Tillavue Drive-In
6695 Hathaway Road,
Tillamook,
OR
97141
6695 Hathaway Road,
Tillamook,
OR
97141
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As I would have guessed, the Korean War-based restriction on building materials is what delayed this drive-in.
Boxoffice, Oct. 13, 1951: “Dude Smith is expanding his chain of theatres to include an outdoor situation now under construction four miles north of here on Highway 101. The 10-acre tract for the drive-in was purchased some time ago from John H. Hathaway sr. Construction was held up for a time because of restricted materials but the easing of the ban this summer made it possible to purchase materials and it is now expected that the 380-car theatre will be completed the last of October. Smith expects to open the Tillamook ozoner for business early next spring.”
Aha! There was a drive-in of about the right size due north of Tillamook. It was over 3 miles north, and only 2½ miles southeast of Bay City, but there you are. Aerial photos show it active in 1953 and 1965, and still mostly intact in 1982. It was razed by 1995, and nothing of it survives today.
The address matching the old screen tower is 6695 Hathaway Rd, Tillamook, OR 97141.
The 1955-56 Theatre Catalog included this as the Till-A-Vue Drive-In, owner Dude Smith, capacity 440 cars. Its entries in the Film Daily Year Book series also used that double hyphenated name, which should be listed as an alternate name here.
I see now that the Boxoffice note in June 1952 said that Smith opened the “Till-a-Vue Drive-In north of town,” so never mind that 1½ miles south business.