Mooney Twin Drive-In
26672 S. Mooney Boulevard,
Visalia,
CA
93277
26672 S. Mooney Boulevard,
Visalia,
CA
93277
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This drive-in definitely opened as the Motor-In. The 1950 photo I just uploaded included an ad for it “next to Mooney Park,” which pretty much proves that we’re talking about the same place.
Oh, and the latest Google Maps address for the Tulare County Office of Education, current occupants of the former Motor-In site, is 6200 S Mooney Blvd, Visalia, CA 93277.
In 1955, the Tulane Advance-Register was advertising the “Motor-In on Mooney Blvd. between Tulare and Visalia,” so I think this is the right drive-in for this note.
Boxoffice, Oct. 8, 1955: “The Harvey Amusement Co., San Francisco, has bought the 576-car Tulare Motor-In from the Robert L. Lippert theatre chain, also of San Francisco.”
Reopened as Mooney twin Drive-in,in 1984 with on screen 1 with “The final terror” and “Alphabet City” and on screen 2 with “Making the grade” and “Hot dog”.
The twin screens were named, George and Gracie. The East Screen was named for Gracie Burns and the West Screen was named for George Burns. Closed with a “Grand Closing” featuring “Grease” and “Viva Las Vegas” on September 9, 2006.
The Mooney closed because the owner, Larry Rodkey, did not own the dirt. And the landlord was probably looking for a better deal with a new tenant. Larry also runs 2 other theaters further south in San Luis Obispo & Arroyo Grande. He had troubles finding the right staff to run the Mooney in his abcense.
I think I made about 3 or 4 stops here before it closed.
It is to bad that it could not remain open and screening movies!!
Thanks for all the great pictures!!
The screens were facing each other. We constructed a new snack bar and projection booth when we added the east screen in 1972. Rotus Harvey (my father) was the construction super on the East addition. I worked on the project as my first full time summer job. The marquee design is the same as the Westlane and Hammer Drive In theaters in Stockton. The marquee center mast has a man tipping his top hat, this was the logo for Westland Theaters Company.
You could tell it was ready to close.marquee in bad shape.
Thanks for the marquee photos.
Just an empty lot now – you can easily see where the twin screens would have gone, back-to-back. Should be listed as closed for sure.
LISTED AS CLOSED 2006
This place is now closed. Why?