Kelly, Taft Boulevard at Frio City Road, 1949-1991:

Rick Stivers and John Miller had found this location earlier in the week.  This property is now a junkyard but the screen, restrooms and concession stand remain intact.  A possible ticket booth is located outside a gate near the screen.  This property is remarkable for the "industrial age" design features.  The screen is supported by a massive, and complex, arrangement of steel girders that would do any bridge proud.  The main support beams are bolted onto huge concrete piers.  This screen seems to have been designed by someone with no knowledge of engineering but who wanted to make absolutely certain the screen would not collapse.  Any disaster that takes out this screen will take out most of the city with it.   This is the only location at which I felt my personal safety was at risk. After we had been at the site for some time, nearly every dog in the neighborhood was barking like a lawyer on overtime.  To get some long shots, I had to cross the street and enter an alley.  At one point, I thought I was about to be attacked by a dog (the barking was getting closer and closer).  I comforted myself with the thought that should the dog attack, it would be killed.  Either by my hands or by the hands of animal control.

I would never lead Terry into any real danger and not once did I feel that our safety was at risk.  I think most folks looked at us more as a curiosity than as a problem or a threat.  I will admit that Terry managed to get quite a few dogs stirred up with his picture taking.  I think they were offended by the little clicks and whines of his cameras.  Terry is certainly right on one account, unless somebody tears it down, the Kelly screen will stand forever.  The steel in the I beams were as much as 3/4" thick.  The steel base plate on the top of the steel piers where almost 2" thick.  This thing was pieced together with what appears to be 50 tons of scrap iron.  This screen is my second favorite, just behind the main screen at the Mission.  We need to go back one day and ask for permission to shoot pictures of the projection booth and restrooms. In the meantime you will have to be content with the outside the fence shots.

Let's start with these aerial photos of the Kelly taken back in 1995.  So far this is the only drive-in I've seen with this triangle shape facing the street.  If you were on the street or up on the overpass crosswalk you had a perfect shot of the screen.

My guess is that many young folks spent the night up on this crosswalk watching the films.  It would have been the perfect place to watch from if they were using an FM transmitter.

Here is a shot of the projection booth.   I've heard tales that the projection equipment is still in the building with a movie in the projector.   We plan to go back one day and see for our selves if this story is true.

This is the restroom located next to the projection booth.

These shots are from the front of the screen and show the junk/salvage yard that once was the parking lot of the Kelly.  I can see no speaker poles in evidence.

  This is the one and only shot of the screen taken from the right side.  It was getting late and we felt it was time to get home.

  These shots show the screen from outside the left-hand fence.   It really is amazing how good the old screen still looks.

  If you look carefully at these photos you will see that the screen supports have very little rhyme or reason.  They even seemed to change the construction technique half way through the construction. It's almost as though they were building the screen with whatever materials they had available.   None of that matters, this screen will be standing until someone tears it down.

  The piers and steel beams are huge.  I wish we had taken some close-ups with a ruler to show you just how big they are.

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