Los Altos Drive-In

The BigScreen Cinema Guide gives this address:

Los Altos Drive-In

2800 N Bellflower Blvd
Long Beach, CA 90815
Message: 562-421-8831

Drive-Ins.Com gives the same address with the following timeline and info:

Los Altos Drive-In Time Line
1972 - opened
1996 - closed
1998 - torn down

Owner: Pacific Theatres
Screens: 3 Season: unknown
Cars: 2150 Sound: unknown

The car capacity breakdown was (1074),(798) & (938) from Pacific Thetare's company roster.

The Los Altos Drive-In began life as a single screen and was tri-plexed not long after. The theater was very large as noted by the car capacity. The theater was also notorious for presenting a dim image on the screens. It was one of the last drive-ins to bite the dust in So California. The designation above that it was a 4 plex is incorrect.

There is an ad for the Los Altos Drive-In in the Long Beach Independent dated 9/17/58. Address is given as Bellflower at Spring.

Well that ad was right, the drive-in was at Bellflower @ Spring. Bellflower & Spring are the cross streets at the north west corner of the property.

This website has some information and photos for the Los Altos Drive-In.

So it wouldn't have opened in 1972, but probably sometime in the 50s.

Excellent point Ken. This church claims that it held services at the Los Altos Drive-In in March 1957. So this drive-in was open in the 1950's.

This drive-in was near the 405 freeway. Back in the 60's we used to get off the Bellflower exit to get to the drive-in to see those beach party films. The last time I went there was to see a double bill, Bronco Billy and Under the Rainbow back in 1981.

If your wondering what is located on the site (or part of the site) of this former drive-in, here is the answer:

"Lowe's Opens in Long Beach, Calif.

COPYRIGHT 2000 Press-Telegram

Oct. 17--LONG BEACH, Calif.--A Lowe's Home Improvement warehouse has opened at the site of the former Los Altos Drive-In, joining several big-name retailers at the new Los Altos Gateway".

Listed as a Pacific Drive-In triplex in the L.A. Times Calendar section, Sunday August 24, 1986.

I was going by the opening date listed above when I said it tri-plexed soon after opening. After posting I remembered seeing "Godzilla's Revenge" (1969) in pouring rain and "Twins of Evil" (1971) here so it was obviously open before 1972.

Scroll down for before and after photos:
http://www.cajaeir.com/portfolio/photos.html

I went to this drive-in frequently during the sixties, but only once after it was tri-plexed in the 70's, where a friend and I took a Japanese visitor who wished to see an American drive-in to see "That's Entertainment."

Big problems started for the Los Altos when Cal Worthington Ford had bright lights to show off their cars, and it dimmed the picture quality.

I used to frequent the Drive-in (almost everynight, we used to sneak in the exit, covering the spikes using phone books or carpet from Carpeteria across the street. Now I work for Cal Worthington Ford
(when the drive-in was demolished in 1998 they built us a brand-new dealership, opened in 1999) right now on the property is; CAL WORTHINGTON FORD, CHAMPION CHEVROLET (formerly Beach City Chevrolet), LOWES, K-MART, KFC & DENNYS
among others

Here is a 1959 ad from the Press-Telegram:
http://tinyurl.com/2hhzgg

Was mentioned in the documentary "Drive-In Movie Memories" in 2001.

Went here once to see "Sleepless in Seattle" and "Jurassic Park" in the summer of 1993...and didn't make it through the double feature due to a brisk and passionate makeout session. Aaaah...

:o)