Starlight Drive-In
3500 College Avenue,
Alton,
IL
62002
3500 College Avenue,
Alton,
IL
62002
2 people
favorited this theater
Showing 9 comments
Opened with Robert Young in “Sitting Pretty” along with two cartoons: “The Magic Flute” (which I forgot where it came from), and Mighty Mouse in “The Catnip Gang”. It actually opened on May 5, 1950 according to its page.
Motion Picture Herald, Aug. 30, 1952: “The Bloomer Amusement Co., of Belleville, Ill., has purchased the Starlight drive-in east of Upper Alton, Ill. The sale was completed by Joe Goldfarb and Harry Beck of Alton, Ill.”
Opened May 6, 1950. Closed October 14, 1984. Bloomer took over in April, 1952.
*In the metro east area
Yeah they ran merely all the drive ins in the 70s and 80s (except for the Shop City and the Falcon)
Did BAC eventually take over this theater?
The playground was built long before the second screen was added. At one time, the playground featured a working miniature train that offered rides to children before the show.
From Boxoffice magazine, May 1950:
ALTON,ILL.-Rains on April 27 and 28 forced the postponement of the grand opening of the Starlight Drive-In here, owned by the Alton Starlight Corp., in which Joe Goldfarb and Harry Beck of Alton and Charley Goldman of St. Louis are the principal stockholders. New opening date was May 6. It will have accommodations for between 750 and 1,000 cars.
Here is a June 1960 ad from the Alton Evening Telegraph:
http://tinyurl.com/4so665