HR0481LRB101 12908 ALS 62009 r


  
1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3Representatives wish to congratulate the Skyview Drive-In in 
4Belleville on the occasion of its 70th anniversary; and
  
 
5    WHEREAS, On July 8, 1949, the Skyview Drive-In opened as 
6part of the Bloomer family chain of theaters (BAC Theatres) 
7with the film On Our Merry Way;  the drive-in accommodated 900 
8cars and had 200 seats for walk-in patrons; admission was 60 
9cents; in addition to movies, the drive-in offered a playground 
10with pony rides, miniature train rides, and a small Ferris 
11wheel; and
  
 
12    WHEREAS, In 1953, with the advent of Cinemascope, wings 
13were added to the side of the screen to accommodate the wider 
14picture; in the spring of 1955, the 60-foot screen and the 
15playground were damaged by a tornado; the screen was replaced 
16with a larger, 115-foot, one, which was supposedly the largest 
17in the Midwest at that time; in 1981, another storm damaged the 
18115-foot screen, and it was replaced by a somewhat smaller one; 
19a second screen was built not long afterward, making the 
20drive-in a twin; for more than 60 years, employees were trained 
21to project movies on the big screen; in 1995, a radio sound 
22system was installed, and the drive-in became digital in 2013; 
23and
  
 
 
 
HR0481- 2 -LRB101 12908 ALS 62009 r

1    WHEREAS, The Skyview Drive-In's sign is one of the most 
2iconic movie marquees in the country; designed by Kirn Signs, 
3the rocket ship marquee appeared in 1950; it was damaged by a 
4storm in 1955; in the early 1980s, the drive-in turned off the 
5function that made the sign flash, due to a sign ordinance in 
6Belleville that outlawed flashing signs; since then, the 
7drive-in has kept the lights off; and
  
 
8    WHEREAS, The Skyview Drive-In is one of the two drive-ins 
9built by the Bloomer family and is the only remaining drive-in 
10in operation in the St. Louis region; today, it is owned by 
11Steve Bloomer; the first screen can hold 440 vehicles, and the 
12second screen can hold 190 vehicles; the drive-in's season runs 
13from April through November; therefore, be it

  
 
14    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE 
15HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
16we congratulate the Skyview Drive-In in Belleville on the 
17occasion of its 70th anniversary and wish them many more 
18successful years; and be it further
  
 
19    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
20presented to Steve Bloomer as an expression of our esteem and 
21respect.