The historic Manning's Coffee Store rooftop sign in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles is being restored, reported the Highland Park-Mount Washington Patch. Manning's Coffee went out of business in the 1960s, and the sign's neon lighting hasn't functioned for many years. Las Cazuelas restaurant now occupies the building. The area is part of the … Continue reading Manning’s Coffee sign being restored
Category: Theaters
Historic Albuquerque theater gets $1 million donation
The Hiland Theatre in Albuquerque received a $1 million donation from a foundation to help restore the historic theater along Central Avenue (aka Route 66), according to the Albuquerque Journal. The gift came from the Sydney & Andrew Davis Foundation. With that, the National Dance Institute of New Mexico has received $10.5 million of the $13 … Continue reading Historic Albuquerque theater gets $1 million donation
Tough miles ahead for old theaters, drive-ins
Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune tells about an upcoming development that likely will lead to a rough era for drive-in theaters and older movie houses -- digital film distribution. According to the article, the Route 66 Twin Drive-In in Springfield, Ill., remains the state's only digital-projection drive-in. Obviously, the SkyView Drive-In on Route 66 in … Continue reading Tough miles ahead for old theaters, drive-ins
Notes from the road
I've got a few short items that I need to pass along. One is that the 100th Meridian Museum in Erick, Okla., received a new paint job a few weeks ago. The museum can be seen pre-face-lift here. Locals told us it was repainted by Jimmy Webb -- a local painter, not the famous songwriter who … Continue reading Notes from the road
Admiral Twin’s reopening delayed to 2012
In what was increasingly apparent, the Tulsa World reported today that the Admiral Twin Drive-In theater would postpone its planned reopening to next year. The historic drive-in's fabled twin screens burned down during a fire in September 2010. After more than $30,000 in donations and securing a loan, co-owner Blake Smith announced the theater would … Continue reading Admiral Twin’s reopening delayed to 2012
KUAF’s Route 66 stories, all in one place
KUAF-FM, a National Public Radio affiliate based at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, posted daily reports from Route 66 in Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas this week. Here's the complete set of broadcasts, which you can hear at the link: Monday, a report from Vintage Iron Museum in Miami, Okla. Tuesday, a report from the … Continue reading KUAF’s Route 66 stories, all in one place
New photo-op in Albuquerque
If you love the glow of neon, you'll find a new attraction among the many you'll find along Central Avenue (aka Route 66) in Albuquerque. A re-created sign was installed on the side of the KiMo Theatre during a ceremony on June 3. Because the theater was originally opened in 1927, the street during the … Continue reading New photo-op in Albuquerque
Admiral Twin Drive-In breaks ground for new screens
The historic Admiral Twin Drive-In theater in Tulsa broke ground Saturday morning to build a new pair of screens, reported the Tulsa World. The iconic double-screen structure, which was seen in the 1983 film version of "The Outsiders," was destroyed by a fire last September. Here's a clip from "The Outsiders": https://youtu.be/dIjGSJ9G81w About 100 people … Continue reading Admiral Twin Drive-In breaks ground for new screens
Groundbreaking for Admiral Twin rebuilding is next month
The owner of the Admiral Twin Drive-In theater in Tulsa has set a date in June for an official groundbreaking to rebuild the double screen that was destroyed in a fire in September, reported the Tulsa World. The ceremony will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 11, and the public is invited to attend, owner … Continue reading Groundbreaking for Admiral Twin rebuilding is next month
Lights on at Highland Theatre
The historic Highland Theatre sign in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles was relighted during a ceremony Tuesday night, reported the Highland Park Patch. The link includes a video of the sign being relit. But here's a YouTube video of it, also: https://youtu.be/iBYsJXRX7kA The sign contains 502 light bulbs. Its restoration was paid for … Continue reading Lights on at Highland Theatre