Dateline: September 1, 2005

Sandell Drive-In marks golden anniversary

By Roger  Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Fifty years ago, the late Gary Barnhill invited all of Donley County to enjoy “an evening of pleasure” for the formal opening of the Sandell Drive-In, and now John Morrow has reissued that same invitation as the theatre celebrates its golden anniversary this weekend.

It was Labor Day weekend in 1955 when Barnhill opened the Sandell, which he had named for his daughters, Sandra and Adele. The Donley County Leader reported that Barnhill had installed “the latest drive-in theatre equipment in order to offer the best in movie entertainment.”

The drive-in actually opened a week earlier, but the Sandell’s grand opening was held on September 11, 1955, with Shane, starring Alan Ladd and Jean Arthur, “in color,” as its feature presentation.

“I wish I had something appropriate to pay tribute to Gary,” Morrow said. “He did a whale of a job building the theatre. I’ve looked at a lot of other old drive-ins, and the only one that can compare to ours is in Midway, and I later learned that it was built patterned on the Sandell. There are 85 tons of steel in its structure.”

The Sandell Drive-In Theatre was operated by Barnhill for 29 years, generating many fond memories before it was closed in 1984.

It then sat unused for 18 years, until Morrow reopened it in 2002 after a chance conversation in a Dallas restaurant named Sandella’s and a string of events and conversations made it clear to him that he should be the one to open the theatre.

The façade got a fresh coat of pink paint, and a new ticket booth was installed. Morrow also installed new projection equipment, remodeled the concession stand, and re-opened the drive-in on Labor Day weekend that year.

“This is our third anniversary too,” Morrow said, “and I hope the people have enjoyed it as much as I have. I see the kids come out. Their faces just light up, and that makes me smile.”

As Barnhill did in 1955, Morrow also invites visitors to the snack bar. Golden anniversary specials this weekend include 50-cent hot dogs, 50-cent soft drinks, and 50-cent popcorn.

Morrow said Barnhill gave him lots of advice as he worked to bring the drive-in back. “Don’t put French fries in the concession stand; the grease is too much trouble. Stick with chips,” the old manager told him. And also, “Don’t charge by the carload.”

Since the re-opening in 2002, the Sandell has welcomed new and former customers with a nostalgic atmosphere that harkens back to the simpler times when Elvis was the hottest thing in music and everybody liked Ike. Except now a transmitter allows move-goers to listen to the show on their car radio instead of hanging the speaker through a window.

“It’s been pretty fun just to do it two nights a week,” Morrow said. “I can’t imagine what it was like for Gary to do it every night.”

Morrow hopes everyone will come out to the drive-in this weekend and join the anniversary celebration, and he’s got just the right movie to set the mood.

Acclaimed as the most successful Western of the 1950s and nominated for six Academy Awards, Shane will return to the Sandell’s big screen this Friday and Saturday in a double feature with Warner Brothers’ modern motion picture, The Dukes of Hazzard, starring Johnny Knoxville and Jessica Simpson.

Gates open at 8 p.m. this Friday and Saturday, Shane rolls at 9 p.m. Tickets for the show are $5 for adults and $4 for children under 12 and seniors over 65.