Tri-City Drive-In

25352 Redlands Boulevard,
Loma Linda, CA 92354

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MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on March 1, 2024 at 10:21 am

Soon after Park-In sued Rogers and Burgess, but before being renamed, the drive-in reopened on May 1, 1940 under new management. My guess is that the new owner, R. N. Elder, had a Park-In license.

A short article in the San Bernardino County Sun noted, “Improvements have been made at the outdoor theater and the entire parking area has been enclosed by fence.”

The future 99 / Tri-City Drive-In Theatre reopened under new management.The future 99 / Tri-City Drive-In Theatre reopened under new management. 30 Apr 1940, Tue The San Bernardino County Sun (San Bernardino, California) Newspapers.com

Kenmore
Kenmore on December 5, 2022 at 12:26 pm

The screen was still standing in 1994, but by 2002 it had been demolished as well.

One interesting bit is a rectangular concrete foundation on the SE side of the drive-in connected to the entrance road. Nothing existed in that spot up to the 1985 aerial, but in the 1994 aerial a section of trees was removed and by 2002 the foundation appears. It’s as if something was planned to be built there (foundation for a cellphone tower or small shop perhaps), but never going beyond that stage.

Rather surprising that the property hasn’t been developed. At least in my experience, drive-ins located within growing cities in California quickly become businesses or housing editions.

https://tinyurl.com/8k58j6bv

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on December 4, 2022 at 8:37 pm

As another poster mentioned, before it changed to the 99, this place had its grand opening as simply Drive-In Theatre.

99 / Tri-City Drive-In Theatre grand opening (as just plain Drive-In Theatre)99 / Tri-City Drive-In Theatre grand opening (as just plain Drive-In Theatre) 18 Aug 1939, Fri Colton Daily Courier (Colton, California) Newspapers.com

Boxoffice, March 30, 1940: “Colton, Cal. - M. A. Rogers and Thomas Burgess have been sued by Park-In Theatres, Inc., of Camden, N. J., on charges of patent infringement in connection with a Drive-In Theatre they operate here.”

kennerado
kennerado on December 6, 2019 at 8:50 pm

It’s not an empty field, the decaying ramps still exist along with the trees on the outline of the site. The entry/exit still exists as well.

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on July 17, 2019 at 11:15 am

What became the Tri-City was advertising as the 99 Drive-In in 1940. The “99” was featured in its ads after it reopened in 1947 until it became the Tri-City, which was Nov. 28, 1948 according to DriveIn101 above.

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on October 2, 2018 at 12:25 pm

Opened with “Trade winds”, and “The Girl said no”. Demolished(date unknown?). Now an empty field. Address is Highway 99, at Richardson Street.

Denny Pine
Denny Pine on October 2, 2018 at 11:43 am

The Tri-City’s final night of operation was September 6, 1993 with “The Fugitive” and “Free Willy”

Denny Pine
Denny Pine on October 2, 2018 at 11:35 am

Whoever is responsible for making changes, please change the date of the first newspaper ad as Tri-City to November 28, 1948. Once the change is made, I will delete this and the previous comment. My apologies for the error

Denny Pine
Denny Pine on September 14, 2018 at 9:41 am

First newspaper ad as Tri-City Drive-In (from the San Bernardino County Sun) was November 28, 1949

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on July 23, 2017 at 9:40 am

This drive-in might be the drive-in seen in an episode of the tv series Chips(season 3, episode 6 – Return of the supercycle)?

Logan5
Logan5 on June 13, 2017 at 9:22 pm

“The Rocketeer” was presented here in 35mm beginning on Friday June 21, 1991.

rivest266
rivest266 on May 27, 2015 at 4:50 am

This opened as Drive-In on August 20th, 1939 and closed in 1940. Reopened on January 1st, 1947 and renamed Tri-City by December 1st, 1949. Grand opening ads in photo section.

richjr37
richjr37 on August 15, 2009 at 9:00 pm

dammit! well,it works anyway.

richjr37
richjr37 on August 15, 2009 at 8:59 pm

[http://www.tinyurl.com/pqeknn]Fixed link](http://www.tinyurl.com/pqeknn)

richjr37
richjr37 on August 15, 2009 at 8:55 pm

According to the history of Loma Linda:http://tinyurl.com/pqeknn
it wasn’t until 1970 that this largely Seventh Day Adventist community became an incorparated city.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on August 15, 2009 at 7:10 pm

No wonder they called it Tri-City. No one seems to know where it was, specifically. The 1952 ad puts it between Colton and Redlands, but my question would be whether Loma Linda even existed as a city back then. If not, then the theater would have been in no mans land between the two cities mentioned in the ad.

richjr37
richjr37 on August 15, 2009 at 6:54 pm

I drove by there yesterday on the way back to Calimesa. Absolutely nothing remains of the drive-in. I can recall a lot of exploitation movies played here in the 1970s-80s.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on August 15, 2009 at 5:59 pm

This is from the Redlands Daily Facts, July 1952:

“Quo Vadis”, the story of the world’s most wicked empire and the love story of a pagan soldier and a beautiful Christian slave girl, starts tomorrow at the Tri-City Drive-In theatre, Highway 99 between Colton and Redlands. The Metro Goldwyn Mayer film stars Robert Taylor and Deborah Kerr with a cast of thousands.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on August 12, 2009 at 1:04 am

Here are 1983 and 1984 photos, respectively. San Berdoo would be the third of the tri-cities, along with Redlands and Loma Linda.
http://tinyurl.com/o3ar3q
http://tinyurl.com/re6437

Silicon Sam
Silicon Sam on August 11, 2009 at 3:12 pm

I’m surprised the land isn’t developed for other use yet. In THIS 1994 shot, the screen still looks to be there. Looks to be gone in mid to late 90’s.