Geneva 4 Drive-In
575 Carter Street,
Daly City,
CA
94014
575 Carter Street,
Daly City,
CA
94014
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The actual address was 575 Carter St, Daly City, CA 94014. In fact this was never on Geneva only the marquee. A satellite parking lot for the Cow Palace separated this drive-in from the avenue. Please update.
To answer Marklar’s question, yes. Also addressing Jemimah63’s question, the June 24, 1950 issue of BoxOffice reported, “The new Geneva Drive-In, located on the site of the old Baden dog track, is utilizing the old grandstand as seating space for walk-in patrons.”
Peterson Brothers sold the Geneva to Ray Syufy for a reported $230,000 per a note in the April 8, 1955 Motion Picture Daily.
Also opened with Bugs Bunny Cartoon World and news.
The marquee is gone
June 15th, 1950 grand opening ad in the photo section.
I was the assistant manager there in 1970-71…the grandstands were a wreck even then, totally unsafe…it should be noted that Syufy Enterprises(owners of the theatre)did NOT own the land there, any more than they owned the land under any of their drive-ins.
Can’t swear to this, but we were told that there was a clause in the land lease that gave the owner the right to take back the land at any time if dog racing were to become legal again…
Regarding the safety of the place, it wasn’t the greatest area, but in the two years I was there no employee was ever mugged, let alone injured…nor (so far as we knew) were any customers…however I’m told it kept going downhill…
Midget cars? I always heard it was a dog track…Maybe both?
And to nearby neighborhoods, add Visitacion Valley..
The location mentioned above “Located in South San Francisco’s Excelsior district” should read “Located in Daly City” as this drive in is just across the SF city/county line. The Excelsior district is in San Francisco about 1 mile northwest of this location and South San Francisco is about 5 miles south of here. The closest neighborhoods are Sunnydale, across Geneva Ave from the Cow Palace (SF) and Bayshore (Daly City), just southeast of the Cow Palace.
I’m sure they had to have been off limits. That part of town has always been rowdy so I imagine during drive-in business the rowdiness just got worse.
Those grand stands in the back are a trip! Could people sit up there and watch movies or where they off limits?
This Drive was such a dump. I worked there for 2 weeks with a OLD lady she was training me. I left after I was shot at coming from the Box Office to the Snack Bar. very seedy crowd, and when the Cow palace had a show it was impossiable to get out of the Theatre lines of cars at a stand still. its good it been demolished.
ken mc
Yes, this is the same drive-in. Daly City/South City are just a little south of SF, or suburbs if you will. Geneva DI was adjacent to the Cow Palace. This area now is not very safe.
Is there any chance that this drive-in and the Geneva Drive-In in San Francisco are one and the same?
Here is another link:
http://www.cinematour.com/tour/us/1959.html
Here is a link:
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