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News Article: Crest Drive-In To Open Aug. 18 - Theater to Have Capacity For 700 Automobiles - Aug. 18 has been
set for the opening date for the new $125,000 "Crest Drive-In" theater nearing completion on US-16, four miles east
of the Michigan State college campus.
(Note: The Crest actually opened August 8th)
The 700-car capacity outdoor theater, covering 19 acres, will face a lighted
60' x 60' screen. A concession stand to accommodate 300 persons in 15 minutes will be staffed by 12 waitresses.
The operators expect to employ a theater staff of about 15 ushers and traffic directors. The theater, built on a
prominent crest from which it takes it name, will feature such innovations as illuminated guide and speaker posts,
a 44-foot lunch counter, plywood screen, water cooled projection equipment and playground equipment for children.
Builders of the modern outdoor theater are Marie A. Annand of Lansing, Howard Squires of Caro, William J.
Muehlenbeck of Saginaw and Joe Burnett of Bay City, forming the Crest Drive-In Theater corporation.
(Lansing State Journal 8/4/50)
News Article: 20 Years Long Enough In One Line - Caro - The four Kitchen Brothers of Caro are getting out of the
gasoline business - and not because of the current oil strike. They are going into the outdoor theater business in
partnership with another Caro brother team, the Ashmun Brothers. The Kitchens -
Wilfred, Jae, Hugh and Hubert - yesterday sold their gasoline distributing business, which covered the entire
Thumb area, to the Texas Co. The step from gasoline station to theater does not seem like a large one to the Kitchens.
"It was Jae's idea", said Hugh Kitchen, "just as it was Jae's idea to get into the gasoline business." Jae Kitchen, at 39
a man of boundless energy, has been in the gasoline business for 20 years, 17 of them in Caro. "I believe," said Jae,
"that anybody who has been in one line of work for 20 years is due for a change." It's as simple as that. Brother Wilfred,
41, and the twins, Hugh and Hubert, 33, went along with the idea. Wilfred joined Jae in the gasoline business in 1937; the
twins joined them after service in World War 2. The Kitchens recently became co-owners with the Ashmun Brothers -
Richard and Reginald - of three outdoor theaters. They are operating a theater in
East Lansing. One is under construction at
Bad Axe, and another under construction at
East Tawas. The Ashmuns own 12 other theaters and have part ownership of still two more, including
Twilite Drive-In on State Street, Saginaw. Jae Kitchen is managing the firm's theater in East Lansing.
Wilfred will manage the East Tawas theater; and the twins will tend the Bad Axe theater. The Kitchens' Caro bulk
plant and retail station will be managed by Wendall Biddle, a former employee. (The Saginaw News 5/8/52)
News Article: Church plans to buy X-rated drive-in for its new parish - Okemos, Mich. (AP) - A homeless Roman Catholic parish plans to buy an X-rated drive-in theater and transform the 18-acre tract into a church complex. Bishop Kenneth Povish, of the Lansing diocese, confirmed that the owner of the property has accepted an offer for the site, pending zoning change approval by the Meridian Township authorities. Richard Harlow, director of development control for Meridian Township, said the rezoning would be in keeping with the local master plan to convert the Crest Drive-In site from commercial to residential, the zoning under which churches fall. The Rev. Jonathan Wehrle, who will head the new parish, said the diocese was attracted to the site more by the potential rezoning than a desire to close the Crest. But he said the conversion promises "a spiritual benefit and a social benefit" for the area. Wehrle said the diocese plans a $7 million development over 20 years on the property, including a school, offices, and outdoor gardens. "The Catholic church builds a parish with the idea it will be there for 500 years," he said. The new Okemos parish celebrated its first mass July 3 in the Okemos High School auditorium. Wehrle said he forsees only one potential problem: "What happens when the patrons come back and they don't realize there's a church rather than a porno movie theater?" Joseph O'Leary, who is handling the real estate sale for the diocese, said the zoning must be changed to residential, with a special permit. The township planning commission is not expected to take the matter up until September. The drive-in has specialized in X-rated movies and operated a pornographic novelty shop since 1970. According to Ingham County tax records, the owner of the Crest is listed as National Amusements, of Dedham, Mass. (Ludington Daily News 6/27/88)
Status: Gone; while originally a family drive-in, this former adult drive-in site is now ironically, St.Marthas Catholic
Church's parking lot.
Update: After the sale to St. Martha's, the snack bar building served at a temporary church before the current
church building was constructed. (Michigandriveins.com 10/30/03)
Update: Thank-you for this site. I grew up at this drive-In. My Dad was security, and my brother was a projectionist.
We spent many weekends doing speaker checks walking the rows. Mr Spagnolia was the Owner, and his Mother
used to be the Ticket taker. It was the late 60's and it was a great family Theater. (Mark Gilby 03/04/07)
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