Billiken Drive-In
3101 Muldoon Road,
Anchorage,
AK
99504
3101 Muldoon Road,
Anchorage,
AK
99504
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The Billiken Drive-In was opened on September 1, 1963 with John Wayne in “Jet Pilot” & Elvis Presley in “Blue Hawaii”. It graduated to screening adult movies. After the Billiken was closed in 1976 it was demolished. The Totem 8 indoor movie theatre was constructed on part of the former drive-in property (it has its own page on Cinema Treasures).
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 10 comments)
Here is an item in Boxoffice magazine, October 1963:
The Billiken, a new 550-car drive-in operated by Ed and Marie Hanby, opened in Anchorage, Alaska on September 1.
Hello
My name is Edward Sharp. I was the first projectionist hired by Ed and Marie when the Billiken drive in opened in 1963. Working at the Billiken was my second job as I was in the military at the time. We all had a good time working together. Getting the equipment back up and running was a challenge following the earthquake. I’ve got a few pictures from when we were in operation..if I can find them, I will try to post a few at a later date. I am willing to converse with anyone on the subject of the Billiken Drive In.
email me at:
Here is a link to photos of the Billiken drive in during the first season it was open. See also my post above.
Ed Sharp
View link
My family and I knew the hanby’s. My sister worked briefly there at the snack bar..I spent many a summer night watching movies there. I have great memories of that theater and of the hanbys..thanks so much for the photos..
Great photos Ed Thanks I always loved Brenkart Projectors, and Ashcraft Lamps were the best…. My Dad had Ashcraft, Super Core Lites, behind Simplex XLs
Great shots Ed, Thanks! I remember going there many times as a kid in our ‘67 Saab, with the speaker and heater hanging on the window. Classic, and definitely an “only in Alaska” theater experience.
I think the last drive in movie I saw in Anchorage was “Enter the Dragon” at the Sundowner.
A Billiken is an Eskimo carved character, pretty popular trinkets in Alaska back in the day. Most people who live there now have probably never heard of them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billiken
look at bottom for section about AK figures.
I put this on last week but somehow never made it here.In 1964 the Billiken Drive-in installed Golden Hot-Shot car heaters,which did make alot of sense,they were supplied by Eprad Theatre Supply out of Toledo,Ohio.Boxoffice,Sept 7 1964.
Opened on 9/1/1963.