The Silvermoon Drive-In is a

drive-in theatre A drive-in theater or drive-in cinema is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor movie screen, a projection booth, a concession stand, and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movi ...

Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal ci ...

. Established in 1948, it is the last remaining drive-in of Polk County, Florida.

History

The Silvermoon was founded on April 14, 1948. Admission was only 35 cents per person. The opening attraction was ''

Up Goes Maisie ''Up Goes Maisie'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Harry Beaumont. Produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it is the ninth of 10 films starring Ann Sothern as ex-showgirl Maisie Ravier, characterized as "that double trouble doll with the sa ...

'', starring

Ann Sothern Ann Sothern (born Harriette Arlene Lake; January 22, 1909 – March 15, 2001) was an American actress who worked on stage, radio, film, and television, in a career that spanned nearly six decades. Sothern began her career in the late 1920 ...

and

George Murphy George Lloyd Murphy (July 4, 1902 – May 3, 1992) was an American dancer, actor, and politician. Murphy was a song-and-dance leading man in many big-budget Hollywood musicals from 1930 to 1952. He was the president of the Screen Actors Guild fro ...

. The Theatre was owned and operated by I. Q. Mize and M. G. Waring. On May 23, 1950 the screen was damaged in a tornado, but the theatre was reopened on July 1, 1950. In 1952 I. Q. Mize and M. G. Waring sold the theatre to Carl Floyd owner of Floyd Theaters, a successful chain of theatres across Florida. Floyd Enterprises was acquired by Burnup & Sims in the late 1970s, but they retained Harold Spears, who Carl Floyd had appointed the president of Floyd Theatres. In 1985 another screen was added. In the 1990s Burnup & Sims merged with

Mastec Mastec, Inc. is an American multinational infrastructure engineering and construction company based in Coral Gables, Florida. The company provides engineering, building, installation, maintenance and upgrade of energy, utility and communications ...

. When in 1996 Mastec told Mr. Spears to close the remaining drive-in theatres, he formed Sun South Theatres and bought the Silvermoon Drive-in and two other drive-in theaters. One of those theaters, the 28th Street Drive-In in St. Pete was closed down in 2000. The other theater, the Joy-Lan Drive-In in

Dade City Dade City is a city in and the county seat of Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is located in the Tampa Bay Area. The population was 6,437 at the 2010 census. Dade City is popular with tourists for its antique stores, restaurants, and h ...

is still operating. The cinema celebrated its 50th anniversary with a gala in 1998."Silver Moon turns golden," ''Tampa Tribune,'' April 11, 1998. In 2022, both of the Silver Moon's screens were upgraded to laser projection systems.

References

External links

Theatre Website
{{Coord, 28.0350, -82.0154, type:landmark_region:US-FL, display=title Cinemas and movie theaters in Florida Drive-in theaters in the United States Buildings and structures in Lakeland, Florida

History

See also

References

External links