Motor Vu of Imperial CA won’t reopen

Motor Vu drive-in sign and screenWhile it’s heartening to celebrate the continued existence of so many drive-in theaters, it’s also important to make note of those that pass away. Last week, the Imperial Valley Press of El Centro CA ran an article which said that the Motor Vu Twin Drive-In Theatre was closed indefinitely. The Motor Vu’s Facebook page hasn’t been updated since November 2010, another sign that this drive-in is gone.

The Imperial Valley Press quoted Bobby Gran, operations manager for Cal-Gran Theaters. Gran said, “It was partially because of the digital situation and getting the 35 millimeter prints. And based on the books, it wasn’t producing enough money. It was a business decision.”

The article also gathered lots of reaction quotes from former patrons of the Motor Vu, which had been open since at least 1952. (It’s included in the list of active drive-ins in my copy of the 1952 Theatre Catalog.) There’s also a nice photo, so go read it!

Vineland hopes to make an expensive conversion

Screen shot of drive-in videoMost drive-in video is good, though some videos are better than others, and this little snapshot of the Vineland Drive-In in City of Industry CA is one of the best I’ve seen lately. It comes to us from Annenberg TV News of the University of Southern California.

If you’ve never been to a drive-in (how sad!), this video is the best news report to capture the full experience – tickets, screen, concessions, projectors, and the closing credits, a really nice touch. Oh, and it’s about how the folks at the Vineland are optimistic that it will be able to convert to digital projection by the end of the year despite the $320,000 price tag for four screens. Thanks USC Annenberg, for this fine report, and for letting me share it here.

Update: I am sorry, but the embedded version that USC Annenberg provided insisted on autoplaying whenever the page loaded. That’s darned annoying, and the version on the Annenberg page doesn’t do that, but I can’t figure out how to make it quit, so I took it out and replaced it with a screen shot of that video, linking to the original article. If you know how to make it stop autoplaying, please let me know and I’ll embed it again.

Ceres Drive-In may reopen this year

Ceres CA fall sunset

photo by Mouse209

According to an article in the Modesto (CA) Bee, the Ceres Theatre may reopen some time in 2013. The drive-in had closed after the 2008 season, then suffered extensive damage in a “suspicious” fire in June 2010. But its new owners, Diego Castillo and family, say the local community wants to see it reopen.

For now, the site operates as a flea market on weekends. Starting in April, a farmers market will operate alongside the flea market. There’s a new concession area, but Castillo said a separate projection booth still needs to be built.

Bee columnist Jeff Jardine also voiced his support for the drive-in. “A nostalgic night out,” he wrote, “just like the olden days. The kids might find they actually like leaving the house to watch a movie beneath the stars.” Here’s hoping!