Billboard, July 2, 1955: “The Renninger, Schuykill County, Pa., drive-in has opened on a six-day schedule. It is closed Thursdays, the date of the nearby weekly Schuykill Haven open market. Double bills are shown Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.”
Billboard, July 2, 1955: “The Ol-Worth Drive-In Theater opening at Olney, Tex., has been postponed because of wind damage, according to Billy Wilson, manager. The main structure has had to be torn down and will have to be rebuilt.”
The Island Valley Daily Bulletin ran the story of the sale on Oct. 31, 2019. According to that article, William Oldknow and Jack Anderson opened the Mission Drive-In, which had a capacity of 1350, on May 28, 1956. As was common for large drive-ins of the period, it had a 122x50-foot curved screen designed for CinemaScope. On the first night, the Mission showed the double feature Picnic and Star in the Dust.
In my book Drive-Ins of Route 66, I wrote that the Tascosa opened in May 1952. Looking back, I’m not sure exactly why I wrote that – probably a mention in a May or June 1952 trade magazine.
Anyway, here’s something new and different from the Aug. 16, 1952 issue of Billboard:
Operators of the Tascosa Drive-In Theater, Amarillo, Tex., W. O. Beardon and L. R. Doyal, were charged by the National Production Authority last week with “unlawfully” using copper wire in excess of authorized quantities to build the theater. One of the counts charged the theater operators with “false information regarding the amount of copper wire” used in its construction. Assistant General Counsel Robert Winn said it was the first time NPA has lodged any charges of alleged violations against anyone in Texas.
The Film Daily Year Book first included this as Motor-In in its 1948 edition. It became the Stockton Motor Movies in 1949. The Motion Picture Almanac series included the Motor Movies through its 1982 edition, and a 1982 aerial photo showed it in good shape, but the drive-in fell off the 1983 list.
I agree with the commenters above that the address should be 4000 S. El Dorado or something close to it.
A March 2019 Google Street View shows an empty, grassy field where the Motor Movies once stood.
The Star-Vue’s last appearance in the Motion Picture Almanac drive-in lists was the 1979 edition. Its ramps were run-down but intact in a 1983 aerial photo, but the industrial park was in its place in a 1993 aerial. (Although a 1999 (!) topo map still included it – another reason to stay skeptical of topo maps.)
Salida’s Motor-In’s first appearance in the Film Daily Year Book’s drive-in lists was the 1949 edition. It was the Motor-In in the 1948-49 Theatre Catalog, but the next edition called it the Modesto Motor In, capacity 443, owned by the Lippert circuit. By 1952, the Catalog called it the Modesto D. I., capacity 573. (In the 1955-56 edition, the Catalog gave up and just called it Drive In.)
The first Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list for the 1950-51 book included the Motor-In, capacity 400. It remained the Motor-In in the MPA, though the capacity grew to 602 beginning in 1960. The MPA listed the Motor-In in 1970 but not in its 1972 edition, a rare update for that period.
For an address, you could use 4710 Kiernan Ct, which is adjacent to the back half of the Motor-In’s old viewing field. According to a March 2019 Google Street View, that field was/is a vacant lot for sale.
The 1948-49 Theatre Catalog listed the El Rancho with a capacity of 350, owner John Armm, status “CLOSED”. But the inaugural Motion Picture Almanac list in 1950-51 had the owner as R. C. Jones, capacity 400, and by implication, open again. That’s the way the MPA listed it until 1966, when it fell off the list.
A local historian was quoted in El Centro’s Imperial Valley Press on Feb. 27, 2002 that the drive-in “was on Highway 111 south of old Highway 80, about where the Texaco truck stop is now.”
There’s a 1953 aerial of the drive-in at that location that shows someone’s tiny farm slicing through the back of the ramp arcs all the way to the projection booth, splitting the back half into west and north fields though the rest of the ramps and the screen are intact. Did it really operate that way for over a decade? Weird!
I think that the El Rancho really ought to listed under El Centro, since it was just one mile east of the city limits with an approximate address of 397 E Evan Hewes Hwy, El Centro, CA 92243.
The Motor Vu was listed as under construction in nearby El Centro in the 1948-49 Theatre Catalog. It was listed under El Centro in the 1949 Film Daily Year Book list, which shifted it to Imperial for its 1950 edition.
