Does anyone remember the drive in movies? (Phoenix, Cave Creek: house, to buy)

[LocoAZnative]

Originally Posted by ArizonaBear

The Smitty's on McDowell that was E of Hayden?

That was a neat store

It was on McDowell and Granite Reef we'd stop at that one or the one on Mill and Southern.

[Arizona Mike]

Here's an old postcard I have for the motel that used to be next to the Phoenix Drive-In, near our old house:

You can see part of the screen in the back.

[Arizona Mike]

Here's a cool site devoted to American Drive-In theaters:

Drive-In Theater

Here are the currently operating Drive-Ins in the state:

Operating Theatres

• Apache Drive-In Theatre US Highway 60, Globe, AZ 85501 (520) 425-4511
• Glendale 9 Drive-In Bethany Home Rd. &: 55th, Phoeniz, AZ (623) 939-9715
• Scottsdale Six Drive-In
  
  8101 East McKellips Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85257 (602) 949-9451
• De Anza Drive-In Theatres
  
  1401 South Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ 85711 (520) 745-2240 4 screen drive-in, with FM sound, open year round.

Here are the dead ones, most of which I remember:

• Oasis Drive-In, Avondale, Az
• Bagdad Drive-in, Bagdad, Az
• Valley Drive-In, Bullhead City, Az
• Mustang Drive-In, 245 N. Washington, Chandler, Az
• Ft. Cochise Drive-in, Douglas, Az
• Thunderbird Drive-In, 5533 N. 59th, Glendale, Az
• Mohave Drive-in, 4601 Hwy. 95, Glendale, Az
• Golden Valley Drive-In Theatre Highway 68, Golden Valley, AZ 86413
• Pioneer Drive-in, 2165 W. Main St., Mesa, Az
• Velda Rose Drive-In, 103 S. Recker Rd., Mesa, Az
• Nogales Drive-in, Nogales, Az
• Parker Drive-in, Parker Az
• Northern Drive-In I-17 and Northern Phoenix, AZ
• Acres Drive-In, 3720 W. Van Buren, Phoenix, Az
• Big Sky Drive-In, 4111 W. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, Az
• Indian Drive-in, 4141 N. 27th Av., phoenix Az
• Nu View Drive-in, 3150 W. Buckeye Rd., Phoenix, AZ
• Peso Drive-In, 3720 W. Van Buren, Phoenix, Az
• Phoenix Drive-In, 3600 E. Van Buren, Phoenix, Az
• Rodeo Drive-In, 1223 E. Buckeye Rd., Phoenix, Az
• Silver Dollar Drive-In, 7201 S. Central, Phoenix, Az
• Valley Drive-In, Cave Creek and Sweetwater, Phoenix, Az
• Senator Drive-In, Prescott, Az
• Roundup Drive-In, Scottsdale, Az
• Wagon Wheel Drive-In, Showlow, Az
• Geronimo Drive-In, Sierra Vista, Az
• South Twin Drive-In, 56 & Elliott, Tempe, AZ
• Apache Drive-In, 1600 Benson Hwy, Tucson, Az
• Rodeo Drive-In, Tucson, Az
• Tucson Drive-In, 1055 W. Grant Rd., Tucson, Az
• 22nd Street Drive-In, 1401 S. Belvedere Av., Tucson, Az
• Midway Drive-In, 4500 East Speedway Blvd, Tucson, Az
• Fiesta Drive-In, 3200 South Park Avenue, Tucson, Az
• Prince Drive-In, 2015 East Prince Road , Tucson, Az
• Miracle Mile Drive-In, 600 West Glenn , Tucson, Az
• Miracle Mile Drive-In, 600 West Glenn , Tucson, Az
• Cactus Drive-In, 1401 South Alvernon , Tucson, Az
• Tonto Drive-In, Winslow, Az
• Crest Auto Theater, 254 Main St. Yuma, Az
• Mesa Drive-In, 2600 fourth Av. Yuma, Az

Not on that list is the Cinema Park Drive-In, which I think was near 7th St and Bethany Home. That gave its name to Cinema Park Health Foods, a chain around the valley that probably puzzled many as to the origin of the name.

I remember the Acres Drive-In and the Silver Dollar as getting many of the best monster and horror films that I tried to get my Mom to take us to. My Mom didn't like to travel to areas outside our immediate neighborhood, so I might as well have asked her to take us to Pakistan. Sadly, I never got to see "Door to Door Maniac" there. The title scared me so badly, I haven't seen it to this day. The experience of actually seeing it could never live up to the movie I imagined from the title.

