Starlite Drive-in expected to reopen May 22

AMELIA – The Starlite Drive-In here is expected to reopen just a few weeks behind schedule after its aging screen was rebuilt.

"We are doing our best to zero in for the opening of Friday, May 22, Memorial Day weekend," owner Debi Brooks recently told the drive-in's 28,000 Facebook followers. After a county inspection, Duke Energy is expected to sign off on electrical permits to restore power to the drive-in just days before the drive-in's scheduled opening.

Just a few months ago, the fate of the Clermont County landmark that's entertained moviegoers for nearly 70 years was uncertain. "Alice," the drive-in's iconic screen tower built in 1947, had deteriorated over the winter, and Brooks feared it was possible "her days and glowing nights were over."

After consulting with a Northern Kentucky demolition company and receiving overwhelming public support to keep the Starlite open, Brooks decided to rebuild the screen tower that had been named for the wife of its creator.

"I really struggled with it a lot personally and had a lot of sleepless nights, but I think once the old screen was completely down and removed from the property, I could feel a new energy," Brooks said.

"Once she called me and told me the old screen was down, then I got the sleepless nights," quipped Jerry Selby, owner of Selby Products that built the new screen. Since 1948, the Richfield, Ohio, company has built drive-in movie screens all over the world.

"Out of 2,500, we've lost only two and those were because of direct hits from tornadoes," Selby said.

From May 5-8, Selby's crews worked "from dawn to dark" to build a movie screen that's about 10 feet wider and four feet higher than its predecessor. Unlike the old screen that included wood and asbestos, the new five-story structure is all steel. Thanks to the screen finish and digital projection, the picture also is brighter and comparable to watching HD television, Selby said.

"We probably over design a little bit, but we want to make sure our screens last because drive-ins only have a three or four month season," he said. "If a screen goes down on the Fourth of July weekend, you're done."

Selby said he has a special affinity for drive-in owners "because most are mom and pop operators, the salt of the earth." Today, there are only 357 drive-ins in the U.S., down from nearly 4,100 at the height of their popularity in 1958.

Brooks, a Bethel resident, is a second generation drive-in movie theater owner who hopes that the Starlite will continue showing movies under the stars for generations to come.

She said 45 people recently showed up for a Starlite Drive-In job fair to apply for jobs this summer. Facebook response also has been supportive.

"Thanks soooo much for continuing the tradition so my kids can enjoy the drive-in as much as I have when I was young," Greg Schuler wrote in a Facebook post. "And yes, I still enjoy this piece of heaven. The Midway and the Starlite were my first of many positive experiences in Bethel many years ago. Keep it up. You guys rock."

Want to know what's happening in Clermont County? Follow me on Twitter @CindyLSchroeder.