East 70 Drive-In

Double checked the Post archives, last season: 1995.

approximate address is now 12800 E Colfax Ave - this points to the entrance road, which still exists.

Last season: 1989.

I’ve put together a booking history for the East Drive-in, from 1947 up to 1978 so far, in case anyone might like to know when a particular movie played there. I’ll be happy to share my research with you. Take care – Ken Mitchell ()

Thanks to HistoricAerials.com’s easy-to-use tools, we know that the East’s ramps persisted on the south side of Colfax through a 2011 aerial photo, but became a surface parking lot by 2013. The lot it became appears perfectly rectangular in my eyes, both in overall shape and in its rows of parking spaces. The fan-shaped lot is much closer to the hospital, on the other side of Colfax.

Boxoffice, July 25, 1977: “DENVER – The East 70 Drive-In, which is Colorado’s first outdoor theatre, celebrated its 30th birthday this summer. … The East 70 opened July 4, 1947, with the double feature “A Night in Casablanca” and “Sunbonnet Sue” at a cost of 60 cents for adults and free admission for children, according to the Sunday Denver Post.”

This note, from Billboard Aug. 14, 1954, could be posted on any Wolfberg drive-in: “Unseasonably hot weather has boosted drive-in business in the Denver area with nearly a dozen theaters making a bid for the trade. At Wolfberg’s Compass theaters, the Fuller Bros.‘ Drive-In Circus has been making a three-week stay, moving from one theater to another. Show has 30 performers who put on 10 acts. This attraction is in addition to full-length double bills, comedies and short subjects.”

Hi MontyM – I thought the new East 70 had a connection with I-70 too until I was doing research for a series of books I’m putting together on the history of the Denver area’s drive-ins and theatres. Turns out the “70” was added to the name on 5/11/65 after the installation of a new 70mm screen. I-70 was built a few years later. Another fun fact – the East was simply referred to as “Drive-In Theatre” when it first opened on 7/4/47. It was given the East name shortly after it opened its second season in April 1948. If anyone reading this has questions about drive-ins or theatres, please feel free to get in touch. I’d be happy to share my research with you. Thanks ! .

Enjoy reading all these comments. Would be interested in any pictures,scrapebooks? On all the drive- Ins we owned. NANCY WOLFBERG A shout out to Greg Albertini remember the Evergreen cabin “ incident”? Sorry about that😊!

Thanks to compassdriveins you are the only on to get the history of the East Drive In story right. And thanks for mentioning Leonard Albertini as the founder of the East, it was a great accomplishment for him and he loved the business for 28 years. Leonard passed away in June of 2011 at the age of 93.

The address for this theatre was 12600 East Colfax Avenue Aurora,CO 80011. There is a duplicate listing for this theatre listed as The East, which I have recommended be removed and combined with this page as they’re one in the same. Additionally, no one around here,including longtime Union projectionists and others in the theatre business locally, ever knew this theatre to be called the “70mm” East-just the East 70 or more commonly, the East. While there were indeed intentions of and even some preparations in the booth for showing 70mm, this theatre never did. The only drive-in theatre in the Denver metro area (and most likely the entire state of Colorado) to run 70mm was The North Star.

The theatre name listed really should be changed to just The East as that is what many remember it as or at very least, The East 70. As I cannot prove beyond a doubt that it was never called a The East 70mm, I’d be OK seeing that listed as a previous name pending some research from us all but still, I’m fairly certain here.

Hi, I just viewed “Drive In Memories” with Leonard Maltin and Joe Bob Briggs (John Bloom) and googled this fine old drive in… Spent some fine evenings there!!! Great nostalgia! Anyone remember the Havana drive in across from the defunct Buckingham Square shopping center?

Ask Ken If he would like a photo of the matchbook cover. I also have a matchbook cover for the Compass Drive In Theatres