HomeDrive-In TheatersCapri Drive-In Theatre - Coldwater, MI

Capri Drive-In Theatre - Coldwater MI

Address: 119 W Chicago Rd
City: Coldwater
State: MI
Zip: 49036
County: Branch
Open: 1964 (8-21-64)
Closed: Open
Capacity: 750 Cars
Owner History: Built by John and Mary Magocs, Currently owned by Tom and Sue Magocs
Number of visits to this page: 35172
General Information:

The 750 Car, single screen Drive-In opens on August 21st, 1964 by owner-operators John and Mary Magocs.

A contest was held at the Drive-In shortly after it opens to decide on a name... the winner received a brand new sewing machine. The winning name was The Capri. That name was submitted by... Mary Magocs (and yes, she kept the sewing machine :-)

Admission in 1964 was $1.00 and a cheeseburger was 45ยข. The snack bar at the time was leased to Auto City Candy Company of Detroit. Operating a Drive-In for the Magocs was a family affair. John and Mary, John Jr. and Tom, spent many a night making sure the show went off each night.

From 1964 through 1977, The Capri served the residents of Branch and Calhoun counties. The 50's, 60's and 70's were boom times for Drive-in's. In Michigan, there were 87 open Drive-In's in 1954, growing to a peak of 110 in 1958. The number of open Drive-In's remained constant over the next 20 years, with 103 Drive-In's still open in Michigan in 1977.

In 1977, the operation of the Capri Drive-In was leased to William Clarke of Coldwater while the Magocs resided in Florida. In 1980, Tom and John Jr. resumed operation of the theatre. Tom and John Jr. were 5 and 9 years old when John and Mary opened the theatre. Capri Drive-In After 16 years of learning the ropes, the boys took over. One of their first decisions was to install AM radio transmission of the movie sound. This was cutting edge technology at the time in the Drive-In industry. All but 5 rows of speakers were removed.

In 1982, Susan Magocs (Tom's beautiful wife) assumed operation of the Snack Bar. Between 1964 and 1981 the snack bar had been run separately. For those of you who remember back 20 years, this was a major UPGRADE for the concession stand. The Capri Drive-In's concession now consistently rates as one of the best Drive-In concessions in operation.

In 1986, the Capri became a twin. Screen Two was added on the back side of theatre. Screen One's car capacity was decreased to 550 cars, with Screen Two parking 300 more. It was at this time that 5 remaining rows of speakers were also removed. In 1996, sadly, the original "showman", John Magocs Sr. passed away in his Naples, Florida home.

Concession 1997 through 2022 saw The Capri Drive-In continually increase their technology and film exhibition capabilities. FM radio transmission of the sound, following by FM Stereo brought indoor theater sound quality to the Outdoor show. The Addition of a Red Dye Cye Analog filter (which was replacing Silver Nitrate on new films) allowed the Capri able to show current first run films.

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Disclaimer:

Please note that location entries may feature older photos or post card views that may not represent the current appearance, features, addresses, phone numbers, or contact names of the attraction. This site is intended to be a historical as well as current record of various attractions but it is not always possible to have up-to-date information due to the vast number of locations featured here. We ask you consult the propietor for current information.

