Boulevard marks 60th year of movies

Boulevard screen at dusk with vapor trails

photo by Terry Shuck, used by permission

KCTV, Kansas City MO’s news leader, ran a loving tribute to the Boulevard Drive-In, across the border in Kansas City KS. The occasion was the presentation of a plaque commemorating the Boulevard’s 60th year; it opened in 1954.

A particularly interesting sidenote is that, according to the article, Kansas City “is the only city in the country to have three” living drive-in theaters. Actually, that author must be referring to the metro area, since the Twin (Independence MO) and the I-70 (Kansas City MO) are really in different cities. That triggers all sort of memories for me, since that’s the metro area where I was born and raised. I’ve attended all three of these, and I also remember some drive-ins that are long gone, sitting in the back of a borrowed van at the 63rd Street, seeing Blazing Saddles at the Leawood, and watching Star Trek 5 with my dear wife at the State. I wonder what has made the KC area such fertile ground for drive-ins. My guess would be that land prices haven’t skyrocketed the way they have elsewhere.

Oh yes, back to the KCTV article. It includes a bounty of quotes from Wes Neal, a part of the Boulevard since 1954. For example, one of the Boulevard’s distinguishing characteristics is that it kept its speakers even as many drive-ins have gone FM-only. “We want to keep it like the original drive-in, and we keep every one of the speakers working perfectly all the time, so every week we have to check every speaker and repair them as necessary,” he said.

The article also points out another distinguishing point – the Boulevard was the first drive-in to go digital, early in 2012. I saw Men In Black 3 there during a visit last year, and it looked great. But maybe I should stop rambling about my Kansas City drive-in roots and just let you go read it!

Kanopolis set to reopen in March

Kanopolis KS drive-in projectorThe Hutchinson (KS) News published an opinion piece with the uncontroversial assertion that “This summer you should drive up to Kanopolis to see a movie.” Sheila Lismon’s article was a celebration of the Kanopolis Drive-In, which announced on Facebook that it will reopen for another season March 8.

Any drive-in that continues showing movies in 2013 is a cause for celebration, but the Kanopolis is a special case. As documented in a 2011 Hutchinson News article, the Kanopolis had been closed for five years when a nearby family purchased and restored it to life. “It was a lot more work than I thought it would be,” said Amanda Webb, one of the owners.

That 2011 article mentions that the Kanopolis was using its original reel projectors, but that there were hopeful plans to go digital. Those plans must have come to fruition, because a December post on its Facebook page read: Still looking for that perfect Christmas present? Or do you need to get a gift for that person that seemingly has EVERYTHING? The Kanopolis Drive in is upgrading to digital and we need to clear out the vintage 35 mm equipment! All the equipment would make great additions to your home theater!

Such great news to keep our spirits high as we head into reopening (or not) season. Go read those articles and put a smile on your face!