September 21. 1947
Formal opening of Del Norte Theater in
Logan Heights, second open air drive-in movie place built here by E.L.
Pack and C.A. Richter at a cost approximating $150,000, is scheduled
for 6:45 p.m. Thursday.
The 15-acre site on the Alamogordo Highway is two blocks beyond William Beaumont General Hospital.
Pack and Richter have invested about $270,000 in drive-in theaters in this area. W.R. Oakes is their city manager.
The first theater, on Chelsea opened June 20, 1946.
A Southwestern touch is the large painting on the upper front part of the theater building. This scene depicts three Indian warriors, mounted on their ponies, watching a wagon train of settlers crawling through the Pass to the North and into El Paso.
Outstanding in the list of new equipment are individual speakers, the volume of which, like a home radio receiver, can be adjusted to suit anybody's preference or hearing.
The speakers hang on a hook on a post, whose height is convenient for the autoist. All he has to do is to reach out of the car window, get the speaker and locate it anywhere he pleases.
The spacious arrangement of the parking grounds, which will accommodate 500 cars, is such that when an autoist wants to leave, all he has to do is to drive straight ahead.
The grounds have been asphalted. Ramps for parked cars also are elevated.
The latest R.C.A. 250-watt system has been installed to assure the best possible results in all broadcasts. C.W. Wolfe, sound engineer of the organization, was sent here to make the installation.
Rows of seats have been put in for those who walk in and a supervised play ground planned.
Pack said the entrance grounds are to be beautified. A park area has been laid out and in this will be planted trees, flowers and shubbery.
I remember the El Paso Drive-in on Chelsea as being the first in EP. There was a stable on Stephenson Street right behind the drive-in and because there were no car speakers we would go just beyond the property fence and watch the movies for free. Hmmm. Been a long time ago.
Posted by: jane smith | May 03, 2010 at 09:59 AM
Do you have the history of El Paso High School and Houston School? And how about the property where the old Masonic Hospital was located. When was the hospital sold and the Sears Roebuck store was built?
Posted by: jane smith | May 03, 2010 at 10:03 AM
What an AMAZING photograph!
I've been doing research on the drive-in theatres of my hometown of Fort Worth for the past two and a half years, and in that time I've discovered photographs of other drive-ins in Texas and around the country. I can tell you that the Del Norte's screen tower (which is pictured here) shares the same design with several other "ozoners" in Texas, including the Mission in San Antonio, the Valley in Harlingen, and the Waco in Waco. And from my research, the architect was Jack Corgan of Dallas.
Thank you VERY MUCH for unearthing and sharing this outstanding picture!
Posted by: Larry Martinez | September 04, 2010 at 08:32 PM
Southwest touch is the big picture in front of the building above the theater. This scene depicts three Indian warriors mounted their horses, watching the caravan of settlers through the scanner moves to the north and El Paso.
Posted by: ליסינג פרטי | July 25, 2011 at 11:29 PM