Author Archives: mrdrivein

Aug. 4: Bel-Air Drive-In Theatre, Versailles IN

Posted on by

It’s Day 216 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. I went from Dayton OH back over to Indiana one last time to catch a drive-in that’s only open on Fridays and Saturdays, the Bel-Air Drive-In Theatre, just west of Versailles IN. The drive took less than two hours.

Russell Kelley opened the Bel Air in 1952 and he and his family ran it for over 30 years. Russell passed away in 1987; records suggest that his drive-in had gone dormant a year or two earlier.

The Bel Air reopened in the summer of 1995, according to a later article in Cincinnati Magazine. That article attributed the drive-in’s new success to booking first-run movies. “Places like the Starlite (Amelia OH) and Bel-Air remain viable not because they’re alternatives to indoor theaters but because in their communities they are the theaters,” the magazine wrote. “The Bel-Air is the only first-run drive-in in southeastern Indiana, and some customers come an hour’s drive.”

In 2014, the Versailles Republican published a lengthy article about the Bel Air as it showed off its new digital projector. It noted that Janet Kelley Chorpenning, Russell’s daughter, had run the drive-in for “many years” before she passed away in July 2013. Now her son Allen Chorpenning had taken over. “While his mother looked at it as a hobby, he sees it as an investment, and wants to put any proceeds into updating the property and equipment,” the Republican wrote, noting the many improvements in addition to the new projector. “I think the popularity of the drive-in is coming back,” Chorpenning said.

Just last week, the Indianapolis Star included the Bel Air in a round-up of active Indiana drive-ins. It wrote, “make sure to try something — French fries, nachos or hot dogs — slathered in Coney sauce. The recipe for the seasoned meat sauce comes from Chorpenning’s wife’s family.”

The Coney sauce was a bright spot as, for the fourth time, I watched The Emoji Movie. BuzzFeed wrote, “The Emoji Movie isn’t merely bad because there’s hardly a plot or because the animation looks like a ripoff of Inside Out. … It’s bad because it’s trying so hard to cater to adults first and kids second, while accomplishing neither.” So it’s not just me.

Miles Today / Total:  99 / 26530 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: The Emoji Movie / 131

Nearby Restaurant: Ernie’s Pizza looks like a little hole in the wall, like an extended house, and it’s a locals favorite. Sure, there were sandwiches available, but what you order at a pizza place is pizza, especially when it tastes like the pizza here.

Where I Virtually Stayed: If you want to stay in Versailles, you’ll be staying at the Moon-Lite Motel. Not only does it have a gorgeous retro neon sign, this dear little mom and pop place has all the modern amenities. (And it was right next to Ernie’s Pizza.) The bed was comfy, and the great price left me plenty of cash to search out breakfast in the morning.

Only in Versailles: Versailles is the home to Paulhenge, a circle of concrete slabs with holes strategically cut to indicate solstices and equinoxes. Local artist Paul Morris designed the structure, hence the name.

Next stop: South Drive-in Theater, Columbus OH.

Aug. 3: Dixie Twin Drive-In, Dayton OH

Posted on by

It’s Day 215 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. It was just a 20-minute drive from the Melody 49 Drive-In, on the outskirts of Dayton OH to the Dixie Twin Drive-In on Dixie Drive in eastern Dayton.

According to Greater Dayton Drive-In Movie Theaters by Curt Dalton (available online here), Levin Theaters opened the Dixie in July 1957. Unlike most drive-ins, the Dixie put its kids’ playground behind the concession stand instead of in front of the screen. It was an economic use of the land, since the building obstructed the view for about eighty feet.

The Levin Family Foundation site tells the story of the Dixie’s owners’ brush with Hollywood. In 1964, brothers Sam, Al and Lou Levin decided to produce their own movie. The result was The Girls on the Beach, shot in two weeks for a budget of $50,000 and released by Paramount the following year.Sam and Al Levin both had minor roles in the film, playing beauty contest judges.

In 1967, the Dixie took the then-unusual step of opening on Sunday mornings for a flea market, called the Paris Flea Market, which has become a Dayton institution. The Dixie became a twin in 2002 after salvaging a screen from the Sherwood Twin Drive-In.

The Dixie switched to digital projection in 2014. It had failed to earn a free projector from Project Honda the year before, but according to a story at MostMetro.com, “the Dixie received tens of thousands of emails, comments, calls and posts in an unprecedented show of support,” which inspired management to shell out for two brand new projectors. That was probably the right call. Greg Dove, president of Levin Service Company, said in a 2016 article in the Dayton Daily News that attendance and revenue were up 30 percent since the digital system went in.

“The initial fear that we had, that people would just be watching their little devices at home, really hasn’t panned out,” Dove said. “And we’re quite happy that it hasn’t happened.”

