Starlite Drive-In
S. Canal Street and S. Linden Avenue,
South San Francisco,
CA
94080
S. Canal Street and S. Linden Avenue,
South San Francisco,
CA
94080
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Boxoffice, Oct. 27, 1956: “Thirteen acres of prime industrial land, formerly the Starlight (sic) Drive-In Theatre in South San Francisco have been purchased for industrial subdivisions by builders Hart and Hyding, Inc., and Edward Rosemont”
There’s also a Starlite St in the same location so I’d says its 100% the spot where it was.
It would appear that the entrance to the drive-in was turned into South Canal Street. A 1956 aerial shows a large area next to S. Canal Street and S. Spruce Ave empty which is the probable location of the drive-in.
Details on who owned the Starlite when it flooded, from The Exhibitor, Jan. 16, 1952: “Rex Stevenson, Trans-California, is a happy man. The city is putting a main thoroughfare (the future Spruce Ave.) from El Camino, Cal., right past the screen-tower marquee of the Starlight (sic) Drive-In, South San Francisco.” It added that Trans-California had closed this Starlight for the winter along with Belmont’s Starlight and the Mission Drive-In.
An article by historian Darold Fredricks in the Feb. 14, 2011 issue of the San Mateo Daily Journal added more details. “In 1948, the San Francisco Theater Corp. struck upon the idea of providing outdoor movies and immediately obtained 14 acres of flat land along the present Spruce Avenue, south of South Canal Street. Joseph Van Arkel was hired as a resident manager and the Starlite Drive-in opened Aug. 19, 1948. The first movie was a comedy, Abbott and Costello in “The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap.” The entrance was from Linden Avenue as Spruce and Canal streets were not developed at this time. … Facing southeast, this huge majestic screen was designed to broadcast the pictures to the 850 automobiles in semicircular rows facing west.”
Boxoffice, Aug. 21, 1948: “Tentative plans call for the opening of the new Starlite Drive-In in South San Francisco in the middle of September. The new ozoner will be located on a 13-acre site at 32 Linden Ave., and will have a 650-car capacity, according to San Francisco Drive-In Theatres Corp., owners. Principals of the firm are Rex Stevenson, Dave Bolton, Thornton Howell and James B. Howell jr.”
Boxoffice, Dec. 13, 1952: “A flood at the Starlight Drive-In in South San Francisco a year ago has resulted in three suits, totaling $241,000, against South San Francisco. The suits were filed in superior court at Redwood City by the Starlight Theatre Corp., the Trans-California Theatres and Joseph Van Arkel, manager of the theatre. The complaint also named as defendant Arthur W. Baum, a contractor. It accused Baum and South San Francisco of negligence in cutting into the banks of Colma creek thus weakening them. Mud, silt and debris washed over the theatre property, forcing Van Arkle and his wife to evacuate their apartment by rowboat last January 26.”