Capri Drive-In Theatre - May 2024
May 2024
Capri Drive-In Theatre - May 2024
May 2024
Capri Drive-In Theatre - June 18 2022 Photo
June 18 2022 Photo
Capri Drive-In Theatre - June 18 2022 Photo
June 18 2022 Photo
Capri Drive-In Theatre - June 18 2022 Photo
June 18 2022 Photo
Capri Drive-In Theatre - June 18 2022 Photo
June 18 2022 Photo
Capri Drive-In Theatre - June 18 2022 Photo
June 18 2022 Photo
Capri Drive-In Theatre - June 18 2022 Photo
June 18 2022 Photo
Capri Drive-In Theatre - June 18 2022 Photo
June 18 2022 Photo
Capri Drive-In Theatre - June 18 2022 Photo
June 18 2022 Photo
Capri Drive-In Theatre - June 18 2022 Photo
June 18 2022 Photo
Capri Drive-In Theatre - June 18 2022 Photo
June 18 2022 Photo
Capri Drive-In Theatre - June 18 2022 Photo
June 18 2022 Photo
Capri Drive-In Theatre - June 18 2022 Photo
June 18 2022 Photo
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June 18 2022 Photo
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Oct 8 2023
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Summer 2014
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2017-2019 Photos
Capri Drive-In Theatre - 2017-2019 Photos
2017-2019 Photos
Capri Drive-In Theatre - 2017-2019 Photos
2017-2019 Photos
Capri Drive-In Theatre - 2017-2019 Photos
2017-2019 Photos
Capri Drive-In Theatre - 2017-2019 Photos
2017-2019 Photos
Capri Drive-In Theatre - 2017-2019 Photos
2017-2019 Photos
Capri Drive-In Theatre - 2017-2019 Photos
2017-2019 Photos
Capri Drive-In Theatre - 2017-2019 Photos
2017-2019 Photos
Capri Drive-In Theatre - 2017-2019 Photos
2017-2019 Photos
Capri Drive-In Theatre - 2017-2019 Photos
2017-2019 Photos
Capri Drive-In Theatre - 2017-2019 Photos
2017-2019 Photos
Capri Drive-In Theatre - 2017-2019 Photos
2017-2019 Photos
Capri Drive-In Theatre - 2017-2019 Photos
2017-2019 Photos
Capri Drive-In Theatre - 2017-2019 Photos
2017-2019 Photos
Capri Drive-In Theatre - 2017-2019 Photos
2017-2019 Photos
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Aerial Photo
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Great 68 Under Marquee
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Line Of Mustangs At Screen 1
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More Mustangs
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Cole Story Ford
Capri Drive-In Theatre - Waiting For Bullitt
Waiting For Bullitt
Capri Drive-In Theatre - Line Of Mustangs On Us-12
Line Of Mustangs On Us-12
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Beautiful
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Wishful Thinking
Capri Drive-In Theatre - Close-Up Of Marquee - Photo From Water Winter Wonderland
Close-Up Of Marquee - Photo From Water Winter Wonderland
Capri Drive-In Theatre - The Lane Pole I Wrecked Ha Ha Ha June 18 2022
The Lane Pole I Wrecked Ha Ha Ha June 18 2022
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Old Marquee In Junkyard
Capri Drive-In Theatre - Marquee At Night - Photo From Water Winter Wonderland
Marquee At Night - Photo From Water Winter Wonderland
Capri Drive-In Theatre - Screen And Marquee - Photo From Water Winter Wonderland
Screen And Marquee - Photo From Water Winter Wonderland
Capri Drive-In Theatre - Ticket Booth - Photo From Water Winter Wonderland
Ticket Booth - Photo From Water Winter Wonderland
Capri Drive-In Theatre - Concession With Games - Photo From Water Winter Wonderland
Concession With Games - Photo From Water Winter Wonderland
Capri Drive-In Theatre - Very Clean Concession - Photo From Water Winter Wonderland
Very Clean Concession - Photo From Water Winter Wonderland
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Inside Of Snack Bar - Photo From Water Winter Wonderland
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Concessions - Photo From Water Winter Wonderland
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Outside Of Concession - Photo From Water Winter Wonderland
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Projector - Photo From Water Winter Wonderland
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Projector Front - Photo From Water Winter Wonderland
Capri Drive-In Theatre - Screen At Night - Photo From Water Winter Wonderland
Screen At Night - Photo From Water Winter Wonderland
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Screen Front - Photo From Water Winter Wonderland
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Screen 2 - Photo From Water Winter Wonderland
Capri Drive-In Theatre - Capri From Air Courtesy Tom And Sue Magocs
Capri From Air Courtesy Tom And Sue Magocs
Capri Drive-In Theatre - Rewinder
Rewinder
Capri Drive-In Theatre - Booth For Screen 1
Booth For Screen 1
Capri Drive-In Theatre - Capri From Air Courtesy Tom And Sue Magocs
Capri From Air Courtesy Tom And Sue Magocs
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Restrooms - Photo From Water Winter Wonderland
Capri Drive-In Theatre - Grand Opening Ad
Grand Opening Ad
Capri Drive-In Theatre - News Article
News Article
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Aerial
Capri Drive-In Theatre - 1964 Opening Delay
1964 Opening Delay
Capri Drive-In Theatre - 1967 From Ron Gross
1967 From Ron Gross
Capri Drive-In Theatre - Live Search
Live Search
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