Today’s video is from WDTN, Dayton’s News Leader. It’s a 2011 interview with Ryan Levin showing the then-new Dixie marquee and its remodeled concession stand.

Did I mention that I was here last year? After a long traffic jam of people driving to watch a movie, I just stuck my phone out the window and got a pretty interesting picture of the marquee.

Back to this night – thank goodness the Dixie has two screens, because one had The Emoji Movie on it. I chose whatever was on Screen 2, which turned out to be Atomic Blonde, a movie I hadn’t seen yet. It was the kind of action spy thriller, with occasional steaminess, that’s just right for a drive-in.

Miles Today / Total:  14 / 26431 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Atomic Blonde / 130

Nearby Restaurant: You know I love quirky regional chain restaurants, and Skyline Chili definitely qualifies on both counts. Most of its locations are in Ohio, so it’s regional, and until recently, you couldn’t buy a bowl of chili from them, so that’s quirky. Their signature dish is their signature chili over thin spaghetti, or as a chili dog condiment. Cheese and onions are optional.

Where I Virtually Stayed: I haven’t had many opportunities to stay in the same place for two nights, and the Hampton Inn in Englewood is just about 15 minutes away from the Dixie. That’s how long it took for me to get back to the room last year.

Only in Dayton: Just up the street on Dixie Drive, in Abby Mausoleum in Dayton Memorial Park, in the final resting place of Agnes Moorehead, a fine actress who performed in everything from Citizen Kane to Charlotte’s Web, but who was best known as Samantha’s mother Endora on the 60s TV series Bewitched.

Next stop: Bel-Air Drive-In Theatre, Versailles IN.

Aug. 2: Melody 49 Drive-In, Brookville OH

Posted on by
Drive-in screen during a magnificent sunset

Photo from the Melody 49 Facebook page

It’s Day 214 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. I drove north from the Starlite Drive-In Theatre in Amelia OH, bypassed Dayton (for now), and pulled up at the Melody 49 Drive-In, a couple of miles northeast of Brookville. The leisurely drive took less than two hours.

According to Greater Dayton Drive-In Movie Theaters by Curt Dalton (available online here), the Melody 49 opened in July 1966 with space for 1,100 cars on its 18 acres. Back then, it cost half a million dollars to build, including a 75’ x 130’ Cinemiracle screen and electric car heaters for winter showings. It was owned by Chakeres Theaters, which has owned it ever since.

In 1982, the Melody 49 switched to an AM radio broadcast, and in 1998 it switched to FM. In between, it added a second screen in 1987 after salvaging a screen from Miami Township’s Southland 75 when it closed. The new drive-in’s name was the Melody 49 Twin.

The Melody 49 was the second all-medallion theater in Ohio, meaning that everything was electrically operated, including the heating and air-conditioning. Its three-lane snack bar was built to be capable of serving 2,000 patrons in 30 minutes. Automatic food warmers were installed to ensure that the snacks remained hot and delicious.

This drive-in was the lone survivor of a Chakeres Theaters drive-in shutdown wave early last year. The Melody Cruise-In in Springfiend Township, the Skyborn Cruise-In in Fairborn and the Wilmington Drive-In didn’t open for the 2016 season, as announced in a Facebook post reported by the Dayton Daily News. In a later article, Chakeres general manager Mark Booth said the issue was the costs of converting to digital projection and added that “no decisions have been made about whether the theaters will re-open (in 2017).” They didn’t. Good thing that the Melody 49 converted!

Thank goodness this drive-in has two screens, because one had The Emoji Movie on it. I chose whatever was on Screen 2, which turned out to be War for the Planet of the Apes again. Compared to the alternative, not that bad.

Miles Today / Total:  78 / 26417 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: War for the Planet of the Apes / 129

Nearby Restaurant: Sticking close to the drive-in, I found out about a good buffet in Brookville with the unassuming name of Rob’s Restaurant. It has a real menu too, and I was tempted by today’s special of stuffed chicken breast, but why stop there when there’s a whole buffet’s worth of fried chicken available? And homemade rolls, and desserts. And veggies too, because I need to eat healthy.

Where I Virtually Stayed: One of the closest hotels to the drive-in is the Hampton Inn in Englewood. I knew this place was good because I stayed here last year. It’s tucked out of the way, but not so hard to find once you’ve been here once. It offered the typical Hampton amenities, a short walk to several restaurants, and the nice Hampton breakfast. It’s so nice to get reacquainted with an old friend.

Only in Brookville Clayton: The Melody 49 is between Brookville and Clayton, where they have a local outpost of the Esther Price candy store. According to Roadside America, a few years ago Esther-Price painted a giant chocolate box lid in their parking lot. It used to be roped off but now anyone can walk right up and touch it. (I’d feel strange about parking on it.) You can even see it on Google Maps.

Next stop: Dixie Twin Drive-In, Dayton OH.