Tascosa Drive-in gives final curtain call
With the theater's final curtain call, cars backed up all the way to Thompson Park for the final showing at the Tascosa Drive-in on a chilly night in Amarillo.
The drive-in, which originally opened May 2, 1952, has been owned by Rhett Burns for the past 25 years. In 1967, a second screen was added to the drive-in, but when it closed temporarily in 1994, part of its lot was sold off and became an RV park. The drive-in reopened in its current single-screen state until the announced closing Oct. 25.
With the announced closing of the Tascosa Drive-in, the Stars and Stripes Drive-in will be the last drive-in standing for regular shows in the area, with the Sandell Drive-in in Clarendon being closed for the season. At one time, Texas had more than 400 drive-ins in the state, and now there are less than 20.
For the drive-in's final hurrah, Burns offered $10 carload admission, and all concessions were $1. More than 375 cars showed up for the final show, which was determined by a honk of horns. Chosen as the final feature was the family Halloween classic “Hocus Pocus.” The concession line stretched all the way back-to-back of the drive-in, with hotdogs being the first item to sell out.
Burns said that he was deciding to close because he wanted a career change after 25 years. With the amount of work that it took him, he felt it was time to do something different. He spoke about breaking his ankle trying to change the marquee sign and a gust of wind taking him down.
“I do not have the energy and drive to maintain the drive-in anymore,” Burns said.
While COVID-19 did bring a boost to his business due to regular movie theaters being closed, Burns said that the cost of maintenance, film fees and people having the option to experience films at home have really hurt the business. An after-effect of COVID-19 has been that people have become accustomed to seeing big movies at home, according to Burns.
“People at home have like 80-inch screens at home and don’t want to get out anymore,” Burns said. “Look at the UA theatre that shut down; how can a big ol' chain like that go out of business if there is nothing wrong with the industry? Production companies want so much for the movies now, and they want me to keep a movie for three weeks while paying 80%. If I have to hold a movie for three weeks, customers will drop off during that time.”
According to Burns, he is looking to sell the drive-in to somebody else who wants to reopen it as it is rather than having more trailer parks or something else.
“I have started this from scratch. I do not want to see this become a trailer park; I want this to be a drive-in,” Burns said. “I am hoping and it looks good, that this will stay a drive-in. I do not want to sell it just for the land.”
With all the people showing up for the final showing, Burns said it really touched him to have this kind of turnout for his last night in business.
“Thanks for letting me do something I have loved for the last 25 years,” Burns said. “I still love doing this, but it's time to let someone else younger than me take this over. I just don’t have the energy to do 80 hours a week to keep the theater up. I really hope I pleased more people than I offended.”
Daniel Hawley from Amarillo reflected on this being the last showing for the drive-in.
“It’s kind of sad because me and my kids come out here from time to time to enjoy a movie,” Hawley said. “I would like to see it stay open; it’s a great time for the family. It’s been such a treasure to have this here.”
Sharron Taylor said she has known Burns for years and hates to see this Amarillo icon shut down.
“I do not blame him for getting out of this after 25 years, and it will take someone really special to run the drive-in,” Taylor said. “I hope somebody will buy this and do it justice, because it needs to be kept open. This is a special place.”
She said that today’s generation does not seem to understand or appreciate the nostalgia of the drive-in.
“This is something that we need here in Amarillo, and it has served us well," Taylor added.
As Payden Henry sat watching kids pile on the merry-go-round near the screen, he reflected on his memories at the Tascosa Drive-in.
“It is kind of surreal watching these kids play where I did as a kid,” Henry said. “It’s sad to see this place close. We took it for granted, the staple that this drive-in is for the community.”
Without the drive-in, Henry said the community has lost a valuable commodity for families to enjoy.
“To know that this might be the last time I may be able to enjoy this experience,” Henry said, "it’s really sad to know that your kids may not be able to get the same enjoyment that you did. It was always nice to hang out with other families and meet new people as you enjoy the show under the stars.”
He said that he really did not appreciate the experience at the drive-in until he got older.
“I really appreciate all the memories that this place created for me and for so many other families,” Henry said. “Just watching these kids play just brings back so many memories. I really do not want this to be the last time that the lights come on here.”
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Tascosa Drive-in owner of 25 years holds farewell party for theater
