Island Auto Movie
2001 Bartlett Drive,
Alameda,
CA
94501
2001 Bartlett Drive,
Alameda,
CA
94501
3 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Century Theatres, Syufy Enterprises
Nearby Theaters
No theaters found within 30 miles
The Island Auto Movie opened June 29, 1950 with Walt Disney’s “Cinderella” and Randolph Scott in “The Nevadan”. A storm on February 23, 1991 destroyed the screen at this theater. Oddly enough, after the expense and labor of replacing it, the theater never re-opened. The final movies which were screened were Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Kindergarten Cop” & Jean-Claude Van Damme in “Lionheart”.
The site continued as a weekend swap meet until 1995 when it was closed and abandoned. It was demolished in 1997, and a housing subdivision was built shortly thereafter on the site. Nothing remains of this drive-in.
Contributed by
Jason
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Recent comments (view all 14 comments)
heres a link of 2 1983 pictures of the island auto drive in
http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveglass/2955672065/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveglass/393028224/
Here is an October 1950 ad from the Oakland Tribune:
http://tinyurl.com/mnyajn
Interesting name.
Alameda is an Island in the San Francisco Bay.
June 29, 1950 Grand Opening Night
Also opened with two colour cartoons(not named). The drive-in had a laundrette open not long atfer the drive-in opened(first drive-in i have heard of having a laundrette on site!!) Was there any drive-in’s with a laundrette?
HistoricAerials shows the drive-in adjacent to Atlantic Avenue north of the wash. The closest address to the Island’s entrance would be 2001 Bartlett Drive.
The actual address while the theatre was open was 791 Thau Way.
Closed on February 23, 1991 with “Kindergarten Cop” and “Lionheart”.
I was the manager of this theater in the summer of 1985. Much like the Airport in Oakland, the Oakland in San Leandro and Fremont auto movie, it had a sunken almost bunker projection booth that would beam upward to the enormous screen. Kent was my assistant. Wonderful times. The swap meet was legendary!😍