Circle Drive-In (Open-PA)

Our Visit – October 2018:

We actually visited the Circle Drive-In twice – both times on our annual trip to NY for my husband to go fishing. Unfortunately, the pictures from our first visit (2016) are MIA. So when we were planning our drive in 2018, I added this detour to recapture the lost images.

 

Visiting in October meant we saw a glimpse of the drive-in’s side job as a haunted attraction. A giant skeleton was hugging the marquee! The marquee itself is my favorite part of the drive-in. In addition to the movie names, there is also a digital time and temperature box above.

The drive-way entrance takes you uphill, and through the ticket booth. Very classic! There are two lanes to enter the drive-in, with a canopy attached to the booth.

After you exit the ticket area, you proceed to a split for the two screens. The left screen and parking is slightly elevated from the screen on the right. The screens are also facing opposite directions, so you see the back of the left screen after you leave the ticket booth. The rows have markers, simply stated with “Row 6” and so on.

The concession stand offers a variety of foods, the basic drive-in fare. There is an outdoor seating area. This was a neat feature!

We did not stay long since they were not open at the time. Hopefully we can make it out there for a set of movies soon!

 

History:

The Circle Drive-In opened on September 10, 1949. There are different accounts of who originally opened the drive-in, but the October 22, 1949 issue of Billboard stated the Circle Drive-In Corporation, headed by Al Franzell, opened the drive-in.

 

After that, it is difficult to know exactly who owned and operated the drive-in until the current owners took over. Carload (website – see links at the end) offers information from the Motion Picture Almanac if you are interested; however, I was unable to verify the change of hands.

 

I looked into the property deeds to try and get a better idea of the ownership, but that only led to further confusion! See below for the breakdown of the change of hands for the deed over the years. It is interesting to note the mining companies involved in the deeds.

 

It does seem that Michael Delfino took over the drive-in during the year of 1963. Delfino can be seen in a video on the drive-in’s Facebook page, stating the drive-in went up for sale in 1963. Delfino was already operating the Maple Drive-In, which started 10 years previously.

 

In 1975, the drive-in expanded to include a flea market. Then in 2012 the Circle of Screams haunted attraction opened. This is also the same year the drive-in switched to digital projection. In 2015, the second screen was added.

 

Recorder of Deeds: 41.942 acres of land

• June 24, 2010: Mr. & Mrs. Delfino to Circle Realty LLC
• March 11, 1993: Deed signed: Mr. and Mrs. Delfino (Michael Delfino – President of Circle Drive-in Co, Inc) from Bell Mountain Village (Frank Colombo, Partner)
• July 12, 1991: Michael Novak & Rita Novak to Bell Realty, Inc
• July 5, 1978: Michael & Gwen Delfino signed deed from Penn Anthracite Collieries Company
• Jan 2, 1973: Clare Kane (Beneficiary of Leo C. Parrish)
• Jan 15, 1970: Executor of Leo C. Parrish’s estate
• August 19, 1966: Leo C. Parrish from Penn Anthracite Collieries Company
• August 1, 1951: “being parts of the Daniel Bennett, Sandy McLean and Benjamin McLean Warrants, and a part of the Johnson Colliery properties conveyed to a previous Grantor herein by deed of Elk Hill Coal and Iron Company” (Quoted from the deed)
• August 19, 1949: Circle Drive In Co, Inc

 

Links for Sources and Other Information:

• October 22, 1949 Billboard
• Carload Blog
• Circle Drive-In Website
• WNEP Article
• Happenings Magazine Article

 

Circle Drive-In
1911 Scranton Carbondale Highway
Dickson City, PA 18508

It’s the Little Things…

…like when you park behind the abandoned Pennsauken Drive-In Theatre when you go out to dinner 😁😁😁😁😁

Mahoning Drive-In (Open – PA)

History

The Mahoning Drive-In Theatre opened in 1949 and continues operation today! Bethlehem Steel constructed the 105-foot Cinemascope screen in 1948.

