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Cinema Park Drive In Phoenix, Arizona
posted by
whizzer
on
September 3, 2007 at 7:41 am
I recently acquired a 1948 Crosley pickup truck that was made into a fire truck and served as a playground attraction at the Cinema Park Drive In theater at 7 ST. and Missourri in Phoenix, Arizona until it’s close in 1974 or 1975.
I would very much like to find an old photo or some history of it or the theater. I have checked the archives at the Phoenix library to no avail. Does anyone out there have any old photos stashed away?
Thank you, whizzer
Comments (3)
Why not try the Theater Historical Society in Elmhurst, Illinois… if they don’t have info/pictures, perhaps they know of another connection; listed “Drive-In’s” maybe? Good Luck!
Found this interesting tidbit about the Spruce Drive In, if you haven’t seen it.
A quote from Kerry Segrave’s book “Drive-In Theatres” – A history from their inception in 1933 (published by McFarland & Co 1992):–
One of the attempts to air condition the great ourdoors was seen in 1953 at Phoenix, AZ, Cinema Park Drive-In. A number of fouteen foot poles were installed on the lot. Each was topped by vertically mounted propeller blades behind water pipes containing tiny holes. With the blades whirring around, water was forced up the pipes, out of the holes, and then blown across the lot in the form of a fine mist. It caused the temperature to drop, said the marketers, several degrees. A few years later a similar invention was announced. Again it was a tall pole with baldes mounted on top, horizontally this time. The idea was to circulate the air, thus lowering the humidity. Models were said to be available especially to control fog and mist as well as humidity. These units called “Fogmaster” and “Weathermaster”, could operate successfully over several acres or more. Another feature touted was that it helped overcome the mosquito nuisance. Presumably they blew them away!
Phil Gray
thanks Phil,what a story.