When I moved to Oklahoma City in 1975, there used to be a drive-in theater on the N.W. Expressway where Service Merchandise used to be. Does anyone recall the name or have photos? There was also a go-kart track next door.

Found it ...

http://www.cinematour.com/tour/us/16425.html

The one where Service Merchandise / Hertz is located was Cinema 70:

http://www.drive-ins.com/detail/oktcin3

I seem to recall that Cinema 70, out there on the edge of town, was the cutting-edge of Drive-Ins when it opened.
I went there once: I saw "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad World."
How do I remember this?: It was the one and only time I got to see a movie there.

When I later read the book "The Outsiders," by S.E. Hinton, I really thought that the drive-in setting in that book was Cinema 70.
(Of course, I was unaware at the time that the book was actually set in the Tulsa area) . . .

The Cinema 70 was located where Service Merchandise is located.
I went to many movies there. Can't remember any because I was
with a date.

Found it ...

http://www.cinematour.com/tour/us/16425.html
This was the N.W. Twin, where the Marriott is located.

The one where Service Merchandise / Hertz is located was Cinema 70:

http://www.drive-ins.com/detail/oktcin3
This is correctomundo.

Pete,
Funny, I worked at Hertz as a computer analyst and sometimes I worked at night. Several times I took my boys and they could watch the drive in theater from the lady's restroom, second floor, North East corner of the building. Of course, there was no sound but heck, it kept them entertained while I was working on a project or a problem.
C. T.
The one where Service Merchandise / Hertz is located was Cinema 70:

http://www.drive-ins.com/detail/oktcin3

There used to be two drive-in theaters almost right next to each other? Yes, Cinema 70 is the one I remember. Shame there are no photos of it. Just recently watched a triple-feature at the Winchester Drive-In (S. Western) and had such a great time (3 movies for $6!).

Did STAR WARS show at Cinema 70 before it closed?

I'm surprised that noone has built an cutting-edge Drive-In with stadium parking, huge IMAX screen, popular fast food establishments built into a food court, state-of-the-art outdoor sound system ... it would be a hit!

There used to be two drive-in theaters almost right next to each
other?
That would have to have been before 1960. The only two on N.W.
Expressway were the Cinema 70 and the N.W. Twin. They were a
couple of miles apart.

This is correctomundo.

True, it was the Cinema 70. I may be wrong, but wasn't there also a go-cart track next to the drive-In or at least close by.

True, it was the Cinema 70. I may be wrong, but wasn't there also a go-cart track next to the drive-In or at least close by.I don't remember a track there, but there was a kart track on the south side of 39th street just west of the drive in that was north of lake Overholster.

That would have to have been before 1960. The only two on N.W.
Expressway were the Cinema 70 and the N.W. Twin. They were a
couple of miles apart.

Actually, Prune, Northwest Hiway on NWX west of May (spelled on their sign as "NW Hi-Way") was never a twin drive-in. There was the Penn Twin up north and then the one at May & Britton was a twin, but the name is failing me. Further out on NW Expressway there was 14 Flags (or something similar). My memory sometimes lets me down.

hmmm... i thought 14 flags was near sw 104th & western. -M

Here is a list:

http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=20772

You are right, mmm. 9901 S. Western for 14 Flags.

There was a drive-in at May & Britton called Twilight Gardens, but it was a single screen.

And I'm very sure there were no other drive-ins on NW Expressway other than NW Hi-Way and Cinema 70.

I think Pete put these on the board at one time. I'm pretty sure I found them here.

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/9923/cinama70.jpg

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/2753/cinema70.jpg

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/8212/cinema70concessionmenu.jpg

And then there's this old picture of a fairly new NW Hi-Way:

http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/4371/nwhiwaydrivein.jpg

...

You are right, mmm. 9901 S. Western for 14 Flags.

There was a drive-in at May & Britton called Twilight Gardens, but it was a single screen.

And I'm very sure there were no other drive-ins on NW Expressway other than NW Hi-Way and Cinema 70.

I told you my memory has begun to fail me at times.

At least I know I had the NW Hi-Way right. (whew!)

No worries Mike!

My memory is greatly bolstered by others here and also the Oklahoman Archives.

True, it was the Cinema 70. I may be wrong, but wasn't there also a
go-cart track next to the drive-In or at least close by.
Not that I remember.

I told you my memory has begun to fail me at times.

At least I know I had the NW Hi-Way right. (whew!)
There was the Twin Penn, too, but it wasn't on N.W. Expressway, either.

Yes, there was a go-cart track run by a man named Jerry Biswell. It was West of the N. W. Expressway and 63rd street junction and was financed/owned by Maurice Woods. Now my brain is malfunctioning, but it was not far from the amusement park that was also a Maurice Woods project. AH HA, how about Wedgewood Park?
C. T.

