What was playing at the Drive-ins on June 30, 1956?

Well, let's take a look – shall we?

At the Tower Drive-in on Lake Avenue– the Best Show Bargain in Town – there were three big pictures in the line-up.

Perennial Lorain favorites the Bowery Boys were starring in Jail Busters (1955). In this one, Slip (Leo Gorcey), Satch (Huntz Hall) and the rest of the Boys (in this case, that means Butch) get themselves arrested and sent to prison as part of some undercover work for a newspaper story on prison corruption. Wacky hijinks ensue when they get double-crossed, and as a result become real convicts temporarily.

The second feature was Esther Williams in Easy to Love (1953), filmed at Cypress Gardens. Esther Williams just passed away last year.

The third movie in the triple feature was an oater called The Silver Star (1955), which starred Edgar Buchanan (Uncle Joe from Petticoat Junction) and Lon Chaney Jr. Jimmy Wakely sang the movie's theme song.

Courtesy www.movieposter.com

Over at the Lorain Drive-in on Lake Road, Commanche! (1956) with Dana Andrews was just wrapping up. The film also introduced Linda Cristal.

Also on the bill that night Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955), starring Jane Russell and Jeanne Crain. The film was a sequel of sorts to Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (which also starred Jane Russell). Gentlemen Marry Brunettes also featured Alan Young (Wilbur on Mr. Ed)  – who, happily, is still with us.

The third feature that night was another Bowery Boys classic, Master Minds (1949). It was one of their best. In this one, Sach has the ability to predict the future, which attracts the attention of a mad scientist. The mad scientist actually succeeds in temporarily swapping Sach's brain with that of a vicious hairy monster!

The attractions for Sunday night sounded pretty good too.

First up was a Cartoon Carnival consisting of 6 color cartoons. That drawing of Donald Duck in the ad, though, is one of the worst I've ever seen, with his gargantuan duck head and tiny hands. Definitely not the work of Carl Barks!

The first feature for Sunday night was the creepy science fiction B-movie World Without End (1956) which takes place in the futuristic year of 2508. It features Rod Taylor and a race of violent (and hairy) one-eyed mutants, not to mention some space-babes.

Lastly was – what else? – another Bowery Boys hit: Dig that Uranium (1956)! 

Here's a preview clip (sorry, no trailer available for this one).

Dig that Uranium was actually quite topical, with the Bowery Boys trying to strike it rich by prospecting for uranium. (It was a very lucrative enterprise back in the 1950s; click here to find out more.)

Hey, I almost forgot – what about the Carlisle Drive-in? Well, here's its lineup for June 30, 1956: The Racers (1955), Johnny Guitar (1954), and Salome Where She Danced (1945).

Well, whaddaya know, the Bowery Boys were coming there soon! I told you they were pretty popular in Lorain.

Carlisle Drive-In Theater Odds 'N Ends

The drive-in as it looked back in the spring of 1990 (D. Brady photo)

Here are a few news clippings about the old Carlisle Drive-In Theater that used to be on Oberlin-Elyria Road (Route 20) out in Carlisle Township. (I first wrote about it back here).

I'll start with an ad (below) announcing the drive-in's gala opening for the 1950 season. It ran in the Chronicle-Telegram on Wednesday, March 29 of that year.

Next is a C-T ad (below) from May 1, 1950 announcing the promotional appearance at the drive-in by "Sunset" Carson and his horse Cactus. It sounds like the show was a lot of fun.

And here's an article (below) from July 5, 1969 – 44 years ago today – that ran in the Chronicle-Telegram explaining how a group of ministers came up with a creative use for the drive-on theater. I think it's a great idea.

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Convenient Christianity in Elyria

The Rev. Charles W. Hamilton, left, and the Rev. Richard
Linde prepare for Sunday worship service starting tomorrow at
the Carlisle Drive-In Theater

A group of Elyria ministers are aiming to make worshipping more available to the community.

They have planned worship services Sundays at 8 a.m. at the Carlisle Drive-In, tomorrow through August.

First United Methodist Church and First Congregational Church have sponsored the "Early-Bird Worship Services" at the theater, Rt. 20 south of Elyria, for six years.

The Rev. Richard Linde, senior pastor of First Congregational, will preach tomorrow and next Sunday, July 13.

THE REV. CHARLES W. Hamilton, senior pastor at First United Methodist, will speak July 20 and July 27.

Superintendent of the Elyria United Methodist Home, the Rev. Leonard Dittman, a member of First United Methodist, will preach Aug. 3, and on Aug. 10 the Rev. Kenneth Morris, associate minister at First United Methodist, will speak.

ASSOCIATE PASTOR at First Congregational, the Rev. Thomas H. Eisentrout, will preach Aug. 16. His wife, the Rev. Virginia A. Eisentrout, also an associate minister at First Congregational, will preach Aug. 24.

On Aug. 31 the Rev. Donald Nichols, pastor of Pilgrim United Church of Christ, will preach.

Music, responsive readings and special prayers will played rom tape recordings during the services. But the preaching, Scripture readings and announcements will be live. Ushers will direct the cars into the drive-in.

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Lastly, I wondered what the Carlisle Drive-In Theater property looks like today. In case you're wondering as well, here's a Bing aerial view. (Click on it for a larger view.)

As you can see, it's being used for storage of trash dumpsters. Also note that the property no longer sits on U.S. 20 since "new 20" was built nearby.

Carlisle Drive-in Gala Opening 1955

Gee, my drive-in movie blog series just keeps going and going...

I found this ad accidentally during some recent research.

Back here, I posted a photo that I took of the old Carlisle Drive-in on Route 20 shortly before it was torn down. The only information I had about it was from a Chronicle-Telegram article from about that time. The C-T noted that the theater opened in 1949.

Well, at least I know when the Carlisle Drive-in opened for the 1955 season: April 9, 1955, the day this ad ran in the Lorain Journal. It's interesting that the Carlisle had a CinemaScope screen.

If anyone remembers going to the Carlisle, be sure to post some memories in the 'comments' section!

This drive-in was too far out in the country (like the ad says) for me to have patronized it. Plus, I'm not even sure the Journal ran very many of their ads.

Carlisle Drive-in

As long as I'm talking about drive-ins, here's a photo of one in Lorain County that I shot back in the spring of 1990 – 20 years ago. It's the old Carlisle Drive-in on Oberlin - Elyria Road in Carlisle Township. It was located out in the country, just west of the Elyria Country Club.

According to several articles in the Chronicle-Telegram at the time, the 550-car drive-in was built on 62 acres back in 1949 for the sum of $200,000. It closed in 1985, mainly due to competition from cable TV and the growing popularity of video rentals. It was the second drive-in theater in Lorain County, after the Lorain Drive-in.

Eventually, Browning-Ferris Industries, the company that owned the property, deemed the old drive-in to be an eyesore and decided to tear it down around late June 1990.

I had stumbled upon the old drive-in while shooting around Lorain County, and really liked the lettering on the 18-foot-high marquee. I was planning to go back and try to get a better shot (the late afternoon sun made it difficult on the day I was there) and I was disappointed to read that it was being demolished.

I'm sorry I never had an opportunity to see a movie there.

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UPDATE (February 5, 2015)

I received an email in October 2015 from Dennis Thompson. Dennis wrote, "I know you did a couple of stories about the old Carlisle Drive-in, torn down in 1990. I happened to be driving by when they started to demolish it, and I snapped a few last photos."

Here is Dennis' photo (below).

Thanks for sharing, Dennis! It's good to see it in color.