Paramount Drive-In Theatres
7770 Rosecrans Avenue,
Paramount,
CA
90723
7770 Rosecrans Avenue,
Paramount,
CA
90723
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Boxoffice, Dec. 4, 1948: “Modern Amusement, Inc., staged the grand opening of its new Roadium Drive-In in Clearwater on Thanksgiving day. Joseph S. Bianchi heads the ozoner company”
But the LA Times' movie roundup ad included the Roadium in Clearwater on May 21, 1948, showing Cheyenne and Out of the Blue. I don’t know why it waited half a year to hold a grand opening.
2nd screen opened on April 28th, 1971.
There were two Roadium Drive-Ins, 2400 Redondo Beach in Torrance, which opened on September 8th, 1950 and this location opening as Roadium Drive-In on May 21st, 1948 and renamed Paramount Drive-In on July 13th, 1961 to avoid confusion.
The correct address for this drive-in is 7770 Rosecrans, Paramount, CA 90723
DavidZ, thanks for the article link. It says the place opened as the Paramount, but don’t be fooled. Every contemporary reference I’ve seen calls it the Roadium. The article mentions that “it shut down in 1992,” so that might be a good closing date.
This could be the drive-in seen at begining of “Mission Impossible”(season 1, episode 28 – The Psychic), where Dan Briggs(Steven Hill) driving into the drive-in to get audio message from the drive-in speaker and photos and instructions waiting for him behind the drive-in speaker on the post. There was no sign to show the name of the drive-in theatre, but it’s the nearest drive-in to the old Desilu Studios(taken over by Paramount Studios in 1967, the same year as the episode). There was one(or maybe films seen on the(marquee?) on top of the ticket booths as Dan Briggs drove in the drive-in theatre.
7 days a week. All the LA accessible D/I’s run 7 days a week.
Are they open 7 days a week or just Fri-Sat-Sun right now?
First time visit was last night (where I was welcomed with a TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR in the middle of the flick!). Considerably smaller than the other 4 LA area accessible D/I’s, but clean, well staffed and yummy popcorn. Digital projection is nice and bright and no static interference from the FM radio sound.
Once more folks realize that this spot has reopened, it’s going to be a MONSTER! Heck, with a little reconstruction of their surrounding perimeter walls, they can fit another screen! Maybe 2 more!
04/15/14 article about the Paramount.
http://www.presstelegram.com/business/20140415/paramount-drive-in-getting-a-first-class-reopening
(Re)Opening Day: Friday April 18, 2014. They announced it today on their FB page.
Thanks Ken, I was going to add that but forgot!!
Here is their facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/ParamountDriveInTheatres
Here is local news
Screens are up! Facebook page is up! Website is up! Looks like they’re going with the name Paramount Drive-In Theatres. Still no official opening date, but their Facebook page indicates that they will announce that in a week or so.
Website: http://www.paramountdrivein.com/
Their FB page has pictures of the screens and a local news report showing the screens being mounted on the site. Pretty spiffy!
BREAKING NEWS: The drive-in is RETURNING to this swap meet! The news reports says it’s gonna be a 2 screener (like it was originally) equipped with digital projection and all the trimmings. It’s slated to open in Spring 2014!
The article: http://www.thedowneypatriot.com/blogPost.do?id=1171
Bruce Jenner was in the running for SUPERMAN,But Christopher Reeve took the role.
Nice ad ken mc.
The Roadium, under which the drive-in operated as in 1950, should be listed as an a.k.a.
Very obviously a drive-in theatre lot, by the look of the aerial – possibly the snack bar still survives, nestled as it is amongst what appear to be shipping containers. There’s a swap meet adjacent this address, so it’d be interesting to go by and see what’s left.
This 80s classic was playing at the Paramount in June 1980. Bruce Jenner’s debut, and last film:
http://tinyurl.com/3xskzp
Here is a 1954 ad from the Independent Press-Telegram:
http://tinyurl.com/39tg67
This theatre was opened as the Roadium Drive-In in 1947. The area was then called Clearwater. The owner was local businessman Joseph Bianchi, whose son is Glen Bianchi, owner of the Bianchi Theatres. The Paramount Drive-In has, since 1955, hosted the Paramount Swap Meet, now the largest daily swap meet in California. Though the Drive-In has long since closed, the swap meet is still operated by the Bianchi family.
I find this theatre listed in the Los Angeles Times as a Pacific Drive-In, in August of 1986, but it is not listed as a twin at that time. Pacific was also listing a three-screen drive-in called the Rosecrans in the city of Paramount in that year. The Rosecrans was located on Lakewood Boulevard at Rosecrans.