Wilmington owner changes mind, will reopen

Wilmington Drive-In sign and distant screen

photo by Bill Eichelberger, used by permission

You may remember our previous coverage of Phillip Chakeres, the CEO of the company that owns the Wilmington (OH) Drive-In. Chakeres said he wasn’t sure whether it was closed for good, then a couple of days later he said he was certain it was closed for good. Now there’s news this week that Chakeres said he’ll open the Wilmington this year after all.

The article in the Wilmington News Journal was again written by Andrea Chaffin, who has talked to him so often she should be Chakeres’s best friend by now. “Based on the feedback last year and the interest, I felt I owed it to the people of Wilmington and the surrounding counties to give the drive-in one more chance,” he said. “That’s where we are.”

Chaffin wrote, “Last year, the drive-in did not open. At the time, company officials said its long-term future was questionable due to the economy. Chakeres said Monday he plans to evaluate the business once again at the end of the summer.”

Now I would like nothing better than for the Wilmington to thrive this year and for generations to come. And since I don’t know anything first-hand about the situation, it’s entirely possible that the current management is making all the right moves to keep it going. But when I see so many healthy, active drive-ins whose only problem is finding a lump sum to cover all new projection equipment, it really makes me wonder whether the folks here could learn how those successful drive-ins do it. Here’s hoping!

Motor Vu of Imperial CA won’t reopen

Motor Vu drive-in sign and screenWhile it’s heartening to celebrate the continued existence of so many drive-in theaters, it’s also important to make note of those that pass away. Last week, the Imperial Valley Press of El Centro CA ran an article which said that the Motor Vu Twin Drive-In Theatre was closed indefinitely. The Motor Vu’s Facebook page hasn’t been updated since November 2010, another sign that this drive-in is gone.

The Imperial Valley Press quoted Bobby Gran, operations manager for Cal-Gran Theaters. Gran said, “It was partially because of the digital situation and getting the 35 millimeter prints. And based on the books, it wasn’t producing enough money. It was a business decision.”

The article also gathered lots of reaction quotes from former patrons of the Motor Vu, which had been open since at least 1952. (It’s included in the list of active drive-ins in my copy of the 1952 Theatre Catalog.) There’s also a nice photo, so go read it!

McHenry Outdoor Theater getting ready for 2013

Aerial view of McHenry Outdoor TheaterA recent story in the Northwest Herald, which serves McHenry County IL, described how a few seasonal businesses there were preparing for the return of warm weather. After spending the first half talking about an ice cream parlor, the article began discussing something we care about, the McHenry Outdoor Theater of McHenry IL.

You may remember that the McHenry was one of a swarm of Illinois drive-ins that launched Kickstarter campaigns in the hope of getting enough cash to buy digital projectors. The Northwest Herald tells us that, for the McHenry, Kickstarter didn’t work, falling about $100,000 short of its $130,000 goal. When you don’t reach a Kickstarter goal, the folks who pledged don’t have to pay anything, so the McHenry got nothing out of it. This year, they plan to try Indiegogo, where they think they’ll have a better chance at a smaller amount.

The best news is that the McHenry will reopen for another season on May 3. Let’s hope it can stay alive!