and try and score with some honey you had out on a date

 

Oklahoma City has just one remainiing drive-in in the metro, on S. Western Ave. The Winchester has been there since 1952, IIRC. And the Beacon in Guthrie, as mentioned before.

 

I believe the Beacon was used in the movie "Twister", however they built another in old Guthrie and it was a prop that was destroyed in the "storm". Guthrie itself has been used for several movies including Rainman, The Bloody Barkers, etc.

 

we lost our in the 80's its a super 8 motel now, the one in c'ville lasted a little longer, but now its a school. i miss them we went a lot in school, got drunker than hell all the time.
good times

 

Vanishing drive-in theaters seem partially responsible for their own demise. Go to drive-in & score with the soon to be wife. Raise family, kids grow up, have kids, & need house. New neighborhood takes out old drive in. Had lots of fun at drive- ins as a juvinille. Too bad they are mostly gone.

 

We've got a great one 35 miles from here. It was built about 10 years ago--3 0r 4 screens--it is PACKED on the weekends from the locals but it's hard to organize car groups from here to get down there. Lots of folks too young to appreciate it!

 

Wow, with a population of 500, the theater must be a family run deal. Hard to believe such a small town could support it. Maybe back in the day, the entire town met there on weekends as it was the main entertainment.
Pretty cool though; looks like someone back in the 50's(?) simply decided to build a screen/theater on their field. Snack bar looks to have started as a doeble wide. Might be a cool place for a small car show, going into the night with vintage movies showing.

 

WOW, what memories. We all knew if we could get a girl to go the drive-in we had a chance to score! And the biggest trunk could get the most in for free if it was just guys and beer! Miss those good old days!

 

this was in South Arcadia/Monrovia, CA. in the 50's-80's.
"Young Frankenstein", "Butch Cassidy", "Easy Rider", "Lemans", "Blazing Saddles", "Smokey and the Bandit", "Dirty Harry".....
sitting in lawn chairs with a huge cooler full of beer....
summer nights, beer, movies, friends, and NEVER saw a drama unless it was a "shoot 'em up" movie...."girls movies"...NEVER, not at a drive-in!!!

Next door was a topless/bottomless joint called the "Briar Patch"

ahhhhh...you weren't going to catch any of us at the ballet, that's for sure!

 

The 80s were difficult for the drive-ins...maybe because VCRs came out. Our local drive-in ran X movies just to stay in business for a few short years. GEEEEZ...the screen was facing the main road...you never knew what you'd see driving past there now they don't need the x movies but do run flea markets there to help pay the bills.

 

I guess we are lucky, we still have one in El Cajon, a suburb of San Diego, Calif. Once a year , a chick club called the Skirts, hosts a drive in night at the Santee Drive in . This place is cool , it is virtually untouched , except last year they finally pulled the last of the speakers. The Lifters and Road Devils show up , and the next time the girls put one on , I will make a point of posting it, so more clubs can show up.

 

A few years ago a local businessman decided to bring a Drive-In theater back to the area. His prices are cheap, double feature, kids free, etc. He is paying through the nose for 2nd run movies, they hit the drive-in a month after they finish at the corporate theaters in town.

Now he has plans for a couple others. I've met him and I bet if he won the lottery he'd keep opening/running drive-ins until the money ran out.

http://www.amusementparkdriveinonline.com/History.html

 

still an active, successful drive-in theatre in Jefferson, WI. Too bad the owner is not a car guy, we would love to do some promotion for him and watch the movie Hot Rod.

Paul, I am thinking you better just move to WI. We have active race tracks and drive-ins all over the place. Jefferson has both!

Seems like every time I see photos from Kansas they are depressing!

thanks for sharing!

 

Doesn't look like its been closed for too long. Possibly a year or two.

 

We used to change the marquis occasionally at the local drive-ins...unauthorized, of course! After a Saturday night of keg parties in the desert somewhere, we'd go, a couple of times a year, to the drive-in movie entance and simply open the door to the gate booth. They'd forget to lock it sometimes! Anyway, their marquis letters were stored in there, and we'd just feel compelled to change the movie title! The was a movie about a submarine called "Gray Lady Down" that got changed one night to "Gray Lady Gets Fu*ked". Probably the most infamous pranked marquis that was done when we did that kind of thing!

 

some signs don't need any help to be amusing...

 

I have a drive in theater that i built, i still need to buy a fm transmitter. But the big speakers work ok for now. I was thinking of putting on a small car show/meet/hang out and playing old movies, maybe on wendsdays after the el cajon car show, maybe on saterdays.