Comments on: Valley Drive-In Theatre, Montclair, California, 1954

By: Phyllis

Phyllis — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:08:32 +0000

I not only remember going to the Valley Drive In as a child later as a teenager I worked there in the snack-bar. wow the intermissions were brutal as we didn’t have automatic cash registers; we had to add the orders all up on the bottom of the boxes used to put the orders in then punch the keys on the register with the total!!! Talk about slow. No wonder everyone was chopping at the bit by the time they finally were next in line. This was 1970-1972. Also my brother was assistant manager then, Thanks for the memories.

By: Randy Bailey

Randy Bailey — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:27:26 +0000

I went on my first date to the Valley Drive In around 1971. It was me and Debbie Lerner and we saw Frank Zappa’s “200 Motels.” To this day I have no idea what that movie was about. We were in my dad’s 1959 yellow Volvo coupe (the only imported car he ever owned) and I just remember it was a great night with a great girl and it was the first time I really felt grown up, at the ripe old age of 16.
I moved out of Montclair in 1979 and they tore it down in 1980? What a waste. I now live outside of Fresno, a town that has destroyed all of its Drive Ins as well. I know that we’re more modern now and more hi-tech, but are we better off? What have we given up in the exchange? What a waste.

By: Julie Rodriguez

Julie Rodriguez — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:10:49 +0000

Thank you so much for this photo of a place that has so many great memories! My grandparents lived in the Montclair neighborhood right behind The Valley and the whole family would often get in my uncles pick-up truck and have the best evenings there! We’d bring Pj’s, pillows, and anything comfy to enjoy the show from the bed of the truck. The memories of the monkeys will forever be a great one! As kids, we looked forward to seeing themeverytime we went! I think I remember seeing the movie “Billy Jack” there & my Mom making me & my sister lay down for a minute in the back seat for the “not so kid-appropriate” parts of the movie. I remember so clearly waiting in line to get in for the best parking place, slowly passing by and looking up from the car window at the enormous neon sign! It was gorgeous! How ironic to see the sign today here on-line since yesterday I asked my 16 year old son if he would like to go to the drive-in? His response was “What’s a drive-in?” I couldn’t pass up the chance to take him. We went to the Mission Tiki Drive-In since The Valley is sadly no longer with us and had a great time. I wanted to let him experience just a bit of the fun we used to have all those years ago. Thank you again for giving me the chance to remember such a great place!

By: Drive-In Theatre Chili

Drive-In Theatre Chili — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 06:10:02 +0000

It was amazing for me to read all your comments and memories of experiencing southern California drive-in theatres. I grew up right down the street from the van Nuys drive-in and though I have some memories of good times there, I never truly appreciated it at a young age. In the last year my girlfriend and I have visited a dozen of the remaining 19 California drive-ins. We love it. There is just something magical about that cannot be put into words.

By: Rick B

Rick B — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 18:42:14 +0000

The Valley Drive-in is not lost! This past summer, I reconstructed a model of it for our exhibit at the Los Angeles County Fair- the Fairplex Garden Railroad.( A football-sized outdoor model train exhibit on location since 1924) The exhibit features a 1/2″ scale model, slightly reduced in size, and includes a reconstruction of the Mural and the stone and concrete steps which led to the ladies’ lounge. The front of the scene features movies shown to scale autos from the 1950′s on a 26″ HD TV! You can visit us on the first Sunday of each month or during the L.A.County Fair. Or visit our website, http://www.fgrr.org. ENJOY!

By: Pennie Bleil

Pennie Bleil — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 