Red Bluff Drive-In
1100 Broadway Avenue,
Pasadena,
TX
77506
1100 Broadway Avenue,
Pasadena,
TX
77506
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The Red Bluff was raided for its choice of films as early as February 1970.
Boxoffice, April 27, 1970: “PASADENA, TEX. - An ordinance regulating drive-in theatres was passed on final reading by the city council Tuesday night, March 31. The ordinance was the latest step by the city in its running fight with the management of the Red Bluff Drive-In over the showing of nudie movies … Drafting of the ordinance followed police raids on the Red Bluff Drive-In February 17 and 18, resulting in confiscation of two films and arrest of three employees.”
I believe that vfilippone’s clipping is pretty close to the end. A story, about Pasadena’s challenges, in the Oct. 29, 1989 Houston Chronicle mentioned, “The Red Bluff Drive-In is out of business and up for sale.”
And if you had any doubt, it was the VCR that killed the Red Bluff and other adult movie businesses, per a Jan. 19, 1987 article in the Chronicle. For privacy, there’s no place like home. “It’s not the price… Admission charges for the movies range from $2 on Monday and Tuesday at the Red Bluff Drive-In and $4 on other nights to $6.50 at most of the walk-in theaters.”
Red Bluff was open until the late ‘80s at least (posting a newspaper ad to the photo section for it from Houston Chronicle/March 1988, upper left corner of page).
The current address of the property is 1100 Broadway Ave, Pasadena, TX.
However, Simmons Blvd was the entrance road at the time the drive-in was open.
The drive-in was intact in a 1983 aerial photo, but demolished by 1995. Most of the ramps remained visible in a 2004 aerial.
Today, JVIC sits on the property with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
Is there anything on this site now?
the Red Bluff Drive-In opened on August 5th, 1953. Grand opening ad posted.
As mentioned above it was open up until at least July 1981. It was raided multiple times for screening adult films in the late 70’s.
On a visit to Texas from the UK ,the people i stayed withs relatives asked if i had been taken to Red Bluff ? , i had no idea what they were talking about but soon found out, never did go there but passed it often ,i feel the VCR most likely closed this drive inn down early .
Indeed it was the first porn theater I’d ever seen. Before they built the wall, My parents would threaten us with a beating if we looked that way while we passed the theater. We looked anyway, but were way too young to understand what the big deal was.
I was born and raised in Pasadena Texas. I remember this theater started showing porn movies during the last years of its life. It was great during my teen years. Good memories.
You bet it was adult. There were numerous car accidents on the road that went by the theater, because it frequently looked like you were driving directly into one of the various popular body apertures.
The drive-in closed later than 1975; it was very much in existence when we moved to Texas in 1976, and lasted until at least the early 80’s…
Address above is incorrect. The drive-in was further south @ 1108 Red Bluff Rd. Simmons Blvd. is the entrance.
.. in the 70s and 80s?
Wasn’t this an adult drive in theater?