A 1980 topo map showed the Motor Vu with just one screen, but a 1996 aerial photo showed both of them.
As of May 2019, Google Street View showed the sign, screens, and poles intact.
At some point, the Oakland and Stadium drive-ins merged. The 1977 Motion Picture Almanac had the first drive-in list to notice, calling it the “U A Stadium Drive In 3”, capacity 1100. But as early as 1972, the United Artists circuit entry in the MPA included the “Stadium/Oakland D.I.” in San Leandro.
The combined entry’s last appearance in the MPA was the 1979 edition, suggesting it closed in 1978 or earlier.
A 1972 aerial photo showed the Motor-In still intact and in good shape. It stayed on topo maps through at least 1981. The Motion Picture Almanac included it on its drive-in lists through the 1976 edition, but the MPA rarely noticed changes during 1967-76. The Motor-In fell off the list for good when the list rebooted in 1977.
Then again, that might have been because of the Motor-In’s content. I found a June 25, 1975 ad in the Fresno Bee for an X-rated triple feature there.
BTW, Google Maps prefers 3115 E Cartwright Ave for the current address. And the screen was still up as of a July 2015 Google Street View.
A 1946 aerial photo still showed the dog track, and a 1958 aerial showed a shopping center already built on the site.
The El Cerrito didn’t appear in the Film Daily Year Book drive-in list until the 1950 edition. It was still listed in the 1955-56 Theatre Catalog, and it stayed in the ever-slow-to-notice Motion Picture Almanac’s list through the 1959 edition.
The first listing in the Motion Picture Almanac for a drive-in in Brawley was the Family Motor Vu in the 1956 edition. The first mention by the Theatre Catalog of a drive-in in Brawley was the 1955-56 edition, also the Family Motor Vu. The MPA listed the Family Motor Vu through its 1976 edition, then had nothing for Brawley for three years. The 1980 edition introduced the Brawley Drive-In, which was listed that way until the 1985 edition, when it fell off the list.
OTOH, the 1963-64 Film Daily Year Books included “Brawley Drive-In” among Sero Amusement’s holdings in their circuit lists.
The July 7, 1958 issue of Variety included “Your Family Drive-In, Brawley” in an honor roll of Business Building campaign participants.
But I haven’t found another mention of the Valley View name for Brawley’s drive-in. I’d love to know Ken McIntyre’s source for that.
According to Google Street View, you can still see the screen foundation between two tall trees on the east side of the site: https://goo.gl/maps/DbC3RUEj1ovaUeaa9
The Film Daily Year Book first included the Auto-See in its 1950 edition; with Joe Vogel’s note, that suggests a 1949 opening.
The Auto-See was still outlined in a 1983 topo map, and the ramps were in decent shape in a 1998 aerial, but its final appearance in the Motion Picture Almanac’s drive-in lists was the 1984 edition.
The closest address that Google Maps likes is across the street, 29328 Rd 156. The Sequoia’s ramps are still visible, but the screen has been replaced by a cell phone tower.
Kenmore is accurate, but I’d still list this drive-in under Susanville. The Lassen was between the two chunks of Susanville (wait, what?), and Johnstonville is merely a census-designated place, apparently without borders or governance. But it was founded as Toadtown, so at least it upgraded its name.
The Lassen’s first appearance in the Film Daily Year Book’s lists was the 1951 edition, as “Drive-In”. Its first entry in the Motion Picture Almanac was the 1951-52 edition, and the first Theatre Catalog mention was 1952.
The Lassen’s screen was still visible in a 1980 aerial photo (masquerading as a topo map on HistoricAerials.com) but as Kenmore implied, it was gone in a 1981 aerial.
At some point, the Oakland and Stadium drive-ins merged. The 1977 Motion Picture Almanac had the first drive-in list to notice, calling it the “U A Stadium Drive In 3”, capacity 1100. But as early as 1972, the United Artists circuit entry in the MPA included the “Stadium/Oakland D.I.” in San Leandro.
The combined entry’s last appearance in the MPA was the 1979 edition, suggesting it closed in 1978 or earlier.