Yes, there was a go-cart track run by a man named Jerry Biswell. It
was West of the N. W. Expressway and 63rd street junction and was
financed/owned by Maurice Woods. Now my brain is malfunctioning,
but it was not far from the amusement park that was also a Maurice
Woods project. AH HA, how about Wedgewood Park?
C. T.
It was Wedgewood! When was the go-cart track there? I can't
place it.

Prunepicker,
I worked for Woods Corporation in the early seventies but I believe it was there from the mid/late sixties to the mid seventies. I suspect if we wait long enough, somebody will give us better time frames. Jerry Biswell worked for Woods Corporation while I was there and it was a way to make a few extra bucks.
C. T.

It was Wedgewood! When was the go-cart track there? I can't
place it.

My parents watch The Towering Inferno in the rain and MASH at Cinema 70, I slept in the back seat.

Cinema 70 had a small playground in front of the screen and when I was a kid, we'd bring shopping bags full of popped corn, back in the Chevy wagon and my four siblings and I would run around until we crashed out in the 'way-back' of the wagon.


How's this for a scary memory... I clearly remember seeing a Patty Duke movie there where she was a high school track star... IMDB helped me figure out it was called 'Billie'. It came out in the summer of 1965 which means I was FOUR years old, yet still remember it.

Prunepicker,
I worked for Woods Corporation in the early seventies but I believe it
was there from the mid/late sixties to the mid seventies. I suspect if
we wait long enough, somebody will give us better time frames. Jerry
Biswell worked for Woods Corporation while I was there and it was a
way to make a few extra bucks.
C. T.
I lived west of there at that time and I don't remember a go-cart
track. There were places around there that we'd ride motorcycles.
This is very puzzling.

Prunepicker,
As my brain (assuming I have one) continues to churn, it was one of those piggyback business's relying on traffic from Wedgwood Park. Jerry was very close to to the Woods family and had an inside track on things. So it was only natural that he would take advantage of his friendship to open a business near the amusement park. I know the the moderators of this group could verify that there was a go-cart track but I'm really surprised that you lived there and don't remember it. I was from the South side of town and knew it well. Mr. Brzycki, can you help us out?
C. T.

I lived west of there at that time and I don't remember a go-cart
track. There were places around there that we'd ride motorcycles.
This is very puzzling.

Pete,
Funny, I worked at Hertz as a computer analyst and sometimes I worked at night. Several times I took my boys and they could watch the drive in theater from the lady's restroom, second floor, North East corner of the building. Of course, there was no sound but heck, it kept them entertained while I was working on a project or a problem.
C. T.

Your boys watched movies from the "lady's restroom"? I'm sure they must have enjoyed that. LOL
Are you sure they were watching movies?

You got me! I shoulld have made it clear, except for the computer operators, and folks like me that were called in after hours to fix a problem, the folks that worked in that building were 8-5 employees. The janitorial service had cleaned all restrooms and they always left the door open so no problem with any ladies. And the reason I chose the ladies was because all the ladies had a couch and my boys were fairly young and could take a nap if they wanted to.
C. T.

Your boys watched movies from the "lady's restroom"? I'm sure they must have enjoyed that. LOL
Are you sure they were watching movies?

Prunepicker,
As my brain (assuming I have one) continues to churn, it was one of those piggyback business's relying on traffic from Wedgwood Park. Jerry was very close to to the Woods family and had an inside track on things. So it was only natural that he would take advantage of his friendship to open a business near the amusement park. I know the the moderators of this group could verify that there was a go-cart track but I'm really surprised that you lived there and don't remember it. I was from the South side of town and knew it well. Mr. Brzycki, can you help us out?
C. T.Was that the track that John Denver hosted a family party at? I have a rather fuzzy memory of a news story sometime in the 70s about him having a party for all his relatives -- who for the most part lived out near Corn -- at some go-kart track. I don't think there were all that many at the time...

That was at Golf Acres on the south side. I was at one of the Dusseldorf (Sp?) gatherings and actually made John laugh his famous laugh.

Re: Post #17:
(THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES, MIKE!!)

As I said: Cinema 70 = Cutting-Edge Drive In Theater
(on the very edge of town . . . Out near MacArthur)

The chicken on the menu was so good that even a chicken was hawking it.
A chicken in a Confederate Uniform.
So you could be assured it was authentically Southern-Fried.

I've never bought fried chicken at a Drive-In movie. Don't know
why.

