Council Bluffs Drive-In?

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cadman

cadman

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I just noticed last night while trying to find the yearly opening dates of the Iowa drive-ins that the count was back down to 3. Then I learned that the CB Drive-In had been moved to a closed status and found a several month old article that their lease had expired and the drive-in was being dismantled. Do we have any observant AW members familiar with this area that knows the inside story? Is there anything left of the theater or has it all been razed?

I equally worry about the Cottage View DI near Minneapolis. When I drove-through last year the backyards of the nearby housing development were literally crowding the property line and there was talk that the theater wouldn't be around much longer. Such a shame..

Cory
 
Demise of the Drive In....

Do we have to lose EVERYTHING that is cool, or what? One of my first memories of having fun was a trip to the drive in with my aunt. Seemed, at the time, that it took us forever to get there. But in reality the Super Chief Drive In was only a few miles outside the city. I was probably not old enough yet to understand the movie, even (Freaky Friday) but it was fun none the less. This even after hearing on the radio en route to the movie that Elvis had died. I did understand that. I still think of that first trip to the movies every time I go see one; and I *always* think it would be *much* better the way it was then. Now all we can do is sit in crowded dark rooms breathing every ones second hand air! =(
 
I'll have to ask my Mom about that. I thought it had closed ages ago.

The CB drive-in was down by the river, kind of far out of town - at least in those days. It was OK, but it certainly wasn't at the level of the Golden Spike or 76th and West Dodge drive-ins in Omaha ;-)
 
The last drive-in in Calgary closed down about 10 years ago once that area got built up. It was a four screener, now I'm having trouble remembering what it was called, The Roundup 4 or the Rodeo 4, I never went to it. The Star Top here has been gone for decades. I can't remember if it closed before or after I left town in 75. I do remember the first movie I saw there, Munsters Go Home and I think we went with my aunt and uncle and cousins. My dad never took us there. I think he must have thought drive-ins were de-classe. LOL
 
Wow, thanks for that great link! That one does list the Council Bluffs one closed.

Ben, there are two left in the twin cities (Minneapolis) area. I remember a time when there were probably two dozen. A few years back when I was still living there I was dating a young guy who'd never been to one, and we went to the Cottage View. He thought it was just the coolest thing ever and we did have a lot of fun.

I wouldn't have imagined there'd still be some in greater LA (I bet there were some really cool ones here) but I was happy to see there are still five, not terribly close to me, but I'm happy they're there nonetheless.

There's also a nice one in Tucson. Maybe we'll have to make that an activity when we have a group in Arizona sometime. :)
 
I do remember even then (about 1999 I think) that the subdivisions were getting mighty close. I hope they can hold out given there are only two left. Cottage Grove has changed so much. There have been suburban-like subdivisions there for a long time, but it had a much more rural feel to it years back.
 
I would be very surprised if the Cottage View survived past this season, I think there's been talk the last couple years of a sell-out but it was only a matter of when. Thankfully there's still at least another theater within half an hours drive that seems to be doing very well and has a pretty safe location from the land-grabbers.

What's crazy is that a new theater actually opened last season here in Iowa, near the Missouri, border so I haven't been down there. That brings the state's count to a whopping 3, all of which are radio-only and lacking the neon and googie pizazz of the hayday theathers. At one time we had 3 right here in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area. I'm talking large ones too, built before the cinemascope additions (but later converted), with boastful neon and rambling-lane entrances. We lost the one to land grabbers (~15 years ago) for a supermarket when the country became the city. The other was destroyed by high winds and never reopened (also 15 or so years ago), and the 3rd survived into the '00s when it was razed for an apartment complex. If I only had the means and storage then, I would have tried to save the parabolic roofed ticket booth for my own DI! More Americana replaced by plain vanilla.
 
There is still a major drive-in complex in San Jose. The Capitol Drive-In has six screens and draws a good crowd, and as is the case with many other existing drive-ins, hosts a flea market/swap meet on the weekends. An indoor complex was added on the same huge property about 10 years ago, maybe more. Hopefully this drive-in complex will survive for years to come and not be sold off to a developer as was the case for so many drive-ins locally and across the country. My partner and I enjoy heading over to the Capitol on a warm night with a bucket of KFC and plenty of candy and other stuff to make for a fun night out. I'm hoping the weather warms up in time for us to catch "Grindhouse" over there. Santa Cruz still has the Skyview Drive-In which also hosts a weekend flea market of manageable size and that has a higher percentage of regular people selling interesting old stuff. When I mentioned going to the drive-in to my friend in the San Fernando Valley he jealously exclaimed, "You still have drive-in's up there?" so I'm thinking whatever drive-ins remain in the greater LA area are to the east and south of town.

Ralph
 
Texas has a good number of Drive-in theatres still operating.
In our area a brand new state of the art drive-in was built 2 yrs. ago and business is so good they're adding a 3rd screen.
The drive-in is open year round though in Dec. through February or so it can get kind of cold.

BigSkyTheatre

www.bigskytheatre.com www.bigskytheatre.com
 
You are absolutely right, Scott :-)

The DeAnza Drive-In in Tucson is alive and kicking, and about a block away...

It's nice, too. Great sound via the car radio, or if you prefer, hang the box on the window if monaural is more your speed.

Of course, the last movie I saw there was Jackass, with my parents.

Don't ask.
 
RP2813, the closest drivein to the valley is in City of Industry, which is to the east of them (and me). There are two in Riverside and another in Orange County, and one other place. It says in the link. Scott
 
Nate, I think it would be a total blast to see Jackass at a drivein with you and your parents. And Roger. (ducks and runs)
 

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