Waterford Drive-In Theatre

Info Updates:

1/10/2004 - Box Office Magazine

March 1959 Issue - The Louis J. Mitchell Theatre Service is booking and buying for the Waterford Drive-In, Drayton Plains, and the local Carmen, according to D. A. Ritter, former president of Cooperative Theatres, now with Mitchell. The Waterford Theatre was handled by Wayne Smith, the Carmen was sold recently by Oscar Gorelick to the Nederlander family, which owns the Shubert and Riviera theatres.

12/19/2003 - Box Office Magazine

September 1959 - Edward A. Long of the Long Sign Co. reports the installation of new signs, featuring flashing incandescent lamps and 24-inch neon tubing text at the Waterford Drive-In at Waterford, operated by Lee Stallard.

12/18/2003 - Box Office Magazine

May 1959 - Ernie Forbes has installed new Strong lamps and a Hertner generator in the Waterford Drive-In in Drayton Plains.

6/9/2003 - MichiganDriveIns.com

My name is Jim Mcc. and back in the mid to late 1980s I worked at a drive in located in Waterford, Mi. It was owned by the Redstone Mgmt. Group, the one that owns all the Showcase Cinemas and Miracle Twin Drive-In in Burton Mi. At one time in this area there was the Waterford Drive In located Waterford Mi at the corner of Airport and Williams Lk.Rd, Miracle Mile on Telegraph Rd. located in Pontiac Mi., the Blue Sky on Opdkye Rd. in Auburn Hills,Mi., and one more on Dixie Highway in Waterford,Mi. All these were closed over a period of two years with the exception of Waterford which closed in the early 1990s. If I remember correctly, they were all closed because the time of using them as a tax write off was over. You see, business was really not that bad but they were no longer promoting them. Redstone Mgmt kept them open long enough to write off the business losses and provide a tax break to the company. This was planned this way to provide more money for the mega cinemas that they were building then. Waterford was still drawing 150-200 cars on the weeknights and more on the weekends before it closed . The movies that were shown were second run movies and movies that were already on video for rental. Of the four that were in the surrounding area and have closed, all but one lot stands empty. It is actually quite sad because to drive by these you can still see the speaker post sticking up as though they are looking for a long last friend. Jim Mcc

1/6/2003 - WaterWinterWonderland

Lot is empty, driveway is visible. Their is also a lone speaker/light pole at the rear.