Los Angeles Theatres: Gilmore Drive-In

6201 W. 3rd St. Los Angeles, CA 90036 | map |

Opened: July 18, 1948 with Erroll Flynn in "Silver River" along with "Climbing the Matterhorn." It was an operation of Sero Enterprises. The theatre was located just east of the Farmer's Market. The screen tower was on the northwest corner of 3rd St. and Stanley Ave., what is now called The Grove Dr. Thanks to Bill Gabel for locating the pre-opening trade magazine photo.

Capacity: 650 cars -- plus it originally had some seats down front for 'pedestriviewers."

Architects: William Glenn Balch and Louis L. Bryan

A drawing that appeared in Boxoffice. Thanks to Michael Kilgore for locating it for a post on Cinema Treasures. He comments:

"This image appeared in the Modern Theatre section of the Nov. 20, 1948 issue of Boxoffice. I find it interesting that it included 'Drive-In' and 'Theatre' running down its flanks, which weren’t part of the finished product."

A flyer for the opening. Thanks to Mark London for sharing an image of it for a post on the Carthay Circle History Facebook page.

An article that appeared in the July 26, 1948 issue of the L.A. Times. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it for a post on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles. Surely that "600" seats for walk-in customers was a typo. Maybe 60?

The theatre was later operated by Pacific Theatres. Thanks to Michael Kilgore for locating this item in the Boxoffice issue of February 13, 1954:

"Pacific Drive-Ins is taking over operation of two local ozoners, the Victory and Gilmore, from Sero Amusement."

The Gilmore was the first L.A. drive-in to get CinemaScope. The first film booked in the process was "The Command," a Warner Bros. western that opened March 10, 1954. Thanks to Kurt Wahlner for the research.

An April 14, 1954 L.A. Times ad for "The Robe," the film that had been the first to be released in CinemaScope. It opened April 21. Kurt Wahlner located the ad and says: "I wanna know how they did stereo there. Two speakers maybe?"

A 1962 discount ticket from an Entertainment Book. Thanks to Mark London for sharing it on a post on the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page.

Closing: The Gilmore closed in late 1977.

Status: It was demolished around 1983. A nursery used the land for about twenty years. The Grove shopping center is now on the site. Part of that development includes a theatre, the AMC Grove 14.

1948 - A grand opening shot spotted in a trade magazine by Cinema Treasures contributor Dallas Movie Theaters.

1949 - This view from the top of the screen tower was taken by Loomis Dean for Life magazine. The two venues in the background are a Hollywood Stars baseball game at Gilmore Field in the upper right and a football game at Gilmore Stadium in the upper left. Michael Kilgore notes that the photo illustrates the issue that the Drive-In had with light pollution during games. Life photo collection | Life on Google Images | Life photos on Shutterstock | LoomisDeanPhotography.com |

1949 - It's unconfirmed at this point but this lovely shot may be another taken at the Gilmore by Loomis Dean for Life. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for including it as a comment to a post about the theatre on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.

1950 - A view with the Drive-In on 3rd St. in the upper right. Below it is the Farmer's Market. The baseball venue Gilmore Field (1938, demolished 1958) is in the upper center (to the left of the Drive-In) and Gilmore Stadium (1934, demolished 1952) is in the lower center. CBS Television City is now on that site.

Beverly Blvd. on the left. A bit of the Fairfax Theatre at Beverly and Fairfax can be seen in the lower left. The two light-colored buildings on Beverly in the upper left are the Pan Pacific Theatre/Skating Rink and the Pan Pacific Auditorium. Thanks to Martin Turnbull for locating the image for a post on his Hollywood's Garden of Allah Novels website. Another version of the photo, from Marc Wanamaker's collection, appears on the Hollywood Historic Photos website.

1952 - A look toward the Drive-In with CBS Television City going up in the foreground on the site of the Gilmore Stadium. In the lower center we see a bit of Herbert's drive-in restaurant on the southeast corner of 3rd and Fairfax. Thanks to Bill Gabel for posting the image on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.

mid-1950s - A bit of the Gilmore's screen is seen on the far right side of this Farmer's Market postcard. Thanks to Martin Turnbull for locating it for a post on his Garden of Allah Novels Facebook page.

1957 - "Get More Out Of Life - Go To A Drive In Movie!" It's a shot from an 11 second clip of the marquee in action on the Getty Images site from Petrified films. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it for a post on the Ken's Movie Page Facebook group. The Gilmore was running Stanley Kubrick's "Paths of Glory" starring Kirk Douglas and Ralph Meeker along with Victor Mature and Diana Dors in "The Long Haul."

c.1959 - A view to the northeast with the two Pan Pacific buildings at the top of the image. The Baseball Field building is no more but the field's outlines can still be seen. Part of the CBS complex can be seen on the far left. Thanks to Bill Gabel for locating the shot for a Photos of Los Angeles Facebook post.

c.1960 - The Drive-In abides. That's the Park La Brea housing development beyond. Thanks to Bill Gabel for locating the photo for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.

