Santa Paula Drive-In
125 E. Harvard Boulevard,
Santa Paula,
CA
93060
125 E. Harvard Boulevard,
Santa Paula,
CA
93060
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Looks like it opened on May 18, 1950, if the Boxoffice note is accurate.
Boxoffice, Feb. 11, 1950: “SANTA PAULA, CALIF. – Negotiations have been completed here for the purchase of an eight-acre site on the old Walnut Park subdivision for erection of a drive-in by the Hickey Bros Co. of Ojai. The drive-in will accommodate 500 cars and will feature RCA in-car speakers.”
Boxoffice, May 27, 1950: “SANTA PAULA, CALIF. – With the Hickey Bros. Land Co. as owners and managing directors, a 450-car drive-in, the Santa Paula, opened here (18).”
Boxoffice, July 15, 1950: (open 1950 list) “Santa Paula, 450, Hickey Bros.”
Boxoffice, May 7, 1962: “Westates Amusements Corp. is taking over the Santa Paula Drive-In from the Milt Smiths. June Poynter will do the booking and buying”
Boxoffice, Feb. 23, 1952: “The Santa Paula Drive-In at Santa Paula has been purchased from Hickey Associates by Milt Smith … (who) will take up residence in Santa Paula to devote full time to operating the ozoner.”
Unfortunately, that link for the aerial view no longer works, but thanks for the provided info otherwise. I had been there twice as a very young man in the very early seventies and my memory is so vague. This was one of the five that Ventura County once had. The SkyView of Oxnard is either soon or currently the last being developed. These are getting awfully scarce!
Aerial photo made in 1967 by USGS
The owner was Milton Smith in the early 1960s. The drive-in was gone by 1978. Here is a 1969 aerial view:
http://tinyurl.com/yb33fky