Category Archives: South Dakota

Super Video: In-depth view of South Dakota’s 6 or 7 drive-ins

Posted on by
Reply

Continuing my cleanup of stories I missed over the past couple of years, I want to share with you one of the best drive-in videos I’ve seen. In May 2023, South Dakota Public Broadcasting presented an episode of “Dakota Life Detours” that was all about the six family-owned drive-in theaters in the state, plus a glimpse of a seventh that closed just weeks before airtime.

Those drive-ins, along with the time that they’re first mentioned in the video are the Winner Drive-In Theatre in Winner SD (4:13), Miller’s Midway Drive-in Theatre (5:34), Mobridge’s Pheasant Drive-In (6:25), Roy’s Black Hills Twin Drive-In in Hermosa (6:52), Gregory’s Hilltop Drive-Inn Theatre (7:40), and the Pheasant City Drive-In Theatre in Redfield (8:22). The video also described the most recent chapter in the story of Mitchell’s Starlite Drive-In (18:28), which quickly renovated and reopened in April 2020 after being dark for seven years. The Starlite’s owners elected not to reopen for the 2023 season, announcing that the drive-in had been “not meeting expenses.”

There are so many great images of drive-in playgrounds, twilight scenery, and varied snack bars that it’s hard to call out even a few of them. The item that most caught my attention was the gas-fired, open-flame popcorn popper used at the Pheasant City (16:21). I don’t know that I’ve ever seen anything like it.

Host Larry Rohrer got it just right, balancing nostalgia with the celebration of great times going on now. His relaxed, folksy narration was perfect for discussing the “community service” that these drive-in families provide for their neighbors who come by for popcorn, snacks, and a place to get away from it all.

I stumbled onto this video while looking for the latest updates about the Winner, which suffered serious screen damage from a windstorm in July 2024. The town rallied behind the drive-in, and its Facebook page showed a photo from a few weeks ago with fresh lumber next to the screen remains. Here’s hoping the Winner is back in action soon. Until then, we’ve got a great opportunity to see what it and its sister drive-ins looked just a couple of years ago.

Mitchell SD’s Starlite won’t reopen

Posted on by
Starlite Drive-In theater sign
Photo by Granola via Cinema Treasures.

Skipping over the many happy, mundane stories about drive-ins reopening for another season leaves me with the unhappy ones. This one from Mitchell’s Daily Republic, via Yahoo News, is quite sad. In 2020, the Starlite Drive-In Theatre there was a great example of a pandemic-based revival when owner Logan Luxury Theatres reopened it. Now the Starlite’s Facebook page tells the story, “It’s been a great run but all good things must come to an end.”

After a year of patronage that “came close to attendance levels in the 1970’s when drive-ins were at their peak,” business had faded for two years. That was the reason Logan gave for its decision not to reopen the Starlite this year. The post invited readers to visit “the Luxury 5 Cinemas downtown.” If I were cynical, I’d guess that once the indoor theaters were allowed to reopen, management saw the drive-in as unwanted competition.

The Starlite had closed in 2013, the year several drive-ins closed because of Hollywood’s change to digital projection. I’m glad that the folks in Mitchell were able to have an encore these past three years. Who knows, maybe enough of them will ask to bring the Starlite back to life one of these days.

June 3: Midway Drive-in Theatre, Miller SD

Posted on by

Midway Drive-In marquee

photo from the Midway Drive-In Facebook page

It’s Day 154 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. Once again I was fortunate enough to have a fairly short drive, less than an hour from the Pheasant City Drive-In Theatre just north of Redfield to the Midway Drive-in Theatre north of Miller.

According to a photo on the Midway’s Facebook page, Ernest Schweigerdt and John Kirschenman built the drive-in in 1953, midway between the towns of Miller and St. Lawrence. The original projector lasted until the Midway switched to digital projection in 2012.

In 1963, Schweigerdt’s son-in-law and daughter, Marvin and Alyce Oligmueller, purchased the drive-in. On an August evening in 1968, a violent storm blew down the wooden screen in the middle of a movie. Within a week and a half, a new metal screen was erected and movies were shown throughout the rest of the summer.

In 2004, Midway Drive-In came under the ownership of Sally and Duane Resel, Stephan and Lori Resel, Sarah Resel, Mike and Nan Donlin and Stephanie and the late Jim Bonebright.

In 2014, Mike Donlin told the Rapid City Journal that the Midway Drive-in was still getting by financially. “We’re sitting fine,” he said. “I’ve never really figured out what we make in wages, but we pay all our bills and everything and people have a good time. That’s all I really care about.”

Even though the latest Wimpy Kid entry has been out for a while, I hadn’t run into it yet. I suppose it kept my eyes occupied while my mouth worked on popcorn and a bar-b-dog. I’m always thankful for another night at the movies.

Miles Today / Total:  49 / 19765 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul / 70

Nearby Restaurant: Funny how one word can change everything. The Hi-Lite Bar and Lounge sounds like a smoky dive, but the Hi-Lite Steakhouse and Lounge sounds more like a restaurant. Good thing they made that change, because the menu’s got something for everyone. I had the mushroom, onion, and provolone burger. And beer, of course.

Where I Virtually Stayed: Another small town in South Dakota, another Super 8, but this time there was an alternative. The Dew Drop Inn Motel is one of those mom and pop motels that take care of the rooms personally. Mine had a microwave, a fridge, and decent wifi.

Only in Miller: On Thursday, I saw the pheasant statue in Gregory SD. On Friday, I saw the pheasant statue in Redfield. Today I saw two statues, but they weren’t pheasants. As related in Roadside America, at the intersection of the two main highways in Miller, there are statues of cattle on 8-foot poles – a Hereford on the north side, an Angus to the south.

Next stop: TK-Starlite Drive-In, Neligh NE.