The Starglow Drive-In Theatre

Remains of the Starglow Drive-In as seen in June 2021. Canon AE-1 w/ Kodak ColorPlus 200 — Remains of the Starglow Drive-In as seen in June 2021.
*Canon AE-1 w/ Kodak ColorPlus 200*

The first show was scheduled to begin at 8:15, but those wanting the best spots had arrived when the doors opened at 7. First up was “Apache,” the blockbuster from last year that starred Burt Lancaster and Jean Peters. If you were up for a second feature on that warm evening in July 1955, “Close to my Heart” with Ray Milland and Gene Tierney would follow. Per the advertisement, there’d be “free treats for the kiddies” and “good food at the concession stand.” Even if you didn’t bask in the glow of the screen or listen in on a speaker on that grand opening night, there’d be other chances—about three decades worth of opportunities to take in a film at Middletown, Ohio’s “all new, spacious” Starglow Drive-In Theatre.

Advertisement for the Starglow’s grand opening. “Blueball” may be familiar to readers who remember the 2017 story on “The Long Lines” of AT&T. Via CinemaTreasures.org — Advertisement for the Starglow’s grand opening. “Blueball” may be familiar to readers who remember the 2017 story on “The Long Lines” of AT&T.
*Via* *CinemaTreasures.org*

As with all of the abandoned drive-ins featured on this site (and its previous iteration), the best historical information tends to come from CinemaTreasures.org. Per that resource: the Starglow’s been closed about as long as I’ve been alive. When a few friends and I happened upon the remains—the screen, concessions/projector booth, ticket window, and a handful of other remnants were still standing. The property is now divided into a few parcels with the landscape hosting an array of vehicles in various states of use.

The Starglow’s entrance and screen still standing. Digital — The Starglow’s entrance and screen still standing.
*Digital*

Earl Cox is the man credited with opening and operating the Starglow. According to CinemaTreasures.org contributor Randy Studer: Earl’s origins in the theatre business began when he’d “stretch a white tarpaulin between two palm trees and use that as a makeshift movie screen” for fellow American Marines serving in the Pacific during World War Two. Cox is also credited with operating other nearby theaters over the years including the Dixie Cruise-In and the historic Sorg Opera House (then known as the “Colonial Theatre”). The Starglow is believed to have closed in 1989. Earl Cox passed away in 2013.