Thanks for the topo, rockyroadz. Old aerial photos show a very narrow viewing field with the screen at the west corner. The San Pablo was still in great shape in a 1959 photo, but the 1968 aerial shows the ramps run down and the screen gone.
Google Maps shows that site is now occupied by the Villa Alvarado Apartments, so a better address would be 1330 Contra Costa Ave, San Pablo, CA 94806.
The 1948 Film Daily Year Book included the “Automovie” under Pittsburgh (sic) CA, so it probably opened in 1947. It was also in the first Theatre Catalog drive-in list, the 1948-49 edition.
The Auto Movies' final appearances in the Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list were the 1960-61 editions. The drive-in list said it was operated by Blumenfeld Theas., although Blumenfeld’s circuit listing that year didn’t include it.
A 1959 aerial photo shows the drive-in in great shape, but a 1966 aerial photo of the site shows a fully built housing development.
The final appearance of the Airport Auto Movie in the Motion Picture Almanac’s drive-in lists was the 1979 edition, when it was said to have a capacity of 1000.
The drive-in was clearly visible in a 1968 aerial photo. I don’t see the screen in the 1981 aerial, but the ramps were still in good shape.
Although the aerial proves it opened earlier, the drive-in’s first appearance in the Motion Picture Alamanc was the 1970 edition, where the circuit list entry for United Artists Theatre Circuit listed the U.A. Marina Auto Movie under Monterey.
The 1972-76 MPA drive-in lists included “UAmarina” (capacity 620) under Marina CA. The rebooted 1977 MPA drive-in list had the Marina Auto Movie (capacity 754) under Monterey.
The Marina Auto Movie’s final appearance in the MPA drive-in list was 1982; the UA circuit’s holdings placed it in Marina that year. In the 1983 edition, the Marina Auto Movie was gone from all MPA lists.
Billboard, July 2, 1955: “The Renninger, Schuykill County, Pa., drive-in has opened on a six-day schedule. It is closed Thursdays, the date of the nearby weekly Schuykill Haven open market. Double bills are shown Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.”
Billboard, July 2, 1955: “The Ol-Worth Drive-In Theater opening at Olney, Tex., has been postponed because of wind damage, according to Billy Wilson, manager. The main structure has had to be torn down and will have to be rebuilt.”
The Island Valley Daily Bulletin ran the story of the sale on Oct. 31, 2019. According to that article, William Oldknow and Jack Anderson opened the Mission Drive-In, which had a capacity of 1350, on May 28, 1956. As was common for large drive-ins of the period, it had a 122x50-foot curved screen designed for CinemaScope. On the first night, the Mission showed the double feature Picnic and Star in the Dust.
Probably the origin story, from the Aug. 16, 1952 issue of Billboard:
Frank Love Jr., manager of the Kermit Theaters, Kermit, Tex., announces that construction will start there soon on a 500-car capacity drive-in.
In my book Drive-Ins of Route 66, I wrote that the Tascosa opened in May 1952. Looking back, I’m not sure exactly why I wrote that – probably a mention in a May or June 1952 trade magazine.
Anyway, here’s something new and different from the Aug. 16, 1952 issue of Billboard:
Operators of the Tascosa Drive-In Theater, Amarillo, Tex., W. O. Beardon and L. R. Doyal, were charged by the National Production Authority last week with “unlawfully” using copper wire in excess of authorized quantities to build the theater. One of the counts charged the theater operators with “false information regarding the amount of copper wire” used in its construction. Assistant General Counsel Robert Winn said it was the first time NPA has lodged any charges of alleged violations against anyone in Texas.
The Film Daily Year Book first included this as Motor-In in its 1948 edition. It became the Stockton Motor Movies in 1949. The Motion Picture Almanac series included the Motor Movies through its 1982 edition, and a 1982 aerial photo showed it in good shape, but the drive-in fell off the 1983 list.
I agree with the commenters above that the address should be 4000 S. El Dorado or something close to it.
A March 2019 Google Street View shows an empty, grassy field where the Motor Movies once stood.
The Star-Vue’s last appearance in the Motion Picture Almanac drive-in lists was the 1979 edition. Its ramps were run-down but intact in a 1983 aerial photo, but the industrial park was in its place in a 1993 aerial. (Although a 1999 (!) topo map still included it – another reason to stay skeptical of topo maps.)
