El Rancho Drive-In

Closed in 1985.

I was born in the downtown SJ Hospital in 1963. I recall my parents taking me & my sister several times to the Tropicaire Drive-In back in the day. I recall I got to wear my pajamas (those that enclosed the legs are feet). The Tropicaire was located at the intersection of Alum Rock Ave & (what is now) Checkers Drive.

latitutde/longitude:
37.35537, -121.84999

We also visited the El Rancho Drive-In. I recall being overwhelmed by the immense depiction of the Cowboy on the bucking Bronco.

Remember it well..Boxed Pop Corn and sold tickets for the owner at that time. Paul R Catalana Also booked the Beatles and other artists of the time.. Last movie I seen there was “Play Misty for Me”

I then went on to the Tropicaire Twin View Drive In in the early 1960’s
Ray

Is there a link to BOXOFFICE 7/15/50; haven’t located it [yet]; thanks!

Thanks Rivest266! Love the aerial pdf!

Boxoffice 1950 08 05 page 154 has an good aerial of this drive-in theatre.

Thank you Silicon Sam for the Historic Aerials link; can’t wait to get my hands on some actual photos; perhaps one will surface someday since my Grandma lived next door in the 50’s – 60’s

Opened 1950; Demolished 1980s

I remember the flag pole sitter his name was Ozzie. He did other promotional stunts around San Jose. The one I remember most was for the opening of a housing development possibly Tropicana Village, he was in a plexiglass coffin that was lowered below ground. He breathed through a tube and people were allowed to view him through the clear coffin top. It all went well until someone dropped a lit firecracker down the breathing tube. He immediately had to be dug up although I don’t remember him being hurt. This was the early 1960’s. Years later about 2000 I was recanting this story to a friend named Henry who in his younger years was a self described juvenile delinquent. He admitted to me he was the teenager who dropped the firecracker down the tube. Henry is no longer with us so I pass this story on to you.

Found the following while searching the web on the artist Don Clever. Source: Box Office Magazine, Modern Theatre Section (pp. 153-155), did not give date/issue #. “A new drive-in theatre, the El Rancho, opened this spring to accommodate 800 cars and 240 walk-in patrons… The theatre is owned by Arthur Yarimie and Paul R. Catalana… Thirteen acres have been devoted to the development which cost some $250,000 to build and equip. From the screen tower, 80 feet wide and 65 feet high with a 66-foot picture, to the completely equipped concession building and ramp house, the El Rancho provides every conceivable convenience for its patrons… Valuable highway frontage has been used for a drive-in restaurant while a 32-foot attraction board calls attention to the drive-in theatre entrance… Neon lighted for night attraction, the back of the El Rancho screen tower is dramatically decorated with an appropriate western mural by California artist Don Clever. The theatre was built by the owners with Harold Wood supervising construction. Barnard Nobler was the architect.” Sorry but this is all I could pull up.

View link

I was born in 1955 and I remember the pole-sitter from the mid or late 60’s. We went to a SJSU summer school in those days. The commute took us from Almaden to the downtown area passing the drive-in everyday. We noticed the man sitting up there. It seemed like a long time, months perhaps. My mother said that he as setting some kind of record??? The pole remained long after the man was gone and I found myself looking up at the pole everytime I passed by. I was hoping to see another pole-sitter. Quite odd actually.
vsj

I lived at the condos on this property for years and having lived in San Jose all of my life, I remember the Drive-In as well. It did show only show Spanish Language films during it’s last several years. One bit of trivia: The palm trees at the Condo Complex are the original ones from the Drive In.