My best drive-in experience evah: A double bill of "Billy Jack" and "The Omega Man" at the Phoenix Drive-In. A dust-storm monsoon hit about halfway through the second feature, but the projectionist hung in. The storm came and went, leaving one of those beautiful clear desert skies behind.

Near the end of my drive-in experience: a Triple Bill of "Race with the Devil" (satanic cultists chase Warren Oates and Peter Fonda in one long sustained car chase), "Mad Max", and "Death Race 2000". I think it was at the Northern Drive In, which had a train track running right next to it which periodically drowned out the soundtrack whenever a train came thundering through. They also did a 4th of July Fireworks show one year that was breathtaking - they were shooting off the fireworks in a very tight area, so our car was getting showered with sparks. Great fun when you're a kid.

[brian740]

The Cinema Park was located on 7th street and Missouri, the northeast corner. It was where that shopping center is now. I remember back in the late 70's going there to see Clint Eastwood in The Enforcer. And the theater with the train track running next to it, probably wasn't The Northern. I grew up in the area, moved to 39th between Northern and Dunlap back in 64, and that drive-in was right next to Washington elementary school. Now a K-Mart.

[Arizona Mike]

Originally Posted by brian740

The Cinema Park was located on 7th street and Missouri, the northeast corner. It was where that shopping center is now. I remember back in the late 70's going there to see Clint Eastwood in The Enforcer. And the theater with the train track running next to it, probably wasn't The Northern. I grew up in the area, moved to 39th between Northern and Dunlap back in 64, and that drive-in was right next to Washington elementary school. Now a K-Mart.

You're right, that's where Cinema Park Health Food was (now a Starbucks). I thought that it was the Northern, but I could be wrong - anyone else remember? Maybe it was in Glendale near the tracks...

[roosevelt]

Originally Posted by Arizona Mike

You're right, that's where Cinema Park Health Food was (now a Starbucks). I thought that it was the Northern, but I could be wrong - anyone else remember? Maybe it was in Glendale near the tracks...

There was a double screen drive-in at Bethany Home, Grand and 51st Ave. Maybe that was the one with the tracks. There was a ball park behind one screen that invariably had the lights on during movies. One enterprising kid used to go around with something like Windex and clean your window for 10 cents.

[Magnum Mike]

Originally Posted by Arizona Mike

Here's a cool site devoted to American Drive-In theaters:

Drive-In Theater

Here are the currently operating Drive-Ins in the state:

Operating Theatres

• Apache Drive-In Theatre US Highway 60, Globe, AZ 85501 (520) 425-4511
• Glendale 9 Drive-In Bethany Home Rd. &: 55th, Phoeniz, AZ (623) 939-9715
• Scottsdale Six Drive-In
  
  8101 East McKellips Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85257 (602) 949-9451
• De Anza Drive-In Theatres
  
  1401 South Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ 85711 (520) 745-2240 4 screen drive-in, with FM sound, open year round.

Here are the dead ones, most of which I remember:

• Oasis Drive-In, Avondale, Az
• Bagdad Drive-in, Bagdad, Az
• Valley Drive-In, Bullhead City, Az
• Mustang Drive-In, 245 N. Washington, Chandler, Az
• Ft. Cochise Drive-in, Douglas, Az
• Thunderbird Drive-In, 5533 N. 59th, Glendale, Az
• Mohave Drive-in, 4601 Hwy. 95, Glendale, Az
• Golden Valley Drive-In Theatre Highway 68, Golden Valley, AZ 86413
• Pioneer Drive-in, 2165 W. Main St., Mesa, Az
• Velda Rose Drive-In, 103 S. Recker Rd., Mesa, Az
• Nogales Drive-in, Nogales, Az
• Parker Drive-in, Parker Az
• Northern Drive-In I-17 and Northern Phoenix, AZ
• Acres Drive-In, 3720 W. Van Buren, Phoenix, Az
• Big Sky Drive-In, 4111 W. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, Az
• Indian Drive-in, 4141 N. 27th Av., phoenix Az
• Nu View Drive-in, 3150 W. Buckeye Rd., Phoenix, AZ
• Peso Drive-In, 3720 W. Van Buren, Phoenix, Az
• Phoenix Drive-In, 3600 E. Van Buren, Phoenix, Az
• Rodeo Drive-In, 1223 E. Buckeye Rd., Phoenix, Az
• Silver Dollar Drive-In, 7201 S. Central, Phoenix, Az
• Valley Drive-In, Cave Creek and Sweetwater, Phoenix, Az
• Senator Drive-In, Prescott, Az
• Roundup Drive-In, Scottsdale, Az
• Wagon Wheel Drive-In, Showlow, Az
• Geronimo Drive-In, Sierra Vista, Az
• South Twin Drive-In, 56 & Elliott, Tempe, AZ
• Apache Drive-In, 1600 Benson Hwy, Tucson, Az
• Rodeo Drive-In, Tucson, Az
• Tucson Drive-In, 1055 W. Grant Rd., Tucson, Az
• 22nd Street Drive-In, 1401 S. Belvedere Av., Tucson, Az
• Midway Drive-In, 4500 East Speedway Blvd, Tucson, Az
• Fiesta Drive-In, 3200 South Park Avenue, Tucson, Az
• Prince Drive-In, 2015 East Prince Road , Tucson, Az
• Miracle Mile Drive-In, 600 West Glenn , Tucson, Az
• Miracle Mile Drive-In, 600 West Glenn , Tucson, Az
• Cactus Drive-In, 1401 South Alvernon , Tucson, Az
• Tonto Drive-In, Winslow, Az
• Crest Auto Theater, 254 Main St. Yuma, Az
• Mesa Drive-In, 2600 fourth Av. Yuma, Az

