Author Archives: mrdrivein

Video: Admiral Twin fixes screen

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Tulsa OK’s Admiral Twin Drive-In has reopened for the season after fixing minor damage to its west screen. During the off-season, winds had blown out a few screen panels, so owner Blake Smith needed to make the first repair to the structure since it was rebuilt following a fire in September 2010.

All of this news and video came to us through KOTV, Tulsa’s News Leader, which ran a nice segment on the Admiral a couple of days before it reopened.

As I wrote in last year’s Drive-Ins of Route 66, Blake’s father, Richard D. Smith, bought the Admiral Twin around 1987 from General Cinema Corp., run at the time by Richard A. Smith. Blake officially took over in 2000.

I’ll admit that there’s not much news in the Admiral Twin’s new season, but it’s just great to get another video showing what the venerable drive-in looks like these days. Enjoy!

Video: Aut-O-Rama expands season

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Finally, some good news! Not only will the Aut-O-Rama Twin Drive In of North Ridgeville OH reopen this year, it plans to expand its season. It’ll reopen on Friday, March 25, and depending on weather, owners Tim and Del Sherman hope to keep their theater open until Christmas. That uplifting story comes to us from WJW, Cleveland’s News Leader, which also furnished a fine video.

Perhaps the longer season will be a way for the Shermans to recoup some of their expenses this year. They’ll be replacing both of the screens at the Aut-O-Rama, one at a time. Not only does it cost money to install new screens, the drive-in’s income will be reduced during each side’s down period.

For a lot more Aut-O-Rama history, and yet another video, check out what I posted in 2017 as part of my Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. And let’s hope we get more positive stories like this one as drive-in season returns thus year.

Video: Storm slams former Sky Vue

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Longtime readers know that I love any drive-in video that I can embed for you. In this case, the story is a windstorm that damaged the former main screen of the Sky Vue Drive-In in Winchester KY.

You can see by this not-that-old photo at CinemaTreasures that the Sky Vue’s big screen and sign were still in good shape when it closed in 2015, one of the few casualties of the conversion to digital movies. Reportedly, there were fans who were trying to find a way to reopen the drive-in. Sadly, any of those plans just got more complicated.

Thanks to WLEX, Lexington’s News Leader, for giving us all a glimpse of what’s left of the Sky Vue. I wonder whether any of those marquee letters are still laying there along US 60.