If you want a fun weekend go to Lake Wister State Park and rent a cabin.
Poteau is near by and has a great Drive-in theater. We've been to it and
had a great time with the grandkids. They'd never seen anything like it.
The sound comes from your FM radio. Take lawn chairs, a cooler and the
dog. We watched the Spiderman with Doc Oc.

If you want a fun weekend go to Lake Wister State Park and rent a cabin.
Poteau is near by and has a great Drive-in theater. We've been to it and
had a great time with the grandkids. They'd never seen anything like it.
The sound comes from your FM radio. Take lawn chairs, a cooler and the
dog. We watched the Spiderman with Doc Oc.

Jon's done well with the place from what I hear from the family members who regularly visit. I don't usually end up at the movies when I am down that way. Too much to do and too many folk to see. I don't get there often enough anymore.

As for Lake Wishtwereclear, I've not had a need for the cabins. I surely miss the diner that was right there on that curve back in the day. If we weren't doing momma's fried chicken or a roast after church, we were out there on Sundays.

There definitely was a go-kart track at Wedgewood, but it was not owned by Maurice Woods. It was located on the far West side of the main parking lot. I used to work there when I was 12 yo...that would be about 1959.

thankfully there is still winchester Drive-IN

Popsicklez,
The go-kart track was owned by either Audy Blue or Jerry Biswell. I'm pretty sure it was Jerry Biswell. They both worked for the Woods Corporation.
C. T.

There definitely was a go-kart track at Wedgewood, but it was not owned by Maurice Woods. It was located on the far West side of the main parking lot. I used to work there when I was 12 yo...that would be about 1959.

I suppose the statute of limitations has run on me now. So I'll admit something about the Cinema 70. I worked in a video store across the street in the early 80's. Video stores were just starting then. We used one of the store video cameras and a portable VHS recorder to record Superman 1, the movie, off that big drive-in screen. The tape was actually not bad. We never sold or rented the tape. Just wanted to own the movie for our personal use. Those were fun days.

How'd you get the audio?

Remember those mini-satellite dishes, Back in The Day called, "The Big Ear"?
The "eavedropping" device for the masses? No?
They really did exist. One of the neighbor kids had one.

All you would have to do is put the mic from your reel-to-reel tape recorder up next to the headset of The Big Ear and voy-lah! =)

Have to chuckle a bit here. . .the pictures are two that I had come up with years ago when doing drive in research on Oklahoma. Here is the "biographical info" on the theatre:

Oklahoma City’s First Drive-in Theatre opened July 2 ,1947
Last feature 15 Sept 1979
Closed 1979 Did not reopen for 1980 Season
Location 3101 Northwest Highway
Listed in 1948-49 Theatre Catalog. O.F. Sullivan Exec, Starlight Amusement M8-C756-D7-CH3
1947 Feb 2, Work to start on drive-in movie
1947, Feb 9 Drive-in film project drawn
1947, July 2 Drive-in film house to open
1949-1950 Theatre Catalog lists O.F. Sullivan as owner M9-C756-D7
1955 Theatre Catalog lists RL Barton as Exec C1000
1965 IMPA lists Starlight Amusement as owner
1965 IMPA lists capacity as 700
Location by GPS N 35º 31.796’ W 97º 34.378

The Cinema 70:

Address given as 5501 N.W. Highway
Opening date June 19, 1964, Grand opening July 1, 1964
Last show was Sunday, Nov 1, 1981 (Super Fuzz, Thirst, Evelyn out of the Grave)
1964, Feb 8 1,400 car drive-in theater to be constructed in city
1984 IMPA lists Charlie Shadid as owner
Position by GPS N 35º 32.793’ W 97º 36.719’

The two pictures, The color version is one that someone scanned off of OETA's "The Oklahoma I remember" which I had supplied the pics and info for. The color picture of the Cinema 70 was taken by John Gumm, a professional photographer from OKC who took the picture for Ferris Shanbour who once owned (and built) the drive in. The second picture of the North West Highway, was taken by the man who was the architect for the theatre.

If anyone is seriously interested, let me know, I will be happy to post more info about the theatres. . .

Regards,
Wesley H.

Remember those mini-satellite dishes, Back in The Day called, "The Big Ear"?
You just called the 80's back in the day.

Where was service merchandise?

LA,
It was in a new strip center that is still there and was built after the drive-in closed.
C. T.
Where was service merchandise?

I didn't think the NW Hi-Way drive in was where Service Merchandise was. A quick look at the 1969 aerial views elsewhere on the board verified this. The drive in was west of Founders Tower. Between Founders and Independence Street. Where the Marriott, 7-Eleven and the former Borders building are. Service Merchandise was east of Founders in what now is Best Buy's parkng lot.

The aerial views also clearly show the go-cart track located at the west end of Wedgewood Amusement Park's parking lot.

