Hello,

The last time we went up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan last
summer, I noticed that the Cinema 2 Drive-In located in Manistique,
Michigan was up for sale, rent or lease.

We gave the information and phone number to several people we know
including a current Michigan drive-in owner. We recently visited with
that owner, and he said that he called to inquire about the sale of
the Cinema 2 DI last fall. He mentioned that they wanted a huge sum
of money for the drive-in, and that the price that the owner was
asking would make it so that no one could afford to keep the property
as a drive-in theater, if they could afford it at all.

Here are a few excerpts of an e-mail that we received from another
friend who lives up there and knows the owner of the Cinema 2:

"Yes, we did speak to the owner. About three years ago, he had sold
the property (the drive-in plus other acreage) to a man who was
interested in building a lumber supply store in that location. The
owner had a lease agreement with the man that would guarantee the
operation of the drive-in for at least 10 years."

"This man has since decided not to proceed as planned and has put it
up for sale. The lease agreement for the drive in is with the owner
and we did speak to him."

"According to the owner, there are other repairs that are necessary
including some lighting. The figures he gave me for what last year
had cost him and what else was needed were quite high (exact figure
unknown because we had already dismissed the idea")

The idea she speaks of was for her and her husband to rent or lease
the drive-in, and keep running it as a drive in. They do not have the
time or money to do so, unfortunately.

I had sent an e-mail to the manager of the drive-in who runs the
place for his father who owns it. He said that none of the work that
needs to be done to open it this year has been done, and that it does
not look good for reopening the drive-in this summer.

When we spoke with him last summer, he mentioned that they had to
close temporarily several times last season because of "severe
equipment problems." He mentioned that the power supply for the
equipment blew up during a screening of Pearl Harbor.

He said would e-mail me to let know if the drive-in reopens this
summer, but I don't have a good feeling about that happening due to
what I already know.

My take on this is that we are losing yet another Michigan drive-in
this year or the near future along with the impending closing of the
Getty 4 in Muskegon Heights at the end of this season. Unless a
miracle happens and someone comes along with the money for repairs or
has deep pockets to spend on buying a drive-in. Anyone have a rich
uncle who wants to operate a drive-in theater in the U.P.?

For anyone interested in keeping it alive, the number of the real
estate office is 906-786-9327. After 6 PM E.S.T. call 906-789-1259

I'm so glad we got to visit and see movies there the last two years.
We have some great memories of fun times we spent there. The last
movies we saw there were Doctor Doolittle 2 and Legally Blonde.

Long live all drive-ins. The world needs more of them.

Best wishes,
Neon Marquee