July 1953 - New Drive-In Theatre To Open In Marion.

Yes, Marion and Crittenden County was to have their own drive-in theatre.  It would be a great convenience to everyone that before had to drive to Princeton, Morganfield or Paducah to see a drive-in movie.  It was to be located on U. S. 60 West about 1/4 from the city limits of Marion.  It would be built to accommodate 300 cars.

The owners and managers of the new drive-in theatre were Dr. J. J. Rosentihal, B. G. Moore and Tom Simmons.  

The Drive-In would also operate a Snack Bar for the pleasure and convenience of its patrons.  Popcorn, hot dogs, soft drinks, ice cream, candy, cigarettes and various other items and confections would be featured and sold there.

The picture billed as the opening attraction would be "Bronco Buster."  This technicolor picture would be shown on Thursday and Friday nights.

I don't know the date that Mr. Harry Gass and his wife Frankie purchased the Drive-in.  But they, with their son, Trent, operated the Drive-In-Theater for several years.    During this time, the Kentucky theater would close for the summer months and they would open the Drive-in for the summer.  

I'm not exactly sure of the date when the Gass family closed the Marion Drive-in, but the last advertisement for the drive-in was in the October 9, 1986 Crittenden Press.  The movie Back To School, starring Rodney Dangerfiled was to play Oct. 10, 11, and 12.  

In April of 1988, a young man, Scott Zimmerman, 21, from Denver Colorado, moved to Marion just so he could purchased the abandoned Drive-In and re-open it.  Owning and running a drive-in was a life-long dream of his.

But by August of that same year,Scott reported that his dream of owning a drive-in was turning into a nightmare.  People just wouldn't come to the movies, night after night only a few cars would be there.  He tried everything he knew to get people interested in coming back for the nightly movies.  Single feature, double feature, nothing he tried worked to bring in the people.

Like so many things that were once popular, people had just lost interest in going to a drive-in movie.  By 1992 it was closed and some years later the once popular huge outdoor screen,  was becoming dilapidated and would soon be torn down.

Another part of our past history was now to be in the forgotten passages of time.