Not on that list is the Cinema Park Drive-In, which I think was near 7th St and Bethany Home. That gave its name to Cinema Park Health Foods, a chain around the valley that probably puzzled many as to the origin of the name.

I remember the Acres Drive-In and the Silver Dollar as getting many of the best monster and horror films that I tried to get my Mom to take us to. My Mom didn't like to travel to areas outside our immediate neighborhood, so I might as well have asked her to take us to Pakistan. Sadly, I never got to see "Door to Door Maniac" there. The title scared me so badly, I haven't seen it to this day. The experience of actually seeing it could never live up to the movie I imagined from the title.

My best drive-in experience evah: A double bill of "Billy Jack" and "The Omega Man" at the Phoenix Drive-In. A dust-storm monsoon hit about halfway through the second feature, but the projectionist hung in. The storm came and went, leaving one of those beautiful clear desert skies behind.

Near the end of my drive-in experience: a Triple Bill of "Race with the Devil" (satanic cultists chase Warren Oates and Peter Fonda in one long sustained car chase), "Mad Max", and "Death Race 2000". I think it was at the Northern Drive In, which had a train track running right next to it which periodically drowned out the soundtrack whenever a train came thundering through. They also did a 4th of July Fireworks show one year that was breathtaking - they were shooting off the fireworks in a very tight area, so our car was getting showered with sparks. Great fun when you're a kid.

We used to go to the Indian Drive-in on 27th Ave & Indian School, and the Northern Drive-In on I-17 and Northern.

Both were torn down in the 1980's. The Indian Drive-In was replaced with a Motel 6, and the Northern Drive-In was replaced with a K-Mart.

I believe the Bethany Drive-In on 51st Ave & Bethany Home is still there, at least the screens are, I'm not sure if they still show movies or not, but I know that it also doubles as an outdoor swap-mart during the day on Saturdays and Sundays.

[YAZ]

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

I remember the Model A Ford, before drive-in movies. I rode in my grandfathers Model A and thought that was really cool.

So naturally I remember the drive-in movies. As a teen-ager in Detroit that was the place to go with a date. Don't remember any of the movies though.

Me neither.

[Dave Bob]

Originally Posted by brian740

The Cinema Park was located on 7th street and Missouri, the northeast corner. It was where that shopping center is now. I remember back in the late 70's going there to see Clint Eastwood in The Enforcer. And the theater with the train track running next to it, probably wasn't The Northern. I grew up in the area, moved to 39th between Northern and Dunlap back in 64, and that drive-in was right next to Washington elementary school. Now a K-Mart.

Thanks for dredging up memories of Cinema Park drive-in. I think my parents took me to see Bambi there (maybe during its 1957 re-release). The other memory of that intersection was a big mysterious lot on the south side of Missouri that my dad told me was an earthworm farm. It was heavily shaded by many tall trees, perhaps eucalyptus, and you could see piles of dark dirt through the trees. Every time the family would drive by, someone in the car would say "there's the worm farm!"

[Boompa]

Was that the Drive in in Glendale? I wasn't sure if it was still open