San Val Drive-In
2720 Winona Avenue,
Burbank,
CA
91504
2720 Winona Avenue,
Burbank,
CA
91504
13 people
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Showing 18 comments
Boxoffice, April 1, 1939: “The San-Val Drive-In, in Burbank, has reopened after being dark for a month while damages, caused by Southern California’s windstorm of a month or so ago, were repaired”
Boxoffice, Aug. 5, 1939: “First giveaway ever booked in a drive-in theatre is being given a tryout at Seth Perkins' San-Val. Perkins is handing out free crockery to every woman patron once weekly.”
Opened with “Who killed Gale Foster?”. Scene filmed here for the movie “White Heat”.
From the Burbankia page:
http://wesclark.com/burbank/san_val.jpg
http://wesclark.com/burbank/san_val_1.jpg
http://wesclark.com/burbank/san_val_2.jpg
http://wesclark.com/burbank/san_val_3.jpg
http://wesclark.com/burbank/san_val_4.jpg
http://wesclark.com/burbank/san_val_5.jpg
http://wesclark.com/burbank/san_val_6.jpg
http://wesclark.com/burbank/san_val_7.jpg
http://wesclark.com/burbank/san_val_8.jpg
Here is a September 1961 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/ykrjr3l
More from the LAPL:
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics43/00071164.jpg
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics43/00071163.jpg
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics43/00071162.jpg
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics43/00071161.jpg
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics28/00033959.jpg
Hi Lost Memory. Did you post the release date of “Blood Feast” as a point of information? Or to dispute ken mc’s post that it was playing at the San Val in April 1964?
It was often the case that drive-ins didn’t show first-run movies. In ken’s ad, the movies Hud, Lilies of The Field and Cleopatra are all advertised as Oscar winners. They were all released in 1963, and the ceremony for those awards was held and televised on Monday, April 13, 1964. [Tom Jones won Best Picture.] Therefore, ken’s post is correct.
Cheers!
The San Val is featured in “White Heat” (1949). Listed on the marquee outside are “South of St. Louis” and “Siren of Atlantis”. On the screen, however, is an action scene from “Task Force”.
The car-hop’s uniforms are great.
“Blood Feast” was playing at the San Val in April 1964:
http://tinyurl.com/2sh59a
I remember riding with my P.J.’s and pillow in the package tray of our ‘36 Ford with Mom and Dad …
Dad worked at lockheed and we couldn’t wait until he came home on Friday’s or Saturday’s for “Movie Night”.
The only problem was during 1943 – 1945 when the air-raid sirens would go off, the screen went dark and everybody was told to stay in their cars … kinda scary … and it usually happened during the Cartoon … DARN!
Jim Rowe
Here is a September 1960 ad from the Valley News:
http://tinyurl.com/27wkr6
My memory of the San-Val goes back to the first-run of “Shane,” some time around 1951. I was in the back seat, watching between my Mom & Dad, wearing my pj’s. We lived in Pacoima at the time, and would take a long drive east on San Fernando Road to get to the drive-in. I saw many movies there, and my little brother and I played on the swings and the little merry-go-round spinner many happy times. Going from the car into the low snack-bar was always exciting. It’s too bad; there’s only one operating drive-in left in all of L.A. County now, and it’s a multi-screen.
I believe that this is also the San Val:
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics22/00030953.jpg
Here is a picture, courtesy of the LA Library:
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics28/00033960.jpg
My dad took us to this drive-in every Friday night from 1954 until 1959. My mom worked the swing shift at Lockheed and we would go to the show then pick her up after work. I don’t think we made her wait too many times until the movie was over. :)
Anyway, almost everything I know about movies I know from seeing them through a windshield with the sound coming in from the left window. My favorites were the Disney movies. And I grew up to write them.
Bought my first automobile in 1965 at a small used car lot, Huck’s Used Cars, next to the San Val: ‘56 Chevy Bel Air, $200.
The address of the San Val Drive-In was 2720 Winona Street. Like the earlier Drive-In Theater in West Los Angeles, it was designed by Clifford Balch. Plans were announced in 1938.
The San Val Drive-in was located at San Fernando Road and Winona.
The San Val was the first Drive-In I ever went to. A double feature of the Beatles “Hard Days Night” and “Help”. Wasn’t as grand as other Valley drive-in’s like the “Victory” or “Van Nuys” but it had a nice playground under the screen.