I’m surprised that no has mentioned the Viking Twin indoor which was build behind the screen tower of the Moonlite. The theater was open as late as December, 1978. I took a date there to see the original Superman movie. In think it was gone by about 1980 or so. I was working as a projectionist in the next town to the South (Mt. Vernon) and knew John Stanovich the chief projectionist there. He was also the Business Agent for the Projectionists Union in Bellingham. They ran all three screens in the Summer and dropped down to just the indoor screens after the DI season was over. With a cut in pay when the Moonlite closed for the season.
Drive-In 54…Sorry, the pictures I had are long gone. It was a pretty place, a grass field that had to be mowed weekly and surrounded by tall Poplar trees. Farmland on the South side, a half dozen or so houses along Andis road on the North side and the right of way for Interstate 5 on the West. The old highway (US99) and our entrance were on the East. The trees did a good job of screening us from the Interstate. The freeway was built just a few yards behind the screen tower nearly 10 years after the theater opened in 1950. The Snack Bar, Restrooms, Booth, Box Offices, and what had originally been a restaurant were all in one two story concrete building at the rear of the field. The Booth, former restaurant, and a two bedroom managers apartment were on the second floor. The restaurant space was unused by 1978 when I worked there. The booth was wall to wall and floor to ceiling glass on the front side. No privacy but great view of the pretty girls in the Summer. Everyone on the field had a good view into the booth as well.
I was a projectionist at the Skagit Drive In for one season in 1978. At the time, it was still owned by Eldon Pollack but was being leased and operated by Richard Babington who in addition leased and operated Pollack’s Lincoln Theatre in Mt. Vernon where I also worked. The Skagit was closed by the very early 1980’s. Confusion about the address is understandable, the theatre was north of the Skagit River (therefore outside Mt. Vernon City Limits) but in an area then mostly farmland and a few scattered businesses. Mt. Vernon was the closer and larger city at the time. Andis Road and Burlington Blvd. (then known as Highway 99) was the location. Strip Mall City today.
The Skagit had Ashcraft Super Cinex carbon arc lamps and Simplex E-7 projectors. It was still using speakers (no radio sound) at the time I worked there.
Sadly, the King was demolished over the weekend of April 6/7 2013. worked there as a Union projectionist from 1981 until about 2008. I started there with General Cinema and remained working for several different operators after GCC pulled out in 1992. For the first few months post-GCC, it was a discount house and then turned into an all ages concert venue that ran films on rare occasions. Norelco AAII 35/70mm projectors in the booth were great but a minimal sound system and flat (but large) screen behind a massive curved curtain were drawbacks. I also worked at the demolished UA 70/150 across the street and still do work (when they run 70mm) at the Cinerama, two blocks away.
I’m surprised that no has mentioned the Viking Twin indoor which was build behind the screen tower of the Moonlite. The theater was open as late as December, 1978. I took a date there to see the original Superman movie. In think it was gone by about 1980 or so. I was working as a projectionist in the next town to the South (Mt. Vernon) and knew John Stanovich the chief projectionist there. He was also the Business Agent for the Projectionists Union in Bellingham. They ran all three screens in the Summer and dropped down to just the indoor screens after the DI season was over. With a cut in pay when the Moonlite closed for the season.
Drive-In 54…Sorry, the pictures I had are long gone. It was a pretty place, a grass field that had to be mowed weekly and surrounded by tall Poplar trees. Farmland on the South side, a half dozen or so houses along Andis road on the North side and the right of way for Interstate 5 on the West. The old highway (US99) and our entrance were on the East. The trees did a good job of screening us from the Interstate. The freeway was built just a few yards behind the screen tower nearly 10 years after the theater opened in 1950. The Snack Bar, Restrooms, Booth, Box Offices, and what had originally been a restaurant were all in one two story concrete building at the rear of the field. The Booth, former restaurant, and a two bedroom managers apartment were on the second floor. The restaurant space was unused by 1978 when I worked there. The booth was wall to wall and floor to ceiling glass on the front side. No privacy but great view of the pretty girls in the Summer. Everyone on the field had a good view into the booth as well.
The screen has been removed as of August, 2014.
I was a projectionist at the Skagit Drive In for one season in 1978. At the time, it was still owned by Eldon Pollack but was being leased and operated by Richard Babington who in addition leased and operated Pollack’s Lincoln Theatre in Mt. Vernon where I also worked. The Skagit was closed by the very early 1980’s. Confusion about the address is understandable, the theatre was north of the Skagit River (therefore outside Mt. Vernon City Limits) but in an area then mostly farmland and a few scattered businesses. Mt. Vernon was the closer and larger city at the time. Andis Road and Burlington Blvd. (then known as Highway 99) was the location. Strip Mall City today.
The Skagit had Ashcraft Super Cinex carbon arc lamps and Simplex E-7 projectors. It was still using speakers (no radio sound) at the time I worked there.
Sadly, the King was demolished over the weekend of April 6/7 2013. worked there as a Union projectionist from 1981 until about 2008. I started there with General Cinema and remained working for several different operators after GCC pulled out in 1992. For the first few months post-GCC, it was a discount house and then turned into an all ages concert venue that ran films on rare occasions. Norelco AAII 35/70mm projectors in the booth were great but a minimal sound system and flat (but large) screen behind a massive curved curtain were drawbacks. I also worked at the demolished UA 70/150 across the street and still do work (when they run 70mm) at the Cinerama, two blocks away.