The ownership or management is a bit spotty – but thanks to Billboard, the user NeonMichael on Cinematreasures.org, and the author of www.carload.com, I have a general idea:

• 1949: Opened. Operated by Max Korr, Mitchell Rappaport and Shirer. A.M. Ellis also took up 50% interest in to the Mahoning (Ellis Theaters of New Jersey). Ellis operated drive-ins in New Jersey.
• 1956: Owned by Ellis Theatres
• 1952: Joseph J. Humphries and R. C. H. Becker Sr
• 1963-66: Claude Reinhard
• 1978: Riant Entp
• 1980-82: J. Morgan
• 1982-1998: Amos Theaters Inc (Joseph Farruggio)
• ? – 2013: Owned by Mike and Deb Danchak, who also own the nearby Angel Theatre in Coaldale.
• 2014-present: Jeff Mattox
  • July 2014: Added Matt McClanahan and Virgil Cardamone

 

Over the years, the car capacity increased gradually to eventually reach the current capacity of approximately 900 cars.

In 2013, Mike and Deb Danchak closed the theatre for the season on September 8. This was the time the movie industry announced they would be switching film from 35mm to digital – with no more than one year left for possible 35mm films available for current movies.

A digital projector was a pricey investment. A bamboozler – Glen Brannon – took advantage of the drive-ins difficulties and reached out to Mike Danchak about saving the theater. There was a major fundraising effort to fix-up the drive-in. Volunteers came to the drive-in and painted the projection booth, for example. There was an online fundraising page to raise money for the projector and other needed improvements. Depending on the amount you donated, you were able to receive a gift of some kind. I remember seeing the opportunity to buy carload passes for the upcoming season as well. Personally, I donated money in hopes to keep the theater alive and running! Brannon headed all of these processes, with the promise of updating and revitalizing the Mahoning DI.

However, Brannon turned out to be a swindler. He had dealings with several other theaters and you will be hard pressed to find a positive piece of information about Brannon. See the given links at the end of this post for information about Brannon.

Jeff Mattox took over the drive-in in 2014 and for a brief stint, renamed the theater as “Big Pocono Outdoor Theater.” He managed the Mahoning from 2001-2007, and part of the 2010 season, prior to returning as the new owner. On July 22, 2014, Mattox officially added McClanahan and Cardamone (Mahoning FB page).

For the 2014 season, the Mahoning continued to show first-run movies from the companies that would provide 35mm films. Per a Facebook post on March 17, 2014, Jeff initially believed the Mahoning would need to purchase a digital projector to continue into the 2015 season. However, the Mahoning switched to nostalgic movies for the 2015 season and continues today. You also have the option to camp if you are interested.

As quoted from the official Mahoning Drive-In website: “We offer an exclusively retro 35mm film program, which is presented reel-to-reel via original 1940’s Simplex projectors! Our goal; to deliver you a true love of film, and the nostalgic movie going experience you can only get at the drive-in!”

 

Our Visit (September 14, 2013)

Our stop at the Mahoning Drive-In Theater was a double hit – we had a movie night at Laurel Drive-In Theater (35 minutes away), but also stopped by the Mahoning for a brief photo shoot!

The Mahoning Drive-In had closed for the season the previous weekend, but we still wanted to see the property. I was instantly excited by the beautiful marquee – the red arrow directing patrons was eye-catching and gorgeous. Who doesn’t love an old-fashioned drive-in marquee?

We approached the drive-in property – you can see the screen as you drive down Seneca Road. Mahoning DI has a fun entrance with ticket booth and overhand introducing the theatre. The left side was blocked with a chain, and based on the tracks on the ground, has not been used in quite some time. Regardless, you could easily picture two rows of cars lined up for a night of movies!

A small building seemed to be the location for tickets, not far past the original ticket booth. (Further research showed this to be true, but the current owners use the original ticket booth!)

Inside the theater, there is a paved roadway for the entrance and to the exit, as well as around the projection booth. The car parking/viewing area was covered in grass. The projection booth was standard concrete, white with colored polka dots. There were openings for the projector to project the movies onto the large CinemaScope screen.

The screen is always one of my favorite aspects to photograph. Along the top of the screen, there was either speakers or lights. Under and slightly behind the screen was a small building. I’m unsure the purpose, but photographed it anyway.

Finally, the EXIT sign guided us off the property for the day. Random side note, we took our photos of the marquee on our way out.

There were a few piles of trash around the property – not too unusual for older theaters.

