Category Archives: Kansas

Inc. Mag Spotlights KS Boulevard

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Boulevard Drive-In marquee

Photo © Jim Good. Used by permission.

As part of a tour of small businesses, Inc. magazine ran a very nice feature about the Boulevard Drive-In Theatre in Kansas City KS. It described the festivities of June 15, which the mayor proclaimed as Wes Neal Day in honor of the man who bought the drive-in 1984 after working there 30 years. Wes still owns the Boulevard, which is now run by his grandson Brian.

Although the drive-in was profitable most years, its recent turning point was in 2012 when it bought the equipment to become the first drive-in with 4K-resolution digital projection. As someone who saw movies there before and after the conversion, I can tell you that the brightness and clarity are especially important because of the Boulevard’s unusually large, narrow viewing field. It’s constrained by Turkey Creek, whose flooding in 1999 led to the insurance money for digital audio the next year.

It’s no surprise that, with the return of family-friendly feature films, business is booming. “Now when a new Disney or Pixar flick is on the bill, cars may line up three hours in advance to snag a spot,” Inc. wrote. Wes isn’t in it for the movies, but for the people who watch them. “Every weekend,” he says, “I will have a lot of people come up to me. They say they appreciate what we are doing for them.”

There is so much more in that Inc. article, including a few photos, so you know you really should go read it!

Video: Starlite Returns To Carload Pricing

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Yesterday afternoon’s Wichita Eagle had good news for drive-in fans there. After a year of selling tickets per person, the Starlite Drive-In Theatre will return to carload pricing during the spring and fall seasons. The Starlite is scheduled to reopen on the first weekend of March.

Owner Chuck Bucinski had switched to selling individual tickets because movie studios wanted it that way. He’ll still be doing that during the summer months, but otherwise it’ll cost $13 per carload for whatever’s showing, though the selection may be affected by the pricing model. “There will be a few studios while on carload pricing we won’t be able to show their movies right when they get released,” Bucinski said.

That’s the whole story, and I’m happy to share it with you. Not only does it give me the opportunity to repeatedly type “carload,” it also includes a very nice little video from the Eagle. It should bring a smile to your face as you wait for full drive-in season to return.

Apr. 20: South Drive-In Theatre, Dodge City KS

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It’s Day 110 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. It took a bit over two hours to drive the US highways from Kanopolis to the South Drive-In Theatre in Dodge City KS.

According to an article in The Legend Magazine, the South was built by Glen Cooper in 1947. “Cooper and his wife, Roma Loi, rode the wave of drive-in popularity near the crest, flying to Hollywood in their private plane to bring movie stars to town, creating elaborate floats for the Boot Hill Fiesta parade, and constantly expanding the menu in the snack bar.”

After Glen Cooper passed away, his son Ron moved to Dodge City to take over the South. At the time of that Legend article, 2011, he was still using a film projector and worrying about converting to digital. “We’d need a rich philanthropist who’s in love with drive-ins, or some kind of grant to do that,” he said.

Local cell phone company United Wireless explains on its web site what happened next. “In 2012, our region was in danger of losing a real treasure in the South Drive-In Theatre, which just happens to be our neighbor on McArtor Road. … So we bought it from the previous owners, made some upgrades for showing films in digital format, and have been having a ball giving our friends and neighbors a great place to have fun on warm evenings.”

The South opened for the 2017 season just last weekend, but at this time of year it only shows movies Fridays through Sundays. That meant another Thursday night without the fun and camaraderie of a shared viewing experience under the stars.

Miles Today / Total:  131 / 11906 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: dark / 51

Nearby Restaurant: In Dodge City, home of fabled cattle drives, I needed to find some steak. That’s why I visited Casey’s Cowtown Club, home of the fabled Dodge City Strip. What I got was a big old-fashioned steak dinner with a large slab of grilled perfection with a salad, potato, and rolls. Yum!

Where I Virtually Stayed: Most of the hotels in Dodge City sit along US 50, or as it’s known in town, Wyatt Earp Boulevard. The Best Western Plus Country Inn & Suites is the closest to the South, and it’s one of the best places to stay in town. For one thing, it’s got its own bar, so that’s nice, and the breakfast eggs are cooked to order. In between, my room had a fridge, a microwave, and good wifi.

Only in Dodge City: From the time the railroads carved the US into four time zones, Dodge City has always observed Central time. But the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad drew its time zone line at its Dodge City station, now restored and serving Amtrak passengers. The ATSF built two large sundials on the station grounds, one marked for Mountain time and another just east of it marked for Central.

Next stop: Mesa Drive-In, Pueblo CO.