Orange Drive-In
292 North State College, Orange, CA.
Specifications
Operators: Pacific
Status: Demolished
Opened: 6/18/41
Closed: 1994
Current Use: Housing
Screens: 1/2
Seating: Drive-in (800 cars)
Profile
Built beside the 101 freeway (later to become the I-5), surrounded by orange groves, the twenty five acre Orange Drive-In opened as the county’s first drive in, on June 18, 1941. The Orange not only introduced Orange County to the drive-in experience, but also exposed countless World War II era soldiers, stationed at the Santa Ana Army Base (once located at what is now the Orange County Fairgrounds), to the viewing format. During the 1950’s this drive-in was also the home of Dr. Robert Schuller’s ministry; holding Sunday church services, to an auto bound congregation, from the snack bar roof. Dr. Schuller would later parlay his drive-in church notoriety to build the famous Crystal Cathedral and launch a nationally syndicated televised service. In addition to being a cinema and part time church, the Orange operated a highly successful weekend swap meet for nearly thirty years.
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The Orange Drive-In, which was expanded in to an 800 car two screen during the early 70’s (to compete with the near bye Century Cinedome theatre and four screen Stadium Drive-In), would finish out it’s cinema years showing Spanish language films. After closing in 1994, the small screen was destroyed in a fire and the large main screen was taken down in 1997. The swap meet slowly disbanded, over the ensuing decade, as the lot was parceled off to freeway and housing development. Today, the site of the former drive-in can be seen beside the I-5’s State College Blvd. off-ramp, where a large apartment complex now stands.
The Orange Drive-In, which was expanded in to an 800 car two screen during the early 70’s (to compete with the near bye Century Cinedome theatre and four screen Stadium Drive-In), would finish out it’s cinema years showing Spanish language films. After closing in 1994, the small screen was destroyed in a fire and the large main screen was taken down in 1997. The swap meet slowly disbanded, over the ensuing decade, as the lot was parceled off to freeway and housing development. Today, the site of the former drive-in can be seen beside the I-5’s State College Blvd. off-ramp, where a large apartment complex now stands.
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Trivia
Newspapers initially listed the venue simply as “Drive-In” and erroneously gave Santa Ana as the location.
The drive-in opened with a double feature of “Nice Girl” and “Keeping Company”
Founder of national music retailer, Wherehouse Entertainment, Bruce Ogilvie, launched his career selling records at the swap meet, during the early 1970’s.
Images
Click on images for larger view
5 responses so far ↓
1 Orange Drive-In Artifacts // Apr 27, 2010 at 2:41 am
[…] memorabilia; the church’s founder, Dr. Robert Schuller, launched his famous ministry at the Orange Drive-In. From 1955, through roughly 1960, Dr. Schuller’s Garden Grove Community Church held Sunday […]
2 Drive-In Snack Bar // Sep 1, 2010 at 3:38 am
[…] picture captures the Orange Drive-In’s snack bar and staff (circa late 1940′s?). As with most drive-ins, the Orange operated a […]
3 Remembering An Era’s Passing // Mar 29, 2011 at 3:38 am
[…] Orange: June 18, 1941 to September 11, 1994 […]
4 Forgotten Cinema: The City Center Theatres // Apr 5, 2011 at 4:48 am
[…] Orange, running beside Interstate 5, has long been known for a string of popular cinemas. From the Orange Drive-In, to the Cinedome Theatres, and to the present day AMC Block 30, this short stretch of real estate […]
5 Orange Drive-In 70th Anniversary // Jun 15, 2011 at 3:27 am
[…] This week marks the 70th anniversary of Orange County’s first drive-in, the aptly branded Orange Drive-In. Opened on June 18, 1941, the Orange enjoyed a fifty-three year run as a cinema, was the launching […]