Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Grand Opening of Tower Drive-in – May 20, 1950

Drive-in movie theaters have been a favorite topic on this blog. 

I've written and posted photos of several that were located in Northern or Central Ohio: the Starview Drive-in on US 20 in Norwalk: the Carlisle Drive-in south of Elyria (on what used to be US 20); Sandusky Drive-in on US 6; Midway Auto Drive-in on US 42 near Mansfield; and the Madison Skyway Drive-in, on US 20 near Geneva.

(US 20 sure had a lot of drive-ins.)

Local drive-ins that I've written about include the Lorain Drive-in (the present location of Hold-It Self Storage, where I rent a small unit); the still-thriving Aut-O-Rama Twin Drive-in Theatre in North Ridgeville; and the Tower Drive-in, on what used to be State Route 57.

And 75 years ago today, the Tower Drive-in opened. Here's the Grand Opening ad that appeared in the Lorain Journal back on May 20, 1950.

The ad makes it sound pretty modern and nice. It notes, "A new advancement in sound engineering and speaker construction will bring you for the first time a tone quality and fidelity never before achieved in an Auto Theatre.

"A newly designed speaker post provides you with your own parking light. A small lamp concealed in the plastic top of the post casts a soft mellow glow to aid in replacing the speaker and a small white spot light up the base of the post for greater ease in parking.
"All ramps are scientifically designed for perfect visibility in any part of the theater."
"For the first time anywhere in the world you will see a screen image, of this tremendous size, three times more brilliant than before."

Here's an ad for the theatre that ran a few days later.

May 26, 1950 Journal ad
By June, Tower Drive-in movie ads had adopted the flower logo that would adorn its ads for decades.
June 2, 1950 Journal ad

A summer 1974 ad



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10 comments:

  1. -Alan D HopewellMay 20, 2025 at 5:14 AM

    The first outing to a drive -in that I can remember was to the Tower, in 1959, to see BRIDES OF DRACULA, perhaps strong stuff for a three year old, but I remember having a good time. What I found even scarier was the witch Malicifent turning into a dragon at the clinic of SLEEPING BEAUTY, which I saw later that year at the Tower.

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  2. -Alan D HopewellMay 20, 2025 at 5:14 AM

    Climax of SLEEPING BEAUTY.

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  3. -Alan D HopewellMay 20, 2025 at 5:18 AM

    https://youtu.be/JmM-XX8atlQ?feature=shared

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  4. RaeMay 20, 2025 at 6:55 AM

    Saw "I Dismember Mama" here. Title still cracks me up. Many teen slash movies.

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  5. KenMay 20, 2025 at 8:43 AM

    From Sonja Hening to Swinging Cheerleaders in 24 years.

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  6. LHS Blazer ManMay 20, 2025 at 11:32 AM

    The first time my family went to the drive-in was to see “A Hole in the Head” starring Frank Sinatra. All six of us piled into our two-tone blue Plymouth station wagon to see the movie. I still remember the theme song that Sinatra sang, “High Hopes.” Despite all the holes in my head, I still can’t get that tune out of my mind!

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    Replies
    1. -Alan D HopewellMay 20, 2025 at 12:12 PM

      But everyone knows an ant can't move a rubber tree plant!

      Delete
    2. -Alan D HopewellMay 20, 2025 at 6:44 PM

      I think I saw A HOLE IN THE HEAD at the drive -in, too.

      Delete
    3. LHS Blazer ManMay 21, 2025 at 11:44 AM

      Alan, I think that’s one of the few novelty songs which Sinatra ever recorded. (I don’t count the song with the “doo-bee-doo-bee-doo” riff.)

      Delete

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