Billiken Drive-In

3101 Muldoon Road,
Anchorage, AK 99504

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Billiken Drive-In

The Billiken Drive-In was opened on September 1, 1963 with John Wayne in “Jet Pilot” & Elvis Presley in “Blue Hawaii”. It graduated to screening adult movies. After the Billiken was closed in 1976 it was demolished. The Totem 8 indoor movie theatre was constructed on part of the former drive-in property (it has its own page on Cinema Treasures).

Contributed by Bryan Krefft

Recent comments (view all 10 comments)

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on December 12, 2008 at 8:57 pm

Here is an item in Boxoffice magazine, October 1963:

The Billiken, a new 550-car drive-in operated by Ed and Marie Hanby, opened in Anchorage, Alaska on September 1.

edsharp
edsharp on January 25, 2009 at 10:14 am

Hello
My name is Edward Sharp. I was the first projectionist hired by Ed and Marie when the Billiken drive in opened in 1963. Working at the Billiken was my second job as I was in the military at the time. We all had a good time working together. Getting the equipment back up and running was a challenge following the earthquake. I’ve got a few pictures from when we were in operation..if I can find them, I will try to post a few at a later date. I am willing to converse with anyone on the subject of the Billiken Drive In.
email me at:

edsharp
edsharp on February 19, 2010 at 9:37 am

Here is a link to photos of the Billiken drive in during the first season it was open. See also my post above.

Ed Sharp

View link

icecat95
icecat95 on March 11, 2010 at 6:54 pm

My family and I knew the hanby’s. My sister worked briefly there at the snack bar..I spent many a summer night watching movies there. I have great memories of that theater and of the hanbys..thanks so much for the photos..

carolgrau
carolgrau on March 12, 2010 at 4:33 am

Great photos Ed Thanks I always loved Brenkart Projectors, and Ashcraft Lamps were the best…. My Dad had Ashcraft, Super Core Lites, behind Simplex XLs

aerogami
aerogami on May 6, 2010 at 1:43 am

Great shots Ed, Thanks! I remember going there many times as a kid in our ‘67 Saab, with the speaker and heater hanging on the window. Classic, and definitely an “only in Alaska” theater experience.

I think the last drive in movie I saw in Anchorage was “Enter the Dragon” at the Sundowner.

aerogami
aerogami on May 6, 2010 at 5:28 pm

A Billiken is an Eskimo carved character, pretty popular trinkets in Alaska back in the day. Most people who live there now have probably never heard of them.

aerogami
aerogami on May 6, 2010 at 5:44 pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billiken

look at bottom for section about AK figures.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on July 29, 2011 at 10:22 am

I put this on last week but somehow never made it here.In 1964 the Billiken Drive-in installed Golden Hot-Shot car heaters,which did make alot of sense,they were supplied by Eprad Theatre Supply out of Toledo,Ohio.Boxoffice,Sept 7 1964.

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on October 2, 2018 at 8:43 am

Opened on 9/1/1963.

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