El Cerrito Motor Movies

There is an old advertisement for this drive-in located on http://www.americandrivein.com/states/ca.htm

This was the first drive-in in the San Francisco Bay Area, opened in 1940. It was gone by the early 1960's, the El Cerrito Plaza shopping center sits where this drive-in once was.

It was a single-screener as well.

Here is an October 10, 1948 ad from the Oakland Tribune:
http://tinyurl.com/5836jq

My father took our family almost every week to this drive-in theatre. I believe that in the mid 1950's this theatre was owned by a Mr. McKnight who also owned the nearby Oaks Theatre on Solano avenue in Berkeley. I can recall a character named "Kara Kume" performing magic on the snack bar roof at intermission one time. Also, a jumping B&W cartoon figure called "Spotty" on the screen. The idea was to catch "Spotty" with your car spotlight during intermissions. Puffy Pete popcorn and Toddy were my favorite snack bar treats.

There was an historic adobe house on the property that belonged to the Peralta Family. It mysteriously burned down when they were planning to build the original El Cerrito Plaza.

Here is an item from the Oakland Tribune dated 11/4/48:

What was once a dog track and later a large trailer court has now become one of the largest drive-in movie theaters on the Pacific Coast. After months of construction, the El Cerrito Motor Movies, at Fairmount Avenue, a block east of San Pablo Avenue in El Cerrito will have its opening tomorrow night. The drive-in, which will be operated under direction of Blumenfeld Theaters, will have three changes of program a week, the change days being Friday, Sunday and Tuesday.