You just called the 80's back in the day.

Yeah . . . I did . . . Back in January . . . =)
But The Big Ear we used to play with was back in the days of the late 50's or early 60's.

There was a Service Merchandise in the ghost mall called Heritage Park (MWC) back in the 70s and 80s.

Service Merchandise was east of Founders in what now is Best Buy's parkng lot.That was the original Service Merchandise location but it was more like Home Depot's parking rather than Best Buy. It later moved out to the old Cinema 70 area just north of where the Hideaway is now located.

And NW Hiway Drive-In was around the 7-11 and Marriott, a bit more to the west than you indicate. Independence wasn't there; Grand Blvd wound around the back of the drive-in. As teens we would park on Grand and watch the movies without benefit of sound...

... Service Merchandise was east of Founders in what now is Best Buy's
parkng lot.
That was the first location. Around 1970 it moved to N.W. Expressway and
Springbrook, across from Hibdon's. Then it moved to the location where
the Cinema 70 was.

SS,
Sorry, the drive-in was next door to Hertz (where I worked). And the watch on my arm right now I purchased from Service Merchandise. The One you are referring to closed in the 70's. You said a 1969 aerial view and I would agree, but we are talking about the mid 70's to early 80's. I shopped at both Service Merchandise stores. My boys used to watch the drive-in movie when I had them with me while I was working on a computer project/problem. They loved it.
C. T.
I didn't think the NW Hi-Way drive in was where Service Merchandise was. A quick look at the 1969 aerial views elsewhere on the board verified this. The drive in was west of Founders Tower. Between Founders and Independence Street. Where the Marriott, 7-Eleven and the former Borders building are. Service Merchandise was east of Founders in what now is Best Buy's parkng lot.

SS,
Just noticed the responses that already stated what I just posted. Sorry, I didn't mean to pile on.
C. T.

That was the first location. Around 1970 it moved to N.W. Expressway and
Springbrook, across from Hibdon's. Then it moved to the location where
the Cinema 70 was.I don't remember exactly when SM moved but it was way after 1970. I was in high school from 73 to 77 and went into the SM on May often. It was my go to place for stereo and sports stuff.

That was the original Service Merchandise location but it was more like Home Depot's parking rather than Best Buy. It later moved out to the old Cinema 70 area just north of where the Hideaway is now locatedThe 1969 arial clearly shows the building that was Shoppers World, SM, and many other things being closer to May. In Best Buys parking lot. I compared the 1969 shots to current Google Earth shots side by side. In the 1969 view there is obviously a large empty field between SM and Founders Tower. The empty field is where Home Depot is now.


And NW Hiway Drive-In was around the 7-11 and Marriott, a bit more to the west than you indicate. Independence wasn't there; Grand Blvd wound around the back of the drive-in. As teens we would park on Grand and watch the movies without benefit of sound... I said the drive in was where 7-11 and the Marriott are now. By the 1969 views Independence was in between the drive in and Highlander bowling alley. Right where it still is.

SS,
Sorry, the drive-in was next door to Hertz (where I worked). And the watch on my arm right now I purchased from Service Merchandise. The One you are referring to closed in the 70's. You said a 1969 aerial view and I would agree, but we are talking about the mid 70's to early 80's. I shopped at both Service Merchandise stores. My boys used to watch the drive-in movie when I had them with me while I was working on a computer project/problem. They loved it.
C. T.The Cinema 70 was by Hertz. I was talking about the NW Hi-Way drive in.

That was the first location. Around 1970 it moved to N.W. Expressway and
Springbrook, across from Hibdon's. Then it moved to the location where
the Cinema 70 was.

Something's not lining up, because Service Merchanidise on N. May moved to NW Expy well after 1970, something closer to a decade later. The SM building on NW Expy was built as part of a broader mall in the mid-late 80's that included some oddball variation on a home decorating theme like Hobby Lobby, only with seemingly more upscale intentions. Don't think it lasted very long.

Around 1970 it moved to N.W. Expressway and Springbrook, across from Hibdon's.Wasn't that discount house around NW Hiway and Springbrook something other than Service Merchandise? Seems to me its name started with "R" but I can't pull the rest of it up. I do recall that you had to buy a membership that cost quite a lot, in order to get inside, and the discounts and range of items available weren't all that great...

Wasn't that discount house around NW Hiway and Springbrook something
other than Service Merchandise? Seems to me its name started with "R" but
I can't pull the rest of it up. I do recall that you had to buy a membership
that cost quite a lot, in order to get inside, and the discounts and range of
items available weren't all that great...

First it was Medco then it was Service Merchandise, we lived in the area
behind it. Didn't Service Merchandise have a membership?