Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: 70mm Drive-Ins?

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Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 11-26-2018, 04:19 PM:

70mm-Equipped Drive-In Theaters in North America

quote: Michael Coate/In70mm.com

70mm-Equipped Drive-In Theaters in North America

Compiled by Michael Coate

The following is a reference / historical listing of the known drive-in movie theaters in North America that had the ability to screen 70mm prints.

ARIZONA
Scottsdale — Round-Up Drive-In

BRITISH COLUMBIA
Burnaby — Cascades Drive-In

CALIFORNIA
Fountain Valley — Fountain Valley Drive-In
Fresno — Sunnyside Drive-In
Inglewood — Century Drive-In
San Diego — Midway Drive-In
San Diego — Pacific Drive-In
San Diego — Rancho Drive-In

COLORADO
Aurora — East Drive-In
Thornton — North Star Drive-In

GEORGIA
Atlanta — Thunderbird Drive-In

HAWAII
Kailua — Kailua Drive-In

INDIANA
Indianapolis — Twin Theatair Drive-In
Merrillville — Y&W Drive-In

IOWA
Dubuque — Super 20 Drive-In

KENTUCKY
Fairdale — South Park Drive-In

LOUISIANA
Metairie — Westgate Drive-In
Slidell — Tiger Drive-In

MASSACHUSETTS
Shrewsbury — Edgemere Drive-In
Weymouth — Weymouth Drive-In

MICHIGAN
Pontiac — Miracle Mile Drive-In

MINNESOTA
Bloomington — France Ave. Drive-In
Fridley — 100 Twin Drive-In
Maplewood — Maple Leaf Drive-In

MISSISSIPPI
Columbus — Fiesta Drive-In

MISSOURI
Florissant — 270 Drive-In
Jennings — North Drive-In
Kansas City — Fairyland Drive-In
Sappington — Ronnie’s Drive-In

NEVADA
Las Vegas — Sunset Drive-In

NEW JERSEY
Camden — Black Horse Pike Drive-In
Lawnside — White Horse Pike Drive-In

NEW YORK
Tonawanda — Young St. Drive-In / I-290 Drive-In

OHIO
Cincinnati — Twin Drive-In

OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma City — Cinema 70 Drive-In

PENNSYLVANIA
Pittsburgh — Fairgrounds Drive-In

RHODE ISLAND
Cranston — Cranston Auto Park

TENNESSEE
Tullahoma — Space Age Drive-In

UTAH
Salt Lake City — Park-Vu Drive-In

The information in this article was principally referenced from film industry trade publications and regional newspaper promotion.

International drive-ins with 70mm projection capability have not been accounted for in this article.

If you believe this article contains any errors or omissions, please consider emailing the author or editor.

Know of any others?

Anyone ever see a 70mm presentation at a drive-in?

Posted by Donald Brown (Member # 5427) on 11-26-2018, 06:31 PM:

While I never had the opportunity to enter the booth, I clearly recall the multiple port windows on the exterior of the projection building at the Edgemere Drive-In Theatre in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. I suspected that there were more than just two machines inside!

Posted by Don Furr (Member # 1469) on 11-26-2018, 08:47 PM:

The Fiesta was in my hometown of Columbus, Ms. The drive-in opened with a 35mm print of Love Story but to my knowledge never ran a 70mm print on the DP70's. The 70's were removed and replaced with a Simplex XL and a Christie AW1 platter. I worked as manager one night a week in the late 70's at that location.

Posted by Jay Glaus (Member # 6011) on 11-27-2018, 03:18 PM:

When the Fair Ground in South Park ,Pa opened in 1959 it had the 70mmBauer Machines. I believe my dad told me they only used 70mm once in all the years we had it. I was told the machines are now in Cleveland Ohio at a university that I cannot remember the name of right now.

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 11-27-2018, 03:50 PM:

The France Ave in Bloomington, MN was spectacular. You can see some images of it at Cinema Treasures

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 11-27-2018, 07:11 PM:

I remember the Park Vu in SLC down on 39th So. across the street from the Hospital.

Huge curved screen. big field. Two story concession stand with booth on the upper level with full pane windows. Norelco AA-2 upstairs.

Closed in 1976 and demolished for suburbia.

-Monte

Posted by Terry Monohan (Member # 8285) on 11-28-2018, 09:28 AM:

Thanks Michael for the hard to find 70mm DI list.
Must have been nice to see a 70mm film outside on a large screen.
I wonder If any of these outdoor theatres had a stereo sound system for the cars.
A few speaker companies made them with 3 speakers in one case to fit in your auto.
As most 70mm prints had 6 ch mag sound I wonder If DI's just played 70mm in mono sound by the time it reached the cars.
In the SF Bay Area we never had any DI's that had 70mm at least that I know of.
Must have been hard work for the projection staff as most outdoor theateres just had one projectionist in the booth. Some heavy lifting I bet plus a big postage mailing bill.

They probably got second run roadshow prints or later on they released many blow up movies from 35mm prints to 70mm.

Posted by Chris Markiewicz (Member # 1415) on 11-28-2018, 09:55 AM:

I saw a few films at the Kailua DI in Hawaii in the late 70s.
Speaker poles with mono sound. I don't know if any of the films were in 70mm. I was told by someone who was there that when the drive-in closed, the two AA IIs were scrapped. There's a private prep school on the property now.