Closed in 1999, there is video of the concession/projection building as late as 2012. Not sure of the demolition date.
From the AIDA database:
Riviera Drive-in Theatre (article, ad)
Opened August 22, 1967
Located at 8 SE 59th
Location by GPS N 35º 24.368 W 97º 30.646
Newspaper showed a “Swap Shop” on May 3, 1968
Screen blew down during winter of 1999, theatre did not reopen.
Owned By George Caporal. (I should add that George Caporal had died at this point and ownership of the drive in went to his son, Sam Caporal. Sam was an attorney and did not want to have anything to do with running the drive in.)
The reason the screen blew down, was that it was constructed of oilfield drilling pipe. The only problem was that in 1967, no one bothered to weld caps on the TOP of the pipe, and they basically stood with water in them for 32 years…time took its toll and with a good wind, down came the screen.
I did have the privilege of being the Union projectionist there in 1985 and part of 86. If you want to see the truly sad end for the drive in, there is a great set of pictures of its stripping and vandalism here:
Abandoned OK
Truly a sad end for a once great, but tawdry drive in. I am sure there are lots of people in Oklahoma City who remember seeing such wonderful films as, “Hell’s Angels unchained,” or “Glory Stompers” in the late 60s to “Candy stripe Nurses” in the late 70’s…
Wesley Horton AIDA
YouTube video of the abandoned theater here