City officials fear the vertical neon sign on the historic but closed Rialto Theatre in South Pasadena, Calif., may have come loose and could fall on somebody, reported the Los Angeles Times. The newspaper said: City building inspectors say they fear the blade-shaped sign may have been weakened in recent windstorms and could present a … Continue reading Sign on South Pasadena theater may be a safety hazard
Category: Theaters
Santa Fe project will reuse two historic buildings
A mixed-use development in Santa Fe, N.M., will reuse two historic Route 66 buildings in the downtown area, with an estimated completion date of September, according to a news release Thursday. Below is an artist's rendering of the project: The project, called Luna, will start renovations this month. The release said: The initial phase will … Continue reading Santa Fe project will reuse two historic buildings
Admiral Twin progress
On Thursday afternoon, on the Admiral Twin Drive-In theater's Facebook page, it said construction workers had started installing panels for the double movie screen at the Tulsa landmark. Sure enough, they did. The gate was locked by early evening, but I shot this image over the fence: The concrete structure below the screen skeleton will … Continue reading Admiral Twin progress
Admiral Twin rising again
Those who doubted whether the Admiral Twin Drive-In theater in Tulsa would rise again after a devastating fire in September 2010, take a look at this: That's a big concrete structure at the bottom, where the new concession stand and bathrooms will be. The steel skeleton of the big double screen is rising from that. … Continue reading Admiral Twin rising again
Manning’s Coffee sign being restored
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
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