 

Mahoning Drive-In Theatre

635 Seneca Rd

Lehighton, PA 18235

 

 

References and Further Reading:

Official Website: http://mahoningdit.com/

News articles on Brannon: http://www.route66news.com/2012/06/18/who-is-the-teepee-drive-ins-new-operator/, http://www.route66news.com/2013/05/11/teepee-drive-ins-former-operator-resurfaces-in-pennsylvania/, http://wnep.com/2013/05/10/excitement-turns-to-concern-for-drive-in-trying-to-stay-open/

Article on new owners: http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/movies/20150717_Temple_grads_run__open-air_nostalgia_palace__drive-in_theater.html

www.carload.com

http://www.cinematreasures.org

Big Pocono Outdoor Theater FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/bigpocono/

Article about documentary film on the Mahoning DI: http://republicanherald.com/news/documentary-to-tell-story-of-mahoning-drive-in-1.2252034

 

The Moonlite Comes Back to Life! (Opening Soon!)

For Christmas, I unwrapped my very own pair of drive-in speakers and stand! My husband came through with an amazing gift, and linked me to a fun Facebook page as well.

While browsing the recent posts, I came across some photos of the Moonlite Drive-In Theatre in West Wyoming, Pennsylvania – BEING RENOVATED! The Borough Council accepted the purchase of the drive-in by Eric Symeon and approved a variance for the land to become a drive-in again earlier this year.

I hope some of the memorabilia Mr. Symeon found in the buildings will be put on display – I almost wish I had withstood the heat and bugs to browse the property more when we were there!

Best of luck and well wishes during the renovations – the marquee already looks 110% better and only good things can happen from here on out! 3 Cheers for another drive-in theatre brought back to life (Coming: Spring 2018!).

**Make sure to check out my original post about the Moonlite Drive-In! 

Look Closely…

Look closely and you’ll see a glimpse of the past. Photo: September 1, 2017.
Shore Drive-In, Ocean City,  MD.

Check out the link for the marquee minus the foliage!

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/11088
See previous post for full details on this drive -in! Shore Drive-In (Closed, MD)

Shore Drive-In (Closed, MD)

Our Visit (November 2014):

We love to take day-trips and have surprise date days. One of these took us to Assateague Island State Park and Ocean City, Maryland. As always, I saw an opportunity to visit an abandoned drive-in! In this case it was Ocean City’s Shore Drive-In Theatre, a couple miles off the island.

 

There was a bit of traffic, but we knew the general area of the marquee. After we parked an got out on foot to explore, I couldn’t help but think about the tourists visiting Ocean City. Hundreds – maybe more – passed the marquee covered in tangled weeds and plants without a second glance.

Red, green, and white stripes were still visible along the 2 sides of the marquee, but the rest was mere rusted metal. Where words once announced the featured films, only bars remained. Looking underneath, you can see the wires and connections that once held bright white lights to illuminate the marquee.

 

Beyond the marquee there was so much more to be seen! Even after almost 40 years, nature, the elements, and vandals could not completely destroy visible remnants of the drive-in.

Various building pieces remained – a wooden structure that lay crumbled on its side, the ticket booth, speaker poles with torn bases, and the screen. The screen is always my favorite piece of a drive-in that has been left behind. Their resilience amazes me.

The screen held a large lattice of wooden pieces as the backing. Larger slats of wood lay across the lattice horizontally where the movies once shone. Vines and trees intertwined with the lattice. My favorite piece of the screen was the ladder in the back, against one of the wooden poles, leading to the screen.

Everything was very overgrown, but it was manageable to navigate. As always – be careful, be considerate, and do not leave any physical imprint.

History:

The Shore Drive-In Theatre opened in 1954 and lasted for 22 years, closing in 1976. The Salisbury Times has advertisements starting in 1954 through ’76. In March of 1956, the Baltimore Sun reported that the court ruled the drive-in must be closed on Sundays.

 

Besides this bit of information, I could not find the owners/operators of the theatre, why it closed, or the types of movies it ran. Several people online reported that there was a flea market on the property after it closed. The property is currently for sale as a commercial property, listed for $800,000.

 

Shore Drive-In:                                                         11906 Ocean Gateway, Ocean City, MD 21842

 

 

Boulevard Drive-In (Allentown, PA) – Closed

Our Visit (2014):

On one of our day road trips we wound up in Allentown area. Per usual, I decided to check up on any possible drive-in remains and found the former Boulevard Drive-In! It was easy to find – driving along Union Boulevard you could see the screen set back, facing the boulevard. After another drive-by we found a spot to pull over.