1967 - A photo by Ed Ruscha. It appears on the websites of LACMA, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the Tate Museum in London and the National Galleries Scotland. The Tate commented in a 2019 gallery label:

"This aerial shot turns an urban landscape into an abstract geometric design. Ruscha captured empty Los Angeles car parks from a helicopter early one Sunday morning in 1967, before any cars had arrived. From above the city appears silent and lifeless. Ruscha brought the images together into an artist’s book, 'Thirtyfour Parking Lots' 1967. In 1999 he returned to the series, presenting the images as a photographic portfolio. He said, 'over the years I began to appreciate print quality and see my photographs as not necessarily reproductions for a book, but as having their own life as silver gelatin prints.'"

c.1976 - A fine view toward downtown by Robert Cameron that appears in his 1976 book "Above Los Angeles." Thanks to Randy Hansen for identifying the source. Bill Gabel for shared it with the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group. David Pepper commented: "Beyond the drive-in is the dirt parking lot of the Pan Pacific Auditorium. A traveling circus would set up its big tent in that field. One can also see the old Market Basket grocery store (building with yellowish roof)." A version of the photo was also posted in 2011 on the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page. It got a repost in 2022 that generated many comments.

1976 - A photo by Elisa Leonelli on Calisphere from the Claremont Colleges Library Special Collections. Also by Ms. Leonelli: post-closing - 1978 | Santa in front - 1979 | another Santa shot - 1979 |

1978 - A Polaroid shot with "Closed" on the marquee. Thanks to Rick Nyberg for sharing his photo on the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page.

1979 - Thanks to Robert Landau for sharing this photo he took. In his Facebook post he calls our attention to the last two letters on the marquee: "CL." Thanks to Stephen Russo and Richard Wojcik for spotting this. Robert notes that this shot is one in a series of L.A. photos he took between 1969 and 1999. Some are available as limited edition prints. He's at rlandau444@gmail.com.

1979 - A view from the Bruce Torrence collection, #T-16-5. We're looking west on 3rd. See the Hollywood Historic Photographs website for six more shots from the same time.

c.1984 - Readying the Drive-In site for redevelopment. Thanks again to Bill Gabel for another find. It was a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.

2021 - Looking northwest at 3rd St. and The Grove Drive. Photo: Google Maps

The Gilmore in the movies:

We get this great triple feature on the marquee 41:20 into "Hollywood Boulevard." (New World Pictures, 1976). The film about "the street where starlets are made" features Mary Woronov, Paul Bartel, Candice Rialson, Jonathan Kaplan and Godzina. Direction was by Joe Dante and Allan Arkush. Jamie Anderson did the cinematography. Thanks to Benny Ballejo for posting the shot on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.

Another fine marquee shot from "Hollywood Boulevard." Thanks to Ken McIntyre for posting this one on Photos of Los Angeles. The entire epic is available for free viewing on the site Tubi. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for a shot of an altercation in the booth as well as views of the Chinese and Monica/Pussycat theatres from earlier in the film.

In addition to views of Tail o' the Pup and Fatburger we get quick shots of the Gilmore when Woody Allen's character Alvy Singer visits Los Angeles in "Annie Hall" (United Artists, 1977). The film stars Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts, Carol Kane, Shelley Duvall, Paul Simon, Colleen Dewhurst, Janet Margolin and Christopher Walken. The cinematography was by Gordon Willis. Bruce Kimmel says:

"So, if this is featured in 'Annie Hall,' we know it was shot during the week of October 13, 1976, which is when it opened and played a week."

Thanks to Eric Schaefer for spotting the theatre in the movie and getting the screenshot. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for a wider marquee view from the film. Eric comments:

"If this isn't common knowledge, 'House of Exorcism' was Mario Bava's overhauled version of his 'Lisa and the Devil.' What a great drive-in double feature!"

The Gilmore is seen at the end of "Coming Attractions" (Cinema Finance Associates, 1978). Ira Miller directed the film, retitled "Loose Shoes" for a 1982 reissue. Thanks to Michael Kilgore for the screenshot, a post on Cinema Treasures. He comments:

"The poorly-received 1978 comedy... 'Coming Attractions' ends with a lengthy shot of the Gilmore. It starts with the final frame of the final skit projected on the Gilmore’s screen, then a helicopter view sweeps around the darkened drive-in, ending on the front sign lettered with 'The End.' The good news, if you can call it that, is that the movie is now available on YouTube. The closing credit sequence begins around 1:10:35."

The film is a comedy structured as a series of skits and trailers. Featured are Bill Murray, Buddy Hackett, Howard Hesseman, Royce D. Applegate, Lewis Arquette, Tom Baker and Dorothy Van. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for shots of the marquees of the Rivoli in Long Beach, the Whittier, the Wiltern, the Palace, the Orpheum and the La Reina from the opening credits.

More information: See the Cinema Treasures page about the Gilmore. A drive-in was back in the neighborhood in 2019 with a screen put up on the upper level of the Grove's parking garage. See the Los Angeles Magazine's story "A Drive-In Movie Theater Is Coming to the Grove."

2 comments:

AnonymousAugust 31, 2022 at 6:10 AM
To narrow down the date of demolishion I want to add the following fact: The episode 'Remebrance Of Things Past' of the series 'Scarecrow And Mrs King' used this theater. The script is dated Dec 1st 1983, so the theater was still standing by this time.