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News Article: Starlite Park-In theater at Millett will open for the summer season Saturday night, featuring "Buck Privates Come Home" with
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. The Starlite Park-In will operate on a Saturday night schedule only and it is planned to offer the best films available,
according to the manager C. M. Miller, who is also secretary of the American Educational Film society. Arthur Eiman is assistant manager.
Admission will be charged by the carload. The Starlite is able to accomodate 300 cars at one time.
(Lansing State Journal 6/9/49)
News Article: Drive-in Opening Set - The new Starlite Drive-In theater on US-27, one-mile west of Waverly rd., will open Friday.
The theater is owned and managed by J. W. Blackburn, proprietor of the
Family Drive-In theater in St. Johns. This makes five drive-in theaters which have been built in the Lansing area in
a period of five years. Work on the new building was started last November, and is now completed with the exception of a few minor details,
Mr. Blackburn said. Five hundred cars can be accommodated at the theater at one time. The theater will open with a double bill "Invasion, U. S. A.,"
starring Gerald Mohr and Peggie Castle, and "The Pathfinder," with George Montgomery and Helen Carter. These two shows will be presented
through Saturday, with a midnight show on Saturday, "Deadmans Eyes." The box office will open each night at 7 oclock, and shows will begin
about 8:20 p. m., with a complete show of the double bill and a repeat of the main feature. The same policy of children under 12 years of age being
admitted free, that is followed by other drive-in theaters, will be adhered to by the new theater, Mr. Blackwell said. Also marking the opening night
as the Starlite will be a big display of fireworks after the show. In case of rain the display will be presented on Saturday night. There will be free
popcorn, and balloons for the children. A concession stand also will operate at the theater. Pony rides and a playground for children will also be featured.
(Lansing State Journal 5/21/53)
Status: Gone, site is a RV storage lot. (Michigandriveins.com 1/00)
Update: Site is vacant, driveway remains. (Michigandriveins.com 6/29/02)
Update: The Starlite Drive-In opened on May 22nd, 1953, and was featured in the "Review of Theatre Constuction" section of the 1954-55
Theatre Catalog. According to the Theatre Catalog feature, the Starlite was owned by J.W. Blackburn, had a 600-car capacity on its 17-acre lot,
and cost $85,000 to build. The wood-frame screen tower was 60 by 60. The Starlite closed around 1985, and was demolished sometime shortly
after that. I didnt get the chance to go to a drive-in until I was a teen, and for some reason never caught a show at the Starlite. Probably because the
Northside Drive-In was much closer to home. But I do have vivid memories as a young child going by there at night, fascinated by seeing the movie
playing on the big screen, as it was clearly visible when driving north on Lansing Rd. past the theater. So, The Starlite was sort-of my "first" drive-in.
Currently the lot is used by "Starlite RV Storage".
(Ron Gross 1/6/03)
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