It was apparent that construction was under way, but at the time we didn’t know the purpose. There were various tractors, construction fencing, and wooden markers for the paving that was underway. A beautiful new building was set in the back-center of the lot, and some paving was started around the building, and circling towards the drive-in screen.

That’s right – the drive-in screen! It was still standing tall, even with some minor damage. As we left I was just hoping that the new construction would keep the screen in the design.

History:

The Boulevard Drive-In opened on October 19, 1949. Owned and operated by Milgram Theaters, the Boulevard paved the way for all drive-ins!

In 1950 David Milgram brought a suit against the 8 major film companies because they would not grant access for first-run films to drive-ins. Two of the companies, RKO and Fox, offered second-run films (28 days after the indoor cinemas had the films), but Milgram was not satisfied. In a Philadelphia court, Milgram won the suit. The film companies appealed twice, including to the US Supreme Court in May 1952, but they refused to hear the appeal.

In 1950, the drive-in worked with Station WAAB to include live shows as entertainment at the drive-in. In May of that year, the Sleepy Hollow Ranch Gang had two scheduled performances. According to Wikipedia, the drive-in also had a children’s play area in front of the screen with various playground equipment.

The drive-in had many prosperous years, but closed in the 1980s. I was unable to find an exact date, but one user posted on cinematreasures.org that they remember attending in 1984. For photos from 1988 – including the marquee, screen, ticket booths, and projection booth visit http://www.cinematour.com/tour/us/13063.html.

The drive-in has since been converted to a classic car showcase. Known as the Allentown Classic Motor Car showcase, it is owned by Nicola Bulgari. This jeweler wanted to have a place to show and drive his classic cars. Visit Here for details from the architect.

Boulevard Drive-In

556 Union Boulevard

Allentown, PA

Shore Drive-In (Closed, NJ)

Our Visit: January 2014

On a day off in January 2014, Dan and I took a road trip north to try and find a few drive-ins. Our luck was high, because we were able to visit 2 former drive-in sites. The Shore Drive-In and Fly-In Drive-In were 4.4 miles apart on Rt. 34 in Wall Township.

The downfall of our visit was that it had snowed prior to our visit, making it difficult to capture pictures of what remained for the Shore Drive-In. The site is not easily accessible, especially in the snow.

There are many speaker poles remaining, outlining the parking spaces and lanes for driving.

In addition to the speaker poles, there were two building remains. It is hard to ascertain the buildings’ purposes from my memory (2 years ago!) and the snow. I believe the red bricks were from the projection booth. The other I am not so sure…

History:

On May 12, 1948, the Shore Drive-In of Farmingdale*, NJ opened with the support and praise of various local businesses and residents. The Asbury Park Press newspaper (May 11, 1948) is littered with advertisements congratulating the Eastern Drive In Theatre Corporation on the opening of the Shore Drive-In. Supporters included Bell Supply Co, Drive-In Refreshments, Thomas Nicol Co, Jersey State Electric, Franklin Engineering, Monmouth Lumber Co, Anchor Post Fence Co, and many more.

 

Most notable was the support and recognition from the Park-In Theatre Company. The Park-In Theatre Company was Hollinghead’s company, the original creator of the Drive-In Theater. The Shore Drive-In was covered and license under the Hollingshead Patent for drive-ins.

 

Some interesting features for this drive-in included complementary bottle warming for mothers with young babies, in addition to the usual amenities offered by drive-ins.

 

Research of Eastern Drive In Theatre Corporation and James J. Thompson (owner) led to very little, except that they owned and operated several other NJ drive-ins including the Union DI (where the original moved after 3 years), Morris Plains DI and Totowa DI. However, the corporation and drive-in search did connect to Wilfred P. Smith.

 

Wilfred P. Smith was the general manager for Eastern Drive-In Corporation through 1950, having a hand in all of the beginning drive-ins in New Jersey, including the Shore Drive-In. He obviously took pride in the presentation and reputation of the drive-in, for he is quoted saying they were “striving for another NJ State Garden Club award such as was presented to our Union Drive-In Theater last year for landscaping, beauty, safety and civic achievement for a business enterprise along a main highway” (Asbury Park Press, 1948).

