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The Corral Drive-In Theater


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#1 kklein fw

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Posted 12 June 2004 - 06:41 PM

I am interested in the history of the Corral Drive-in theater in Lake Worth; when it opened and when it was torn down. I do have a little information on it; I have some photos, and know that it was originally called the Jacksboro Drive-in. The clown mural on the front facing the street was painted by Reed Hubnel, who was well known for painting similar monikers on other Texas drive-ins. Any information would help and would be greatly appreciated!

#2 rrickyf

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Posted 12 June 2004 - 06:42 PM

I also used to go to the old (Corral Drive In, which opened up under the name "Jacksboro Drive In" in 1950). Did you know they used to have an old dirt race track in Lake Worth where the Lake Worth National Bank site is today. I had a lot of fun there. It's now the site of Albertson's. - Ricky

#3 Northsider

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Posted 12 June 2004 - 06:42 PM

http://www.driveinth...om/drivlist.htm

#4 webwide

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Posted 23 August 2004 - 08:24 AM

This painting must have caused 'scary clown' nightmares in many a child

http://www.driveinth...x/jacksboro.htm

:?:

If this is the drive-in I think it is (was) between Azle Ave. and Jacksboro Hwy then I remember it well, only from the other side. We lived on Highland Lakes and I saw most of my 'adult' movies from the bathroom window. I remember Phantasm in particular. Summer wasn't as good since the neighbor's yard had trees.

#5 Dismuke

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Posted 23 August 2004 - 10:50 PM

This painting must have caused 'scary clown' nightmares in many a child

http://www.driveinth...x/jacksboro.htm

The clown painting was done by a man by the name of Reed Hubnell who did similar paintings on a number of other Texas drive-in theatres.

The clown painting that I remember as kid was the old Buckner Blvd Drive In which was in East Dallas on Buckner Blvd just west of the old I20/I-30 split (that portion of old I-20 between Dallas and Terrell is now Highway 80). I never had a fear of clowns and always thought the painting was neat. Here is a black and white photo of it that I found on the web.

http://hometown.aol....images/buck.jpg

The Buckner Blvd. version of the clown painting seems to be the standard on that seems to have been used most frequently - at least judging by photos I have seen on the web.

I remember my parents taking me to drive-ins - but I was too young to really focus on or follow the movies. When I got old enough to be able to understand movies my parents stopped going to them. I remember thinking the speaker device that was placed on the window was really neat. I do remember there being a whole bunch of them. Off the top of my head, I can remember about 6 others besides the Buckner existing in the eastern portion of Dallas County. Once my parent went to a multi-screen drive-in (it may have been the one on Central Expressway that belonged to Gordon McLendon) and I thought that was really neat - if I became bored watching one screen, I could turn around and watch the other.
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#6 kaveman

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Posted 01 December 2004 - 02:51 PM

Howdy! I realize this topic is a little old....
Anyway, found you guys whilst looking for info on the old Corral Drive In. Anybody remember The Westerner Drive In? I'm pretty sure it was also on Jacksboro Hwy, but can't remember if it was farther west than the Corral or closer in to downtown?
Oh and while I'm on the same road, how about the Cowtown Drive In? It was right at the corner of Jacksboro Hwy and 28th (or Ephriham or River Oaks Blvd, whichever preferred) where now it's an auto auction place. The old Buddies was across the street and we'd load up with junk food and see a movie.

One of the "longer lasting" drive-ins was the Cherry Lane Twin (was that the right name?).

Kenny

#7 DTCB

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Posted 03 December 2004 - 10:18 AM

There was a drive-in @ the present site of the Henderson Flea Market. I can't remember the name. I do remember the screen faced Henderson St. The screen sat just inside the levee. The only bad part was the trains passing during the best part of the movie!

#8 isshin68

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Posted 29 March 2011 - 03:59 PM

There was a drive-in @ the present site of the Henderson Flea Market. I can't remember the name. I do remember the screen faced Henderson St. The screen sat just inside the levee. The only bad part was the trains passing during the best part of the movie!

I think it was the Downtown drive-in...yes, trains...worse than that were the mosquitos....river bottom...
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#9 Saginaw

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Posted 31 March 2011 - 10:06 AM


There was a drive-in @ the present site of the Henderson Flea Market. I can't remember the name. I do remember the screen faced Henderson St. The screen sat just inside the levee. The only bad part was the trains passing during the best part of the movie!

I think it was the Downtown drive-in...yes, trains...worse than that were the mosquitos....river bottom...
TW NS '72


It was definitely the Downtown Drive-In Theatre. Besides what's been said about it so far, the one other thing that stands out about it, at least to me, was it's tall streetside marquee that displayed it's name vertically. The one time I went there, it was showing a couple of Spanish language films, so I'm assuming that that's all it was showing by the time it closed.


