Woodland Drive-In
4005 S. 700 East,
Salt Lake City,
UT
84107
4005 S. 700 East,
Salt Lake City,
UT
84107
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Grand opening ad:
Woodland Drive-In opening 01 Jul 1949, Fri The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City, Utah) Newspapers.com
Opened with two MGM Cartoons(not named), and “Mexican hayride” and “Man eater of Kumaon”.
Architected by Cartwright & Wilson, the Starlit Woodland Drive-In Theatre launched on July 1, 1949. Opening films were Abbot and Costello’s “Mexican Hayride” and “Man Eater of Kumaon” along with two MGM cartoons. The $75,000 drive-in wasn’t cheap and some of that went toward the original 65' by 70' screen tower in its 70' x 70' frame which was impressive — supposedly the second largest screen in the nation at that time although unverifiable — and the theatre offered parking for 600 cars. Starlit was removed from the moniker of the theater early on becoming just the Woodland Drive-In. The Granite Park neighborhood was well served by this ozoner whose service was just shy of 35 years.
Looking at the one ad for the DI the address listed is right on: 4005 South 700 East Salt Lake City, UT 84107
Just uploaded aerial from 1956 showing location of the DI. I just checked Goggle Earth from 1970 and it does not show the DI. Goggle Earth is sometimes wrong.
Use 4021 South 700 East. This is where the drive-in’s entrance was located.
Above address is pointing to an intersection north of this…
BTW The marquee and the drive-in itself can be at 2 different addresses. There were and still are several buildings between the D/I and above address.
Finally, not everything you read is incorrect. I have been corrected on this site. You will too.
Was open for sure in 1967.
Owner:
ABC International Theaters
Open ~1950-~late 1980’s? Can anyone verify the exact dates?
Found an ad that states:
“Largest Brightest Screen in Utah”
“Largest CinemaScope Curved Screen in the World”
120-Foot Picture With a Special Directional Lighted Aluminum Curved Screen That Gives the BrigHtest and Clearest Picture West of the Mississippi"
ALL IN THE SAME AD!
THAT AD ALSO GIVES AN ADDRESS OF:
4005 SOUTH 7th EAST
THAT’S A COMPLETLY DIFFERENT ADDRESS FROM THE ONE ABOVE IN A DIFFERENT PART OF TOWN??????
More info and photos are welcome.