 

Smith left Eastern Drive-In Corporation to open his own drive-in in Ledgewood, and subsequently the Newton Drive-In. Although I was unable to find a lot of history on the Shore Drive-In, I was excited to be introduced to Wilfred P. Smith and his pioneering efforts. Hopefully he enjoyed the retired life, and his memory will live on in the drive-in world.

 

Shore Drive-In, 5001 New Jersey 33, Wall Township, NJ 07727

The Shore Drive-In closed sometime after 1979. The screen was demolished in 2001.

Some more great photos: http://drive-ins.com/gallery/njtshor/shore-drive-in-theater-farmingdale-nj

*Depending on where you get your information, the Shore Drive-In may be listed as Collingwood Park, Wall Township, or Farmingdale. It was near Asbury Park, but not in that town.

 

Point 3 Drive-In (Open, PA)

Our Visit (September 21, 2015):

This was our first drive-in theater where we were allowed to, and brought!, our dog, Max! Needless to say, I was excited about this aspect right from the start. I had seen photos of drive-ins with tail-wagging dogs in the background, but had yet to experience this side of the drive-in. We made a night of our trip – visiting Centralia, PA to explore a Weird Pennsylvania article location, drove by the Laurel Drive-In in Hazleton, PA (post to come eventually – we went there the previous year!), and went to the Point 3 Drive-In.

We arrived early so I could take photos of the outside pieces – marquee, back of the main screen, drive-way…the usual. The Point 3 has old ticket booths at the tree border, marking the entrance. The ticket booths are no longer used, but serve a taste of nostalgia. As you pass through the ticket booths (overhand present!), the block of pine trees to your left clear out to expose the expansive drive-in.

Following the drive-way, cars approach the back end of the snack bar. This serves as the ticket booth, advertised by a neon sign. Our screen (#3) was to our far right. Both Screen 2 and 3 lots are covered in grass. When we first came in, I wondered about parking for the movie. Lanes nor spacers were marked – only the slight incline for optimal viewing indicated the parking locations. I needn’t worry – my husband chose a perfect spot, and it was not overly crowded (yes…a wedding over the summer kept me away from blogging!).

Max and I explored the grounds while Dan set up the back of the jeep with the blankets, pillows, etc. Max was drawn towards the snack-bar (of course), but no dogs allowed inside. We saw an elevated seating area, with overhead coverage, next to the snack bar, and some picnic benches on the other side. There was a slide and play-set to the left of Screen 1, which is always neat to see (I think it really shows the focus on children and families!).

Our food was good – typical snack-bar snacks. The soda was self-serve, a first I had seen at a drive-in. Our movies were good – “Pixels” and “Trainwreck” – the adult movie set out of the three screen choices. Most cars left after “Pixels,” but then again, most of the cars had children.

All in all, it was a fun evening and we were glad to be there for their last night of the season!

 

History:

The Point 3 Drive-In was originally called the Arrow Drive-In Theatre, opening between 1952 and 1953 in Danville, Pennsylvania. According to Billboard (June 21, 1952), the drive-in opened in summer of 1952. Harold E. Bell opened the drive-in with the help of Allied Booking and Buying Service. By September 13, 1952, Billboard reported that new lamps were installed at the drive-in. By May 30, 1953, Bell resigned from his other theater management position at College Theater in Bethlehem to manage the Arrow Drive-In. Bell seemed to have been a theater advocate, being a manager of regular Berwick theaters up until 1950, and also a salesman of Perkins Theatre Supply Co from 1952-55.

The name change timeframe is uncertain, occurring sometime between 1955 and 1958. The Theatre Catalog lists the drive-in as the Arrow Drive-In in 1955, and the Film Daily Year Book of Motion Pictures lists the drive-in as the Point Drive-In in 1958. While running under the name of Arrow Drive-In, the theater had one screen. This continued through 1966 at least (via Historic Aerials). By 1993, historic aerials seems to show 3 screens.

David Renn is the current owner and has been for the past 27 years (Renn, in person, 9/21/2015). Prior to Renn it seems that Cinecom Theatre ran the Point, after Comerford Theaters was in charge and sold out to them in the late 1960s. Looking into these theater companies does not bring out any connections to the drive-in, although they are associated with local theaters.

Point 3 Drive-In Theatre Route 11 & Northumberland-Da Hwy Danville, PA 17821

 

2015 Drive-in Season Begins! (For me!)

Where my passion and love for the drive-in began! Happy drive-in season everyone!