The drive-in appeared to be intact in a 1982 aerial photo, but a 1983 aerial showed construction of the shopping center underway.
Salida’s Motor-In’s first appearance in the Film Daily Year Book’s drive-in lists was the 1949 edition. It was the Motor-In in the 1948-49 Theatre Catalog, but the next edition called it the Modesto Motor In, capacity 443, owned by the Lippert circuit. By 1952, the Catalog called it the Modesto D. I., capacity 573. (In the 1955-56 edition, the Catalog gave up and just called it Drive In.)
The first Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list for the 1950-51 book included the Motor-In, capacity 400. It remained the Motor-In in the MPA, though the capacity grew to 602 beginning in 1960. The MPA listed the Motor-In in 1970 but not in its 1972 edition, a rare update for that period.
For an address, you could use 4710 Kiernan Ct, which is adjacent to the back half of the Motor-In’s old viewing field. According to a March 2019 Google Street View, that field was/is a vacant lot for sale.
The 1948-49 Theatre Catalog listed the El Rancho with a capacity of 350, owner John Armm, status “CLOSED”. But the inaugural Motion Picture Almanac list in 1950-51 had the owner as R. C. Jones, capacity 400, and by implication, open again. That’s the way the MPA listed it until 1966, when it fell off the list.
A local historian was quoted in El Centro’s Imperial Valley Press on Feb. 27, 2002 that the drive-in “was on Highway 111 south of old Highway 80, about where the Texaco truck stop is now.”
There’s a 1953 aerial of the drive-in at that location that shows someone’s tiny farm slicing through the back of the ramp arcs all the way to the projection booth, splitting the back half into west and north fields though the rest of the ramps and the screen are intact. Did it really operate that way for over a decade? Weird!
I think that the El Rancho really ought to listed under El Centro, since it was just one mile east of the city limits with an approximate address of 397 E Evan Hewes Hwy, El Centro, CA 92243.
The Motor Vu was listed as under construction in nearby El Centro in the 1948-49 Theatre Catalog. It was listed under El Centro in the 1949 Film Daily Year Book list, which shifted it to Imperial for its 1950 edition.
A 1980 topo map showed the Motor Vu with just one screen, but a 1996 aerial photo showed both of them.
As of May 2019, Google Street View showed the sign, screens, and poles intact.
At some point, the Oakland and Stadium drive-ins merged. The 1977 Motion Picture Almanac had the first drive-in list to notice, calling it the “U A Stadium Drive In 3”, capacity 1100. But as early as 1972, the United Artists circuit entry in the MPA included the “Stadium/Oakland D.I.” in San Leandro.
The combined entry’s last appearance in the MPA was the 1979 edition, suggesting it closed in 1978 or earlier.
Since this drive-in was replaced by the South Hayward BART Station, the best address would be the station’s: 28601 Dixon St, Hayward, CA 94544.
Great photo, but it belongs to the UA Hayward Automovies, which didn’t close until the 1980s. The Hayward closed in 1968.
A 1972 aerial photo showed the Motor-In still intact and in good shape. It stayed on topo maps through at least 1981. The Motion Picture Almanac included it on its drive-in lists through the 1976 edition, but the MPA rarely noticed changes during 1967-76. The Motor-In fell off the list for good when the list rebooted in 1977.
Then again, that might have been because of the Motor-In’s content. I found a June 25, 1975 ad in the Fresno Bee for an X-rated triple feature there.
BTW, Google Maps prefers 3115 E Cartwright Ave for the current address. And the screen was still up as of a July 2015 Google Street View.
A 1946 aerial photo still showed the dog track, and a 1958 aerial showed a shopping center already built on the site.
The El Cerrito didn’t appear in the Film Daily Year Book drive-in list until the 1950 edition. It was still listed in the 1955-56 Theatre Catalog, and it stayed in the ever-slow-to-notice Motion Picture Almanac’s list through the 1959 edition.
