Residents of Medford, Ore., had a new source of entertainment when the Robert L. Lippert Theaters Co. opened a drive-in theater in the summer of 1949.
The drive-in advertised the comfort of watching movies while seated in the family car and facing a huge movie screen. The landscaped lot that tilted up toward the screen offered viewing for up to 643 cars.
The concrete screen tower had a modern design, and the grounds included a children’s play area and benches for walk-in patrons. Each car had access to an individual loudspeaker with volume controls that gave spectators privacy. A projection booth building in the middle of the parking area sold refreshments and had restrooms close by. Whole families could come in one car, eliminating the need for a babysitter.
The theater offered a special YMCA benefit preview on June 8 and opened for regular business the next night. A storm blew out the glass in the marquee in 1951, and later storms forced its replacement in 1965. The Starlite was a popular theater until Americans began watching home movies on TV and going less often to big-screen theaters. The drive-in closed in 1987 and was destroyed later by vandals and fire.
Sources: Truwe, Ben. Jackson County Looking Back. Vol. II . Canada. The Pediment Group, Inc. 2012 . 52. II vols. Print.; “Construction Of New Drive-In Theater Planned.” Medford News Ed. Tina Truwe, 25 Mar. 1949. Web. 13 Aug 2013: http://id.mind.net/truwe/tina/drive-ins.html; “Lippert Building Drive-In Outside of Medford, Ore.” Ibid. Boxoffice Magazine 1 Feb. 1947. Print; “Two Drive-In Theaters Open During Week; Operation, Features Described.” Ibid. Medford Mail Tribune 7 June 1949; Roe, Ken. Cinema Treasures, Web.13 Aug 2013 http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/33641.3.
