Plainville Drive-In
308 New Britain Avenue,
Plainville,
CT
06062
308 New Britain Avenue,
Plainville,
CT
06062
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Boxoffice, Dec. 29, 1958: “Christmas trees were sold at the shuttered Plainville (Conn.) Drive-In, with salesmen distributing two free passes for the drive-in to each purchaser of a $2 tree."
Last known as Plainville Twin Drive-In, closed on September 7, 1987 with “Born In East L.A.” and “The Secret Of My Success”.
This opened on April 21th, 1954 with the “World’s largest curved screen!”. Its grand opening ad can be found in the photo section.
I remember using the company pick-up truck, International Harvester, with a couple of my friends. We decided to see how fast we could drive over the ramps, maybe even get air borne. I bent the frame of the truck and the Perakos boys were not happy with me that day.
What a terrific photo! Thanks hispeed54!
Added Goggle Earth view 1991
That would have been Tinty’s race track next door. I worked for the Perakos family at the Palace in New Britain, the Elm, and both the Plainville and Southington Drive-Ins. So sad to see it all gone. Old man Perakos promised me a job as I was leaving for the Viet Nam war in 1964. I just never went home again.
Cinema Tour lists the Plainville’s construction year as 1954. Can anyone confirm?
March 24,1970 and “CACTUS FLOWER” is playing along with “SOUTHERN STAR” In-CAR HEATERS!
They had two screens.
View link
Steve
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ao0mYE565Y
Steve
The former KMart store is where the drive-in stood. The Loews cinema is where an auto racetrack was.
This great drive-in closed after the 1987 season for a development project that flopped. It was finally torn down around 1997 for a strip mall. The Loews multiplex actually was built on land adjacent to where the drive-in stood. This drive-in held 1100 cars and was one of the most popular in Central CT.
The Loews Plainville 20 now sits on the Drive-In property. The Drive-In was owned and operated by the Perakos family, who also owned the Southington Drive-In and the Elm Theatre in Elmwood, among others.