The first listing in the Motion Picture Almanac for a drive-in in Brawley was the Family Motor Vu in the 1956 edition. The first mention by the Theatre Catalog of a drive-in in Brawley was the 1955-56 edition, also the Family Motor Vu. The MPA listed the Family Motor Vu through its 1976 edition, then had nothing for Brawley for three years. The 1980 edition introduced the Brawley Drive-In, which was listed that way until the 1985 edition, when it fell off the list.
OTOH, the 1963-64 Film Daily Year Books included “Brawley Drive-In” among Sero Amusement’s holdings in their circuit lists.
The July 7, 1958 issue of Variety included “Your Family Drive-In, Brawley” in an honor roll of Business Building campaign participants.
But I haven’t found another mention of the Valley View name for Brawley’s drive-in. I’d love to know Ken McIntyre’s source for that.
According to Google Street View, you can still see the screen foundation between two tall trees on the east side of the site: https://goo.gl/maps/DbC3RUEj1ovaUeaa9
The Film Daily Year Book first included the Auto-See in its 1950 edition; with Joe Vogel’s note, that suggests a 1949 opening.
The Auto-See was still outlined in a 1983 topo map, and the ramps were in decent shape in a 1998 aerial, but its final appearance in the Motion Picture Almanac’s drive-in lists was the 1984 edition.
The closest address that Google Maps likes is across the street, 29328 Rd 156. The Sequoia’s ramps are still visible, but the screen has been replaced by a cell phone tower.
Kenmore is accurate, but I’d still list this drive-in under Susanville. The Lassen was between the two chunks of Susanville (wait, what?), and Johnstonville is merely a census-designated place, apparently without borders or governance. But it was founded as Toadtown, so at least it upgraded its name.
The Lassen’s first appearance in the Film Daily Year Book’s lists was the 1951 edition, as “Drive-In”. Its first entry in the Motion Picture Almanac was the 1951-52 edition, and the first Theatre Catalog mention was 1952.
The Lassen’s screen was still visible in a 1980 aerial photo (masquerading as a topo map on HistoricAerials.com) but as Kenmore implied, it was gone in a 1981 aerial.
At some point, the Oakland and Stadium drive-ins merged. The 1977 Motion Picture Almanac had the first drive-in list to notice, calling it the “U A Stadium Drive In 3”, capacity 1100. But as early as 1972, the United Artists circuit entry in the MPA included the “Stadium/Oakland D.I.” in San Leandro.
The combined entry’s last appearance in the MPA was the 1979 edition, suggesting it closed in 1978 or earlier.
Thanks for the topo, rockyroadz. Old aerial photos show a very narrow viewing field with the screen at the west corner. The San Pablo was still in great shape in a 1959 photo, but the 1968 aerial shows the ramps run down and the screen gone.
Google Maps shows that site is now occupied by the Villa Alvarado Apartments, so a better address would be 1330 Contra Costa Ave, San Pablo, CA 94806.
The 1948 Film Daily Year Book included the “Automovie” under Pittsburgh (sic) CA, so it probably opened in 1947. It was also in the first Theatre Catalog drive-in list, the 1948-49 edition.
The Auto Movies' final appearances in the Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list were the 1960-61 editions. The drive-in list said it was operated by Blumenfeld Theas., although Blumenfeld’s circuit listing that year didn’t include it.
A 1959 aerial photo shows the drive-in in great shape, but a 1966 aerial photo of the site shows a fully built housing development.
The final appearance of the Airport Auto Movie in the Motion Picture Almanac’s drive-in lists was the 1979 edition, when it was said to have a capacity of 1000.
The drive-in was clearly visible in a 1968 aerial photo. I don’t see the screen in the 1981 aerial, but the ramps were still in good shape.
Although the aerial proves it opened earlier, the drive-in’s first appearance in the Motion Picture Alamanc was the 1970 edition, where the circuit list entry for United Artists Theatre Circuit listed the U.A. Marina Auto Movie under Monterey.
The 1972-76 MPA drive-in lists included “UAmarina” (capacity 620) under Marina CA. The rebooted 1977 MPA drive-in list had the Marina Auto Movie (capacity 754) under Monterey.
The Marina Auto Movie’s final appearance in the MPA drive-in list was 1982; the UA circuit’s holdings placed it in Marina that year. In the 1983 edition, the Marina Auto Movie was gone from all MPA lists.