By Don Lowe
As Barco Drive-In in Lamar, Missouri, celebrates nearly 75 years of bringing family entertainment to life for people throughout Barton County and beyond, it’s clear this remains a desirable destination that has persevered through unexpected challenges the past couple of years and is still providing picture-perfect presentations for all to enjoy.
Scott Kelley, who serves as manager of this iconic institution and runs it alongside his wife, Pam, and other family members, clarifies, “This is our 75th season (showing movies) but technically the 74th year (since it officially opened in late April 1950).”
While Barco Drive-In has stood the test of time, some recent events proved challenging to the family: losing their son, sibling, uncle and friend, Zachary (Zach) Kelley in 2022 at only 31 years old and then having a strong storm in July 2023 do significant damage to the movie screen.
Zach Kelley worked at the Plaza Theatre, which Scott also manages, and was well-known throughout this close-knit community. In talking with Show Me The Ozarks Magazine last year, Scott said of his son, “Zachary never met a stranger. Walking around the square, he talked with anyone he would see.
“He was always checking on friends to see how they were doing. I think he’s made Lamar a better place to live. He’s missed by so many. The square will never be quite the same.”
As if losing Zach wasn’t painful enough, after having to close Barco Drive-In less than a year later when Mother Nature wreaked havoc and caused so much destruction, it might have seemed that would be the end.
In describing the battering Barco took, Scott says, “A massive windstorm knocked the original screen back and forth and pushed it off the foundation. We put in a temporary support to keep it open.”
Although there was much uncertainty about the future of this popular place, there was incredible support to make sure it would be renovated, and Scott says The Plaza Community Rescue (TPC) team of Lynn Calton, Jerri Finley, Kathy Jenkins, Betty Kuhn and Pat O’Neal formed to “help get everything going.”
There were countless companies and individuals who came to Barco’s rescue, including Colby Johnson, David Johnson and Ryan Sargent with Johnson Construction; Stan Rawlings, Brantley Duncan, Jared Gardner, Mike Keatts and Trey Timmons with Rawlings Crane and Fabrication; Harold Vandermark with Vandermark Welding; and Eric Jeffries with Jeffreys Excavation.
“There were so many people from area businesses who helped out,” Scott says. “It has been amazing when you stop and realize how many people have been involved from giving (monetary donations) and helping to rebuild it. Just incredible community support. It’s been a labor of love.”
It’s understandable why Scott is ecstatic Barco Drive-In not only survived but thrived since his involvement with this operation began so long ago. “I started working for Butler and Wanda Felts (who managed and then owned Barco) when I was in high school.
“I worked in the concession stand and operated the projector. It was more complicated back then (reel to reel). The theaters fascinated me, and I followed Butler around everywhere.”
There are a great deal of options for entertainment today, but Scott is convinced there’s nothing better than the drive-in experience and he assures, “You can’t beat sitting in a big area and enjoying a movie setting under the stars.”
As far as amenities, Barco Drive-In features a concession stand that includes many of the traditional foods, such as hot buttered popcorn, nachos, chili dogs and much more, and Scott says, “It has a retro 1950s feel to it.”