Geneva 4 Drive-In

575 Carter Street,
Daly City, CA 94014

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jwmovies
jwmovies on October 28, 2022 at 1:17 am

The actual address was 575 Carter St, Daly City, CA 94014. In fact this was never on Geneva only the marquee. A satellite parking lot for the Cow Palace separated this drive-in from the avenue. Please update.

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on June 7, 2019 at 10:07 am

To answer Marklar’s question, yes. Also addressing Jemimah63’s question, the June 24, 1950 issue of BoxOffice reported, “The new Geneva Drive-In, located on the site of the old Baden dog track, is utilizing the old grandstand as seating space for walk-in patrons.”

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on May 5, 2019 at 9:21 pm

Peterson Brothers sold the Geneva to Ray Syufy for a reported $230,000 per a note in the April 8, 1955 Motion Picture Daily.

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on October 19, 2018 at 8:47 am

Also opened with Bugs Bunny Cartoon World and news.

P
P on August 24, 2018 at 3:56 am

The marquee is gone

rivest266
rivest266 on August 6, 2018 at 12:30 pm

June 15th, 1950 grand opening ad in the photo section.

DonMcD
DonMcD on October 15, 2013 at 12:49 pm

I was the assistant manager there in 1970-71…the grandstands were a wreck even then, totally unsafe…it should be noted that Syufy Enterprises(owners of the theatre)did NOT own the land there, any more than they owned the land under any of their drive-ins.

Can’t swear to this, but we were told that there was a clause in the land lease that gave the owner the right to take back the land at any time if dog racing were to become legal again…

Regarding the safety of the place, it wasn’t the greatest area, but in the two years I was there no employee was ever mugged, let alone injured…nor (so far as we knew) were any customers…however I’m told it kept going downhill…

Jemimah63
Jemimah63 on June 6, 2013 at 5:27 pm

Midget cars? I always heard it was a dog track…Maybe both?

And to nearby neighborhoods, add Visitacion Valley..

stevenj
stevenj on January 16, 2013 at 11:51 am

The location mentioned above “Located in South San Francisco’s Excelsior district” should read “Located in Daly City” as this drive in is just across the SF city/county line. The Excelsior district is in San Francisco about 1 mile northwest of this location and South San Francisco is about 5 miles south of here. The closest neighborhoods are Sunnydale, across Geneva Ave from the Cow Palace (SF) and Bayshore (Daly City), just southeast of the Cow Palace.

Scott Neff
Scott Neff on January 15, 2013 at 4:37 pm

I’m sure they had to have been off limits. That part of town has always been rowdy so I imagine during drive-in business the rowdiness just got worse.

Marklar
Marklar on January 6, 2013 at 12:28 am

Those grand stands in the back are a trip! Could people sit up there and watch movies or where they off limits?

tarantex
tarantex on August 29, 2010 at 12:23 am

This Drive was such a dump. I worked there for 2 weeks with a OLD lady she was training me. I left after I was shot at coming from the Box Office to the Snack Bar. very seedy crowd, and when the Cow palace had a show it was impossiable to get out of the Theatre lines of cars at a stand still. its good it been demolished.

larrygoldsmith
larrygoldsmith on August 28, 2010 at 6:45 pm

ken mc
Yes, this is the same drive-in. Daly City/South City are just a little south of SF, or suburbs if you will. Geneva DI was adjacent to the Cow Palace. This area now is not very safe.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on January 14, 2006 at 12:44 pm

Is there any chance that this drive-in and the Geneva Drive-In in San Francisco are one and the same?