When it was decided to add a second screen to this theatre in the 70s, the owner, faced with an irregularly-shaped piece of property, decided to set the new screen as close to the rear as possible. This placed the screen far to the left of the audience centerline.  While not an ideal position, it can be improved with proper aiming of the screen.

After surveyors meticulously staked-off the property for installation of the new screen, the theatre owner inexplicably took it upon himself to "adjust" the stakes on one side of the screen; moving it back six feet, and angling it further away from the parking area.

When installing the new projection equipment, the technician reported that it wouldn't perform properly, due to the incorrect placement of the screen. Upon opening to the public, complaints about the poor quality of the image on the second screen were non-stop.

In response, the owner blamed the projection equipment purchased from the technician, saying the lamphouse wasn't 'any good'. He demanded it be fixed. The technician again tried to explain the situation about the screen tower, and reminded the man that he'd been told about it previously. The projection equipment, of course, was top of the line and checked out perfectly upon inspection.

The technician tried repeatedly over the next few years to convince the owner, but he stubbornly resisted any reasoning and insisted that there was nothing wrong with the placement of the screen. He maintained it was the cruddy equipment he'd been sold!

Then one day, the technician had an occasion to fly near this drive-in and made arrangements to bring a photographer along for the trip. He flew directly over the theatre and took several revealing shots of the cockeyed tower.

On his next trip to the area, the photos were presented to the owner; illustrating in graphic detail what was happening to the projected image on this tower.

The owner said he could see nothing wrong.

The problem is readily apparent.

Ideally, this is how the tower should have been installed.