Passing by the northwest corner of Veterans Memorial Parkway and Highway 47 it’s hard to miss the excavation project in progress.A large lot of dirt and big dirt-moving machines can be seen from Interstate 70, Veterans Memorial Parkway and beyond.The work is in preparation for a new development with a Schnucks grocery store.The same spot, decades ago, some may remember, was a drive-in movie theater.Aug. 8, 1950, Warrenton’s veteran movie man, William Zimmerman, launched the Moto-Vu Drive-In Theatre, “located on junction at Highways of 47 and of Old U.S. 40,” according to newspaper ads of the time.The Moto-Vu featured only first-run movies. The first was a romantic comedy, “Duchess of Idaho,” starring Esther Williams, Van Johnson and John Lund.Although the concept of drive-in theaters had come along in the 1930s, they gained ubiquitous popularity, by no coincidence, about the time Americans were discovering a passion for a new line-up of American-made cars.Car capacity at the Moto-Vu was 280.An ad for the Moto-Vu dated Oct. 6, 1950, in The Marthasville Record (now The Warrenton Record) reads: “Relax in your own car at the MOTO-VU,” “modern restrooms,” “handy concessions,” “super for sound,” “free kiddie playground,” “50 cents per person, kiddies under 12 free when with folks,” “chairs for walk-ins.”Those who remember the drive-in remember it well. Historical Society members shared their recollections of the drive-in.Delores (Seckfort) Owenby remembers as a teenager going to the snack bar at intermission.Susie (Mobley) Busekrus remembers her parents taking her and her sister to the drive-in in their pajamas and asking her dad repeatedly to go to the concession stand, until they finally dozed off.Robbey (Bolm) Dothage remembers going to “Dollar Night” at the drive-in and cramming as many people in the car as possible.The playground served as entertainment before the show and at intermission.For many years, St. John’s Lutheran Church of Warrenton and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of Jonesburg sponsored Easter sunrise services at the drive-in for the public.In 1951 Zimmerman leased both the Vita (the downtown Warrenton theater) and the Moto-VU Drive-In Theatre to T and W Theatres, Inc., Kansas City.In 1958, Ms. Zimmerman started a five-year lease with David Meyer of Salem. Meyer operated the West Quincy Drive-In Theatre located west of Quincy, Ill., on the Missouri side. By this time, the Zimmermans had operated the Vita Theatre for 35 years and the Moto–Vu Drive-In Theatre for eight years.After a while, drives-ins lost their luster for moviegoers and theater owners. Numerous factors led to the slow demise of drive-ins nationwide. People could watch movies at home with cable and movie rentals. Land became more expensive to buy, own and maintain. Outdoor movies, shown at night, during good weather, limited showings and profits. Indoor theaters got better.Drive-in theaters eventually became a hard business to keep in business.The Moto-Vu Drive-In in Warrenton closed in 1982, the same year movies like “E.T. The Extra-terrestrial,” “Blade Runner,” and “Gandi” were released.This story was provided by the Warren County Historical Society, which is funded by donations and run by volunteers.The museum is located at 102 W. Walton in Warrenton, and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.For more information, to attend an event or to make a donation, call 636-456-3820 or email museum@warrencountymohistory.com.

Moto-Vu Drive-In Theater advertised its movies in The Marthasville Record in the 1950s. This ad was for showings of "Colt .45" with Randolf Scott, released in 1950; "Bright Leaf" starring Gary Cooper and Lauren Bacall and released in 1950; and "Fighter Squadron," released in 1948 and starring Robert Stack.