Schlanger as a Budco Quality Theater and opened on the first weekend of April 1962. Delawareans may remember as many as nine drive-ins, all of which were Budco's, but all have closed ... the last Delaware drive-in closed at the end of the 2008 season. Budco was sold to AMC and the "Budco Quality Theater" slogan disappeared. The Prices Corner Drive-In closed in September 1979 and was later razed to
make way for a commercial development along Century Boulevard. The Gaylords, Thriftway and National Family Store were replaced by Wal-Mart, Horizon Services, The Wilmington School of Rock and numerous other businesses along Century Boulevard, which was approximately the entrance to the drive-in. The land between the drive-in and the railroad was developed for self storage rental. Larry Anderson re-imagined the Prices Corner Drive-In from extensive historical research, eyewitness reports and aerial imagery of the Prices Corner area prior to the Route 141 project, which extensively changed the appearance and the character of the area. His painting ... "Starry Starry Night" from the Don McLean song tribute to Vincent Van Gogh ... is a visual paean to a long-lost form of entertainment that is well-remembered by Delaware families and especially by Baby Boomers.
[Credit and thanks for researching newspaper advertisements to Renée in the Reference Department at the Wilmington Public Library.]
