Centinela Drive-In
5700 W. Centinela Avenue,
Los Angeles,
CA
90045
5700 W. Centinela Avenue,
Los Angeles,
CA
90045
10 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 35 comments
Now Alessio apartments.
Please update.
Possibly closed with “Striking Distance” and “Mo' Money”.
Historic Aerials -> Definitely gone by 1999.. This drive in was in the 1995 film, HEAT, Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Val Kilmer and several more!
Grand opening ad posted.
Demolished in 1998.
I think I only went to this drive-in once, back in the 70s. Came out from South Gate to bring a date (who lived closer to this side of town). Still, it was an enjoyable experience. It was famously using by director Michael Mann in his wonderful 1995 L.A. crime saga, Heat, and noted in Movie-locations.com site:
http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/h/heat.html
“The deserted drive-in, where Van Zant’s men set up a double cross, was the Centinela Drive-In, which stood at 5700 West Centinela Avenue, Inglewood, before being demolished and replaced by apartments.”
I know Chris, cause it did it for a few extra shifts.
FWIW, the drive would have been only 5-10 minutes.
During its last years operating, Pacific Theatres contract with the projectionists union had them driving between this drive-in and the Studio Drive-in. Yes, the projectionists drove back and forth all evening.
I lived around the corner from this former D/I from 2007 through the begining of 2010. When it was a D/I, I only went here 3 times: Once in 1990 to see “Darkman” & “Mo Better Blues”, again in 1991 to see “Stone Cold” & “Misery” and lastly in 1993 to see a triple bill of “Meteor Man”, “Poetic Justice” & “In The Line of Fire”. It was at that last visit that Pacific handed out flyers announcing the closing of this and the Studio D/I’s.
Rongee, the company was Aladdin Drive-In Theaters Inc..
Another good one gone.
You know there comes a lot of baggage living in such a large city,Crime,Traffic,Taxes and so many other things,but just looking at all the L.A.theatres,Drive-ins and walk-ins you guys really have it made with so many wonderful places to visit.I wouldn’t trade Georgia for it,but just for a week or so i could be quite happy.
It was originally an Aladan drive in. (sp) was then sold to pacific drive in along with the southgate and others.
The Centinela drive-in brings back a ton of good childhood memories. My parents would take myself any my two brothers there in the mid 1960’s when we were kids. Pulling up in my father’s 1954 Buick Special, ready to hit the snack bar for some buttered popcorn and hot dogs, and maybe even take on a swing or two in the playground before the movie started…..what a treat. I remember seeing a lot of westerns there, like the “ The Good, The Bad & the Ugly”. I can still hear the theme song ringing in my ears.
Here is an aerial photo, circa 1952. Note the absence of the 405 Freeway below the drive-in.
http://tinyurl.com/yfugkcu
Here is an October 1958 ad for “The Gun Runners” from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/ncb38c
Used to pick up my girl on Monday nights afer she got done with classes at UCLA and stop off for a meal and a bottle of Lancers before we hit the Centinela Drive In. Nothing says “Love” like a bottle of Lancers! This was in 1984 when there were still such things as Drive Ins. We used to alternate between the Studio and the Centinela Drive In, depending on the movie. Sometimes we even watched the movie if you know what I mean. Fun times. Today I think I’d just savor the expierence and actually watch the movies and not partake of those “other” youthful activities. Oh the sweetness of young amour …
Here is an undated photo. The comment on the marquee was photoshopped in by the person who took the photo:
http://tinyurl.com/2d3g4d
The first motion picture I was ever taken to in my life was at the Centinela Drive In in the early 1950’s. The movie was “The Beast from Twenty Thousand Fathoms.” We lived in Westchester, about one mile from the drive in. Where does time go?
Although the Studio Drive-In was nicer, I still enjoyed the Centinela Drive-In. The only double-feature I remember seeing there was “Batman” and “Our Man Flint” in 1966.
The drive-in used in the film “Targets” was the Reseda Drive-In.
/theaters/3825/
“Targets” was not filmed here, but at the Sepulveda Drive-in up in the Valley. This information is included at the IMDB page you linked to.
The Centinela Drive-In originally had the word Centinela mispelled with 2 Ls as in Centinella, not sure when this was fixed. It is also very well known for having been used in Peter Bogdanovitch’s “Targets” (1968) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063671/
Where Boris Karloff is in the film playing an aging sci-fi star at a festival and as I remember he is up on the screen and also walking through the parking lot as some maniac is up in the screen shooting at people in their cars. Used to love seeing the movies from the 405 driving by in my parent’s car as a kid in the 60s.
Had a neato playground up near the screen to keep the kiddies happy and the snack bar was pretty wild also.
I remember this place, it was lot more attractive than the gawdy Studio Drive-In.