Blue Hills Drive-In
320 Turnpike Street,
Canton,
MA
02021
320 Turnpike Street,
Canton,
MA
02021
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Actually, the Blue Hills Drive-In opened in mid-1957 according to a few articles from the Boston Globe. Also, a 1957 aerial view also shows the theater under construction, meaning that the Blue Hills Drive-In opened that same year.
The Blue Hills Drive-In closed for the final time on August 12, 1984 with “Police Academy” and “Risky Business” as its last films.
There was a feature story on local drive-ins in the Quincy Patriot Ledger, Sat. July 18, written by Fred Hanson. He says that the Blue Hills DI opened 1959, closed 1983, now site of an office park. He mentions mosquito problems there, and also an unruly crowd at Led Zeppelin/ “Song Remains the Same”.
It was a great place from the late 50’s to the early 80’s. I saw a Cival War flick there in the early 60’s with my parents and grandparents in our 58 Rambler. I saw Flipper with my friends and we were usually running around in the fields off the side of the parking lot where my best friend fell and cut his knee open on a broken bottle, cutting the night short. I was there at least once a week through the 70’s with my buddies drinking and smoking pot which we did in those days. Every car was partying or necking or both. In the 60’s it was a great place for families with a playground down front. In the 70’s it’s where you brought your first girl or as I said, party with your friends. It had a great concession stand and of course no radio tunable sound just the old speakers hanging on the pole next to your car. One night we drove out with two speakers still in the rear windows. They were rolled up tight so the glass didn’t beak, just the snapping of two safety wire ropes that were in the speaker cable to prevent theft. It was a great place from an era long since past, and how I miss it so.
BTW: Here is the obituary for Jim Froio…concession manager when I worked at the Blue Hills Drive-in. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8410020.html
I worked at the Blue Hills Drive in from about 1974 when I was 16 until about 1980 when I graduated from college. I worked on the concession stand and worked my way up to Assistant Manager…..Jim Froio was the Concession stand manager and he was a great guy. We had a great crew, and working there was fantastic….I still keep up with many of my coworkers via Facebook and we have reunion get togethers about every decade or so! (at the Town Spa Pizza since this is where we went out after work most times)
320 Turnpike St, Canton, MA 02021
The above address will map accurately to the location of the drive-in.
Here is a 1969 aerial photo of the drive-in, courtesy of HistoricAerials.com.
In the aerial photo the screen is canted away from Route 138, but it appears that there would be some view, albeit at an angle, depending on intervening buildings and trees.
One thing not clear from the topo map or the aerial is whether people in cars driving northbound on 138 could see the screen.
SiliconSam- when I looked at it briefly when it was first posted, I couldn’t seem to make sense of it. But now I can see that the place was in an obscure location. The only view of the screen would be from some industrial buildings to the south, probably not open at night. I can see now that this was the type of drive-in where the back of the screen is on the street by the entrance.
My post on June 9 of the Historic Aerials shot would explain a lot of what the are looked like back then…….. You ought to try it.
Since X-rated movies were shown here circa-1971 and later, it seems logical that the screen could not be seen from outside the boundaries of the drive-in. Otherwise there would undoubtedly have been objections from the local community. The 1981 visit posted above says that it was in a wooded area; probably the back of the screen may have faced the street.
The Canton Journal “Looking Back”, posted above, says that the Canton Drive-In closed in August, 1984. I suspect that Melrose Associates owned the land in 1990-1995, but the theater was not operating then.
Well folks, it’s no question you found a drive-in. I don’t know if I would say it was at the north end of 138 or not, it could be, or could not be the Blue Hills??
It would be great if someone could find an exact address, photos, and more info!
It held 800 autos.
It was open from ABOUT 1969-1995? I know it was open in 1967.
In 1975 it was owned by Hallmark Releasing Corporation?
From 1990-1995 it was owned by Melrose Associates Incorporated?
Boxoffice of July 13, 1957, said that the Blue Hills Drive-In at Canton had opened recently. The original owners were the Minasian brothers.
Right where Ron said it was:
http://www.historicaerials.com/?poi=11420
I looked at the Canton section of my Arrow street atlas from 2001; It shows Whitman Road, a dead-end running east off of Turnpike Street (Route 138); north of it is Pequit Brook; north of the brook is Pequot Park, another dead-end street. This area is very close to the Blue Hills Reservation.
I found an old USGS topographical map at http://www.digital-topo-maps.com/ which shows a drive-in theatre at approximately 42.1726595, -71.094632, or here on Google Maps. Looks like some office buildings are there now.
Unfortunately Google Maps does not know the name of the small side street off Turnpike Street — it is unmarked even at the highest resolution level, but runs east off Turnpike, south of Pequot Way and north of Whitman Road.
I have no idea where exactly it was located. The name “Blue Hills” suggests that it was at the northerly end of Route 138 in Canton, which is near the Blue Hills reservation. Also, the person who wrote about his July 1981 visit to see “Groove Tube” mentions that it was in a wooded area.
What is now at the location where the drive-in was?
This person claims to have watched Groove Tube there in July 1981.
This page claims that it closed on August 12, 1984. It also has these items:
April 15, 1971: The Selectmen have expressed their displeasure at the type of movie fare presented at the Blue Hills Drive-In, particularly in connection with the drive-in’s popularity with teenagers, many of whom have stated that it is not difficult for a teenager under 18 to drive in to see an X-rated movie.
April 22, 1971: The manager of the Blue Hills Drive-In has contacted the Selectmen to assure them that he will do his best to upgrade the films shown at the drive-in. He hopes to get more films rated for family viewing and to obtain only those X-rated films that are considered superior.
Well, it is NOT listed in my 1956 Motion Picture Almanac so it must have opened in the late 50’s.wish I had more.
In its Ledger Archives section yesterday, the Quincy Patriot Ledger ran an ad for the Blue Hills Drive-in from the Ledger of June 8, 1960. Admission was $1 per carload. Movies were “The Robe” and “Tarnished Angels”. The place was apparently closed on Wednesday evenings.