Centinela Drive-In

5700 W. Centinela Avenue,
Los Angeles, CA 90045

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Showing 1 - 25 of 35 comments

Jamey_monroe45
Jamey_monroe45 on July 26, 2023 at 6:37 pm

Now Alessio apartments.

Please update.

kennerado
kennerado on August 2, 2022 at 12:10 am

Possibly closed with “Striking Distance” and “Mo' Money”.

Randy A Carlisle
Randy A Carlisle on August 1, 2022 at 4:09 pm

Historic Aerials -> Definitely gone by 1999.. This drive in was in the 1995 film, HEAT, Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Val Kilmer and several more!

rivest266
rivest266 on October 11, 2019 at 6:36 pm

Grand opening ad posted.

le0pard13
le0pard13 on August 19, 2012 at 1:59 pm

I think I only went to this drive-in once, back in the 70s. Came out from South Gate to bring a date (who lived closer to this side of town). Still, it was an enjoyable experience. It was famously using by director Michael Mann in his wonderful 1995 L.A. crime saga, Heat, and noted in Movie-locations.com site:

http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/h/heat.html

“The deserted drive-in, where Van Zant’s men set up a double cross, was the Centinela Drive-In, which stood at 5700 West Centinela Avenue, Inglewood, before being demolished and replaced by apartments.”

William
William on January 20, 2011 at 12:22 pm

I know Chris, cause it did it for a few extra shifts.

Chris Utley
Chris Utley on January 20, 2011 at 12:08 pm

FWIW, the drive would have been only 5-10 minutes.

William
William on January 19, 2011 at 1:56 pm

During its last years operating, Pacific Theatres contract with the projectionists union had them driving between this drive-in and the Studio Drive-in. Yes, the projectionists drove back and forth all evening.

Chris Utley
Chris Utley on January 19, 2011 at 1:33 pm

I lived around the corner from this former D/I from 2007 through the begining of 2010. When it was a D/I, I only went here 3 times: Once in 1990 to see “Darkman” & “Mo Better Blues”, again in 1991 to see “Stone Cold” & “Misery” and lastly in 1993 to see a triple bill of “Meteor Man”, “Poetic Justice” & “In The Line of Fire”. It was at that last visit that Pacific handed out flyers announcing the closing of this and the Studio D/I’s.

William
William on June 1, 2010 at 1:33 pm

Rongee, the company was Aladdin Drive-In Theaters Inc..

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on June 1, 2010 at 1:04 pm

Another good one gone.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on May 31, 2010 at 8:35 pm

You know there comes a lot of baggage living in such a large city,Crime,Traffic,Taxes and so many other things,but just looking at all the L.A.theatres,Drive-ins and walk-ins you guys really have it made with so many wonderful places to visit.I wouldn’t trade Georgia for it,but just for a week or so i could be quite happy.

Rongee
Rongee on May 3, 2010 at 5:09 pm

It was originally an Aladan drive in. (sp) was then sold to pacific drive in along with the southgate and others.

rrussell007
rrussell007 on March 30, 2010 at 7:35 pm

The Centinela drive-in brings back a ton of good childhood memories. My parents would take myself any my two brothers there in the mid 1960’s when we were kids. Pulling up in my father’s 1954 Buick Special, ready to hit the snack bar for some buttered popcorn and hot dogs, and maybe even take on a swing or two in the playground before the movie started…..what a treat. I remember seeing a lot of westerns there, like the “ The Good, The Bad & the Ugly”. I can still hear the theme song ringing in my ears.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on November 23, 2009 at 8:45 pm

Here is an aerial photo, circa 1952. Note the absence of the 405 Freeway below the drive-in.
http://tinyurl.com/yfugkcu

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on July 24, 2009 at 12:32 am

Here is an October 1958 ad for “The Gun Runners” from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/ncb38c

Dublinboyo
Dublinboyo on May 26, 2009 at 8:23 pm

Used to pick up my girl on Monday nights afer she got done with classes at UCLA and stop off for a meal and a bottle of Lancers before we hit the Centinela Drive In. Nothing says “Love” like a bottle of Lancers! This was in 1984 when there were still such things as Drive Ins. We used to alternate between the Studio and the Centinela Drive In, depending on the movie. Sometimes we even watched the movie if you know what I mean. Fun times. Today I think I’d just savor the expierence and actually watch the movies and not partake of those “other” youthful activities. Oh the sweetness of young amour …

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on January 18, 2008 at 2:51 pm

Here is an undated photo. The comment on the marquee was photoshopped in by the person who took the photo:
http://tinyurl.com/2d3g4d

ronhale
ronhale on August 28, 2007 at 11:43 am

The first motion picture I was ever taken to in my life was at the Centinela Drive In in the early 1950’s. The movie was “The Beast from Twenty Thousand Fathoms.” We lived in Westchester, about one mile from the drive in. Where does time go?

ArmandV101
ArmandV101 on February 22, 2007 at 10:09 pm

Although the Studio Drive-In was nicer, I still enjoyed the Centinela Drive-In. The only double-feature I remember seeing there was “Batman” and “Our Man Flint” in 1966.

William
William on March 22, 2006 at 11:10 am

The drive-in used in the film “Targets” was the Reseda Drive-In.
/theaters/3825/

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman on March 21, 2006 at 8:01 pm

“Targets” was not filmed here, but at the Sepulveda Drive-in up in the Valley. This information is included at the IMDB page you linked to.

froby
froby on March 20, 2006 at 3:45 pm

The Centinela Drive-In originally had the word Centinela mispelled with 2 Ls as in Centinella, not sure when this was fixed. It is also very well known for having been used in Peter Bogdanovitch’s “Targets” (1968) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063671/
Where Boris Karloff is in the film playing an aging sci-fi star at a festival and as I remember he is up on the screen and also walking through the parking lot as some maniac is up in the screen shooting at people in their cars. Used to love seeing the movies from the 405 driving by in my parent’s car as a kid in the 60s.
Had a neato playground up near the screen to keep the kiddies happy and the snack bar was pretty wild also.

hahaaa
hahaaa on February 1, 2006 at 9:30 pm

I remember this place, it was lot more attractive than the gawdy Studio Drive-In.