The Bend Drive-In was developed by brothers Albert and William Forman, who also owned Bend's Capitol and Tower theaters downtown. The construction of the space was a community effort that the Bend Bulletin's opening-day advertisements made a point of celebrating. Construction began in the spring of 1950, with the project managed by A. Wilson Benold, a Bend general contractor whose Cable Building office oversaw the placement of the screen, the individual speaker poles, fencing, electrical connections, and the concession building. The electrical work throughout the theater was handled by Deschutes Electric, and plumbing was supplied by McLennan Plumbing Co.
The site selected was about two miles north of Bend on Redmond Highway 97, at what is today 20501 Cooley Road. Ten acres of land were graded to create the parking field that allowed for 400-car capacity, with cars arranged in rows on high visibility ramps, angled toward the screen. The centerpiece of any drive-in is its screen, and Bend's measured an impressive 60 by 60 feet. This was relatively standard in size, based on other drive-in information I’ve gathered, but it was impressive for the size of the town. Supporting it required substantial structural engineering to withstand Central Oregon's wind and weather.
The projection room was equipped with high-intensity RCA projection equipment that was common at the time. The theater also featured improved individual RCA car speakers mounted on individual poles beside each parking space, replacing the earlier drive-in loudspeaker systems. The grounds also included a playground, giving children something to do during the second feature or while parents settled in. The whole compound was enclosed with fencing, giving the space a defined, secure perimeter.
