East 30 Auto Cinema
350 Trump Avenue SE,
Canton,
OH
44730
350 Trump Avenue SE,
Canton,
OH
44730
2 people
favorited this theater
The East 30 Auto Cinema opened June 15, 1950, featuring the 1936 drama “Trail of the Lonesome Pine” with Sylvia Sydney, Fred MacMurray and Henry Fonda. The second feature was the 1946 adventure “Adventure Island” with Rory Calhoun, Rhonda Fleming and Paul Kelly. In addition there was a screening of a Disney cartoon. I would have thought they would have screened a newer feature for the opening night instead of a movie from 1936. However, it was the second full-length feature film to be shot in 3-strip Technicolor and the first color movie to be shot outdoors.
The East 30 Auto Cinema was opened by George Dellis who was a district manager for A.G. Constant Theatres of Steubenville, OH. The new outdoor theatre was built at a cost of $125,000 and it featured a 65ft x 66ft screen It had a parking capacity for 800 cars. In 1955 Nate Schultz tba Selected Theatres of Ohio took over the operation of the drive-in. Co-Operative Theatres of Ohio was the booking and buying agency starting in 1955.
The East 30 Auto Cinema was twinned in June of 1975 and tripled in July of 1977. The theatre décor was the usual white buildings. In 1977 the concession stand was painted light blue. It reverted back to white in 1978. It closed in 1988. From information I have, the last person to operate the East 30 Auto Cinema was Mike Krunich. The drive-in was demolished and is now an empty lot.
Contributed by
Randy Studer, moviemad4life
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
In 1963, the owner/operator was S. Schultz. Capacity was 1,000 cars per the motion picture almanac of that year. There was also a Giant Drive-In in Canton and an Auto Drive-In in North Canton.
The address is missing, and the map is in the wrong spot. The theater was on Trump Ave SE, on the southeast corner at Old Lincoln Hwy (just north of where the bypass abruptly ends). You can clearly see the outline of the rows in an aerial map. The back portion has been built over, but most of its original area remains untouched.
We have been to this drive in also in the 50’s and 60’s.We have been married 58 years.
The approximate address for this theater is 350 Trump Ave SE, East Canton, OH 44730. Ramps are no longer visible. Barbco Drills are the buildings in the back of the former drive in off Pekin.
Please update.
Last season: 1988 per newspaper listings.