Sunnyside Drive-In
5550 E. Olive Avenue,
Fresno,
CA
93727
5550 E. Olive Avenue,
Fresno,
CA
93727
3 people
favorited this theater
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Opened on 31st January 1975 on screen 1 with “Swiss Family Robinson” and “Old Yeller” and on screen 2 with"Bananas", “Sleeper” and “Play it again Sam”.
Now a parking lot for an Amazon building the ramps still remain although the swap meet has since closed
i remember reading it was 86 this theatre closed. also a brush fire was happening right next to the theatre when i last went by no idea if the raps were affected or not.
Stopped showing movies in 1987.
2nd screen opened on January 31st, 1975. Grand opening ad posted.
Another drive-in grand opening ad with “World’s largest screen” on it from May 26th, 1965. They also laid claim to the “World’s most beautiful Drive-In theatre” claim.
just uploaded a 1972 aerial from historic aerials.com of the old sunnyside drive-in from when it was still a single screen drive-in
to the sunnyside drive-in and all of the other drive-ins that have been demolished i have honered them by making a parody of titanium called demolition proof. it is about someone who wants to demolish a drive-in screen but no matter what he does the screen won’t fall!
https://soundcloud.com/user-468726290
Here is a link to a photo of the marquee on Pinterest.
http://www.stagedive-records.com/images/toxiccdcvr01.jpg
My memory is of working there..not for the Drive In part but for the Swap Meet part. 1983 to 1986..I am sad that it is gone, but they have reopened the Swap Meet part again. I haven’t been back there. I am thinking maybe one day, I will venture back.
I saw Aloha Bobby & Rose at the Sunnyside Drive-in, in 1975…..on a first date with my first husband…..brings back good memories ;)
I made 2 stops here, in ‘02 & '03. I’m pretty sure it was demo'ed in 2004. Take a look at the Google Earth timeline from 8/12/03 to 5/2/04. You can see that the screens, snack bar, booths & marquee were removed in that timeframe. What was fascinating was the conditions in '02, almost pristine for being abandoned for so many years. When I came back the next summer, the main screen was reduced to a skeleton frame and the snack bar was tagged by vandals.
It appears that a new swap meet has taken up residence here, website is sunnysideswapmeet.com
Uploaded 2002 view. Looks like it was nice DI!!
It actually had 2 screens.
Interesting booth photo just like I remember them.
Most of the projectionists,not all, tended to always have issue of PLAYBOY or worse in the booth.
Here is the projection booth. I guess the projectionist needed something to look at during the movie.
http://tinyurl.com/yfmwa9e
I remember attending this drive-in shortly after it opened in Fresno’s “top drawer” Sunnyside neighborhood. I remember seeing “Cheyenne Autumn” and “How the West Was Won” there. It’s sad on visits to Fresno these days to see the former theaters now occupied by churches, behemoth malls, or, worse still, demolished.