Tacoma Auto-View
S. Tacoma Way and 99th Street,
Tacoma,
WA
98445
S. Tacoma Way and 99th Street,
Tacoma,
WA
98445
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The Tacoma Auto-View Theatre was located at McChord Field on Highway 99 and opened on April 5, 1947 with The Marx Brothers in “A Night In Casablanca” & Randolph Scott in “Abilene Town”. It was operated by William Forman of United Theatres Inc. It was closed on August 30 1948 with Louis Hayward in “The Man in the Iron Mask” and Brian Donlevy in “A Gentlemen After Dark”. Closure was due to a fire which destroyed the screen. Everyone then went to the newer Star-Lite Drive-In on the way instead (also located on Highway 99).
Another Auto-View Drive-In on N. Pearl Street opened on April 13, 1950 (it has its own page on Cinema Treasures).
Contributed by
MIKE RIVEST
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
Grand opening ad posted.
Actually, the Auto-View closed for the final time on August 30, 1948 with “A Man In The Iron Mask” and “Gentlemen After Dark” along with a cartoon and a newsreel following a massive early morning fire that destroyed the 40x50ft screen tower the next day estimating $50,000 of damage.
A second Autoview Drive-In would later open almost a year-and-a-half later by former first Autoview operator Frank B. Smith.
A 1955 aerial shows the demolished remains of the drive-in.
Today, the property is underneath the cloverleaf of WA-512 and I-5 with no trace of the drive-in remaining.