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#10 isshin68

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Posted 31 March 2011 - 04:16 PM

Howdy! I realize this topic is a little old....
Anyway, found you guys whilst looking for info on the old Corral Drive In. Anybody remember The Westerner Drive In? I'm pretty sure it was also on Jacksboro Hwy, but can't remember if it was farther west than the Corral or closer in to downtown?
Oh and while I'm on the same road, how about the Cowtown Drive In? It was right at the corner of Jacksboro Hwy and 28th (or Ephriham or River Oaks Blvd, whichever preferred) where now it's an auto auction place. The old Buddies was across the street and we'd load up with junk food and see a movie.

One of the "longer lasting" drive-ins was the Cherry Lane Twin (was that the right name?).

Kenny



#11 isshin68

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Posted 31 March 2011 - 04:21 PM

Westerner was in River Oaks....5900 River Oaks Blvd...a 7-11 and behind that some apartments are there now...sure of this...
Torn down like 1980, owned by Phil Isley who also owned the Riverside drive in...3721 ne 28th Street...

#12 isshin68

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Posted 31 March 2011 - 04:22 PM

Cowtown drivein screen burned down late 70's I think, I grew up just blocks away...b 1954.

#13 detail larry

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Posted 13 June 2011 - 11:48 AM

I am interested in the history of the Corral Drive-in theater in Lake Worth; when it opened and when it was torn down. I do have a little information on it; I have some photos, and know that it was originally called the Jacksboro Drive-in. The clown mural on the front facing the street was painted by Reed Hubnel, who was well known for painting similar monikers on other Texas drive-ins. Any information would help and would be greatly appreciated!



#14 detail larry

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Posted 13 June 2011 - 11:55 AM

corral drive in theatre ,was located at 6300 jacksboro hwy , in lake worth. the manager in 1958 was legrand lipscomb.

#15 In memory of Steve Clark

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Posted 21 September 2013 - 03:27 PM

An old thread, but perhaps someone will find this interesting.

 

I lived on Highland Lake Drive during the early 60's and went to the Corral now and then starting when I was ten.  I would cross Azle Ave., walk across the field that is now covered with shopping, and around to the front.  I would pay (I think) thirty-five cents, and walk in.  Sometimes there were cattle in the field but no Bulls, so they just munched the grass and didn't ever look at me.

 

The concession stand was attached to an indoor seating area that likely held about 100 seats, and the wall facing the screen was made of several very large glass panels.  These were not windows so much as they were a glass wall.  The sound was better in the indoor area since the outside sound came through those metal speaker boxes that hung on your door and the indoor area used real speakers.

 

Sometimes the indoor area was almost empty and a few of us kids would get in there and discuss the films as we watched them.  I remember one double billing of 'PT-109' and 'Hootenanny Hoot' and the discussion for both films got really lively.  No one every told us to be silent because with the place being so large and the sound up so loud no one could hear us anyway.

 

The concession stand was not air-conditioned and was as hot as a sauna.  During those years the only place you could buy a pizza in Lake Worth was the Corral Drive-In and some people would remark that they could not go there without buying one.

 

There was also a playground down front, under the screen, and it was always filled with kids who had no desire to watch the film.  There was no attendant, and when some kid would fall off a ride, which was just standard playground equipment, everyone would run over to help them.  It was no big deal since everyone in Lake Worth knew each other and if someone was really banged up we knew which car their parents were in.

 

Sometimes we would lay down on the playground and watch the movies.  Very weird, and the only sound came from all the outdoor speakers that hung on the poles next to the cars.  The sound was delayed and had a bit of an echo, but it was still fun.

 

After the film I would walk home, but since it was about midnight I would have to walk west down Jacksboro Highway until I reached the shopping center.  I would then cut through there, up Azle to Highland Lake and then down to the bottom of the hill.

 

At the time Lake Worth was so small no one thought it was odd that a kid was walking down the street at midnight.

 

And yes, you could stand at the corner of Highland Lake and Azle and watch the films.  You could not hear the sound, but with an action film it was still fun to watch.  I would babysit for the folks that lived in that house a few times and we would always spend some time doing this.  They did it so often that it just seemed normal to them.

 

Hopefully someone will find this information useful.



#16 gdvanc

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Posted 28 September 2013 - 09:14 AM

Thanks for sharing those memories. :)   Times have certainly changed. I used to walk or ride my bike (or motorcycle) in places I wouldn't dream of letting my kids go.



#17 Saginaw

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Posted 13 October 2013 - 05:10 PM

BEAUTIFULLY told recollection, IMoSC! Judging by the movies you saw at the Corral, you must have been there in late-1963 or sometime in 1964. The details you've included, especially of the concession stand/indoor viewing theater, are priceless!

My personal memories of the old Corral are mostly of seeing it from the outside when I was a kid in the '70s. My family and I would pass by it from and back to our home in south Fort Worth when we went out to Twin Points Resort on Eagle Mountain Lake to get together with our cousins. It would usually be sometime during the summer vacation, on Memorial Day, or Labor Day. The sight of that giant screen tower with the enlarged clown's head and circus scene mesmerized me to curiosity. I always wanted to go there, but never had the chance, as it was "too far", and we already had a favorite drive-in theatre that was near to where we lived.

In thinking about it, and from personal experience, it's very hard to imagine a 10-year old child walking down busy Jacksboro Highway anytime, let alone at midnight. Times have definitely changed.


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