Foothill Drive-In
571 E. Foothill Boulevard,
Rialto,
CA
92376
571 E. Foothill Boulevard,
Rialto,
CA
92376
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My dad took me & my brother to see “Batteries Not Included” at this drive in first weekend of Jan ‘88 (I Think). Fun Times.
Now Statler Brothers Marķet @ 571 E Foothill Blvd, Rialto, CA 92376.
Please update.
The July 30, 1989 San Bernardino County Sun gave a reason for the shutdown. “Rialto’s Foothill Drive-In also closed down last year when its owner failed to renew the lease.”
Boxoffice, Jan. 3, 1948: “A drive-in theatre will be built on Foothill boulevard, between San Bernardino and Rialto, for William and Lecile Tharp of Dunkirk, Ind., with space for 684 cars. The plans, prepared by architect H. E. Jones of San Bernardino, provide for a machine room and a snack bar and rest rooms behind the screen.”
Boxoffice, March 13, 1948: “RIALTO, CALIF. – A new motif in drive-in theatre design was made public when W. A. Tharp, former Indiana exhibitor, opened his Foothill Drive-In here March 6. The theatre has a 670-car capacity and is the first installation to feature the Moonlight Movies system for the parking of cars. Tharp, who conceived the new system, has applied for a patent and established headquarters in San Bernardino to lease the device to interested showmen.”
Final night of operation was September 5, 1988 with “Coming To America” and “Hot To Trot”.
My mother worked here in 1965 thru 1968. I remember the lobby was filled with the animals MR. Tharp shot with his bow. My mother loved working with the Mrs. Tharp. The Tharp’s daughter, Twyla became famous but I don’t know what happened to her twin brothers.
March 6th, 1948 first ad in photo section
When I used to go to the Foothill Drive In I was waited on by Twyla Tharp. Twyla was the daughter of the owner. She became quite a famous choreographer.
Here is an update on the FOOTHILL DRIVE IN. It parked in 1956 700 cars, so it must have lost some spots. It was owned by Lesile C. Tharp. by Co-op Theatres Inc.
Here is a 1983 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/y9n7pjx
Pacific Theatres ran this drive-in until its closure in 1989. All the Pacific drive-ins in the San Bernardino County closed at,roughly,the same time.