Bel-Air Drive-In
315 Independence Boulevard,
Romeoville,
IL
60446
315 Independence Boulevard,
Romeoville,
IL
60446
1 person
favorited this theater
The Bel-Air Drive-In was opened in summer of 1949. The Bel-Air Drive-In was located off Historic Route 66 (Independence Boulevard) in Romeoville, north of Joliet. It was still open in 1988. Long since closed and torn down, the only vestige of this drive-in is the old marquee, now used for advertising by the storage facility built on the site. A “gentleman’s club” also shares a portion of the former Bel-Air property.
Contributed by
Bryan
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Recent comments (view all 11 comments)
This was actually an L&M location, along with the downtown Joliet theatres. I was friends with the long-time manager of the Bel-Air, John Strain. He had some pretty wild and funny stories about the place. One of the stranger ones was when the refinery behind it caught fire; the light from the flames made the area too bright for a decent presentation of the movie on the screen.
now at this time the the old marquee was torn down. went by their 2/12/2013 marquee is also gone no more markings where the bel_air was wish it was still their good times thier
I have a dream that one day I can buy back that property and Re-open a Drive-In… I would ammend the name, of course…. Bel-Air on Route 66. :)
The Bel-Air debuted in the 1949-50 Theatre Catalog, listed with exec: T. I. Wagner. The 1952 Catalog added the capacity of 1000 and changed the owner to H. and E. Balaban Ct.
The Motion Picture Almanac usually listed the “Belair” under Joliet. It was included in the MPA’s first drive-in list, for the 1950-51 edition, capacity 1000, owner Bel Aire Theatre Co.
The MPA showed the Bel Air on Romeoville Road in Lockport for a while, but included it through its final drive-in list in the 1988 edition.
Aerial photos indicate that the Bel-Air wasn’t there in 1946, was active through at least 1952-74, and was gone by 1988. (Although a 1988 topo map still showed its outline, so I guess those aren’t perfect either.)
Topo maps are rather notorious for not being updated. They often show features such as drive-ins that have been long removed as aerial photos have revealed.
Topo maps are good for verifying that a drive-in existed once in a location, but they are far from conclusive in terms of when something has been removed.
Two notes in the Showmen’s Trade Review verified that the Bel-Air, wrongly considered to be in Joliet, opened in the summer of 1949.
From Aug. 6, 1949: “The Bel-Air drive-in at Joliet, Ill., opened last week.”
Aug. 13: “C. S. Ashcraft of the Ashcraft Company on Long Island attended the opening of the 1,000-car Bel-Air drive-in at Joliet.”
In its May 7, 1949 issue, Boxoffice raved about the soon-to-open Bel-Air’s sign: “The largest Illinois sign ever to be displayed in Will county is now under construction by the Lotz Sign Co. The sign is being manufactured for the Bel Air Theatre Co. and will grace the huge screen tower of the drive-in being built at the southeast junction of Route 66-A and Romeo road, five miles north of Joliet.
“The sign will weigh three-and-a-half tons when it is completed. It will contain 12,000 feet of neon tubing. If stretched in a straight line, that tubing would cover seven city blocks. And the sign will be as wide a Joliet’s main thoroughfare. The letters in it will be more than 12 feet high.”
The Feb. 9, 1952 issue of Boxoffice described manager T. I. Wagner’s suggestion for making a little money in the offseason. The Winston Chevrolet Co. advertised on the marquee, lit from dusk to 9:30 p.m. “According to Wagner, the sign has created comment from sources more than 60 miles away and more important, has kept the theatre name alive.” (With photo, uploaded here.)
Boxoffice, Nov. 24, 1969: “L&M president Mrs. D. R. Berman announced that electric heaters have been installed in the company’s Bel-Air Drive-In, Joliet. She said also that the concession building and ladies' room are being enlarged.”