Route 35 Drive-In
2821 State Route 35,
Hazlet,
NJ
07730
2821 State Route 35,
Hazlet,
NJ
07730
7 people
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Loew's Inc.
Architects: Leon M. Einhorn
Previous Names: Loew's 35 Drive-In
Nearby Theaters
Another of the dozens of drive-ins that were once all over New Jersey. The Loew’s 35 Drive-In was opened on June 29, 1956, with John Wayne in “The Searchers” and Jack Carson in “Magnificent Roughnecks”. The location was sometimes given as Keyport. It was one of the first of Loew’s outdoor theatres.
It had a capacity for 1,400 cars on its 22 acre site. The drive-in had an all-steel reflective screen which was 125 feet wide and 52 feet high. The large concession building had an outdoor patio with tables & seats. There was a circus-themed children’s playground which contained a miniature train, a merry-go-round, swings and slides. The drive-in was open in winter, as it provided in-car heaters. It was closed on September 4, 1991.
The multiplex Cinemark Hazlet 12 was built on the site of this drive-in.
Contributed by
RobertR
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Recent comments (view all 25 comments)
Here is a link to an article describing the drive-in when it opened. http://www.boxoffice.com/the_vault/issue_page?issue_id=1956-8-4&page_no=126
Went there as a child. Had a really cool train that circled the screen. One of the places that inspired this song. Check out track #7, THE DRIVE IN PICTURE SHOW, by Roger “Hurricane” Wilson. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rhwilson
“The Searchers” (1956 Warner Bros.) starring John Wayne (1907-1979) and Jeffrey Hunter (1926-1969) plus “Magnificent Roughnecks” (1956 Allied Artists) starring Jack Carson (1910-1963) and Mickey Rooney (1920-2014) opened the Route 35 Drive-In. Since “Magnificent Roughnecks” was not released until Sunday, July 22, 1956, the Route 35 could not have opened any earlier.
June 29th, 1956 grand opening ad in photo section.
Also included the ad from the New York Times (in blue)
Closed in 1991 with “The girl can’t help it”(one of the movies screened in the drive-in’s first year of operation), and “The Fly”(1958 version). Admission on the final night was $10. The drive-in was demolished(date unknown?), and a twelve screen multiplex(name unknown?) was built on the site.
There was plenty of space in this drive-in theater for a second screen at the back of this very long drive-in site.
Cinemark Hazlet 12 is the multiplex.
The Route 35 Drive-In was first operated by Loews Inc. and opened its gates on June 29, 1956 with John Wayne in “The Searchers” and Jack Carson in “Magnificent Roughnecks” with no extra short subjects.
Last operated by National Amusements, the Route 35 Drive-In was a first-run theater throughout its history except on its final day. Unlike most drive-ins, the Route 35 Drive-In closed its gates for the final time on September 5, 1991 with a very special tribute and a traditional classic double-bill run of 1956’s “The Girl Can’t Help It” and 1958’s “The Fly”.
The theater was demolished in early 1992 to make way for the 12-screener.
Last day of operation was September 4, 1991