Tillavue Drive-In

In March 1950, the Portland Oregonian reported that Tillamook theater owner C. H. Smith planned a 400-car drive-in 1½ miles south of Tillamook on Highway 101. It was to include an auditorium above the concessions building to seat up to 350 walk-in patrons.

Tillamook theatre owner Claude H. “Dude” Smith opened the Tillavue Drive-In in 1952. (In 1953, Boxoffice wrote that manager “Bob” Smith had added a children’s playground.) Smith owned and operated the Tillavue Theatre and other local theatres until he died in 1963; Gus Elbow Jr. took over then.

The 1953-1954 Motion Picture Almanac included the Tillavue Drive-In, owned by C. H. Smith. Later additions added a capacity of 350 cars. When the MPA rebooted its drive-in list for the 1977 edition, the Tillavue was gone, though the 1978 MPA still showed the Tillavue as owned by William and Janice Parr of Tillamook.

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