Entertaining Dubuque - The Untold Story

 Dubuque Drive-In Theater - John Deere Road

Dubuque received its first drive-in theater later than most communities of comparable size. The Dubuque Drive-In Theater on the John Deere Road opened on August 12, 1949. Because it was positioned on a steep slope, it had 3 parking levels. The lower level held 500 cars with 50 on the lower terrace and 200 on the upper level. 

A press release from Central States Theaters of Des Moines described the new venue as "the world's largest theater screen at 50' x 80'. The company announced the entire are would receive several "foggings" to reduce insect nuisance to a minimum." A grand opening was planned for Thursday, August 12, 1949. 

The new venue opened to a capacity crowd and an ill-timed downpour of rain. 

An investor, Senator Robert Riley addressed the audience using the car-speaker system. "It is our sincere hope that the drive-in will be operated always in the best interests of the Dubuque area."

G. Robert Branton, an executive with Central States Theaters promised Dubuque movie-goers "good family entertainment." He praised the scenic surroundings and remarked that with the three levels of parking, it was the only drive-in theater in the world with a balcony." 

Early attractions at the Drive-In remained faithful to the pledge of family entertainment. 

To celebrate the second anniversary of the Dubuque Drive-In, popular Dubuque DJ and musician Bob Gribben performed a pre-movie concert on the new Wurlitzer organ purchased from Renier Music Company to entertain audiences before the show and at intermission.

Because admission was charged to each person in a vehicle, many patrons took to bringing a few past the box office in the trunk of the car. Management was aware, so responded with "Family Night" or "Buck Night" when each car was admitted for a total of $1.00.

One negative aspect of the theater's local was the presence of the Frith Rendering Works about a mile over the hill on Highway 52. Picture yourself on a warm summer evening enjoying a movie, or not, with your best girlfriend. Romance is in the air when suddenly the wind changes direction and the unearthly smell created by burning animal flesh and bones from a few dozen dead cows comes wafting over the hillside. Car windows would roll up and head for the exit. 

Theme nights became popular in the early 1960s.  

An early morning fire destroyed the original screen, on Tuesday, March 28, 1961. The projection booth and concession stand weren't damaged. A resident of the nearby trailer park had awakened to feed her baby at 2:30 when she noticed a glow in the sky and then spotted the fire. She called the theater manager, Harley Moore, who then contacted the Sherrill Volunteer Fire Dept. 

Manager Harley Moore immediately developed a plan to rebuild. Within 15 days a new screen and marquee had been constructed The theater re-opened April 14, 1961, with a new screen and marquee and a triple-feature. 

 Radio Station WDBQ developed a strong relationship with the theater and several times each Summer sponsored a "Free Family Night." WDBQ personalities would greet patrons at the box office as we handed out free 45 rpm records or tokens for a free bag of popcorn or soda from the concession stand. I recall the evening in 1968 when the feature film was the new John Wayne thriller, "Hellfighters." Cars were lined up from the box office entrance to the edge of the city near the Chateau Restaurant and Motel. 

When the downtown Orpheum theater was conducting a campaign to raise money for restoration to what has become "Five Flags Theater," the radio station conducted a promotion where the cost of admission was a $1.00 contribution to the fund and to see popular DJ Tom Mack have his beard shaved at intermission. We raised hundreds of dollars. A plaque on the donation wall in the Five Flags Theater lobby still reads "The Tom Mack Memorial Beard Fund." 

Competition arrived in 1964 when Nick Yiannias, operator of the Grand, Orpheum, State & Strand theaters downtown opened the new Super 20 Drive-In on "the new Kennedy Road & Highway 20." Only used "old-timers" recall that this new venue was located on the property most recently occupied by Shop-Ko. When Yiannis built Cinema Center indoor theaters he moved the outdoor theater to the west of Dubuque on Highway 20 where it became Super 20 Twin Cinema with two giant screens. 

In the early 70s, he purchased the Dubuque Drive-In Theater and began showing mostly exploitation films. 

Nationwide most of the drive-in theaters were "second-run" houses, and as the rental of VHS tapes grew, the outdoor theater business began a swift decline. In an attempt to save it, the Dubuque Drive-In Theater did some remodeling in the Spring of 1983, but it had no effect on business. 

The last double-feature presented was "Porky's" & "Porky's II" in August of 1983. Not even the showing back-to-back of these legendary teenage sex comedies could bring in an audience. Without fanfare, Yiannais closed the Dubuque Drive-In, moved the two features to his Super 20 screens and put the property up for sale. The demise of Super 20 was not far behind which closed at the end of the 1987 season. The Super 20 Mobile Home Park was soon developed and the property is now home to hundreds of mobile homes and most of the streets are named for a movie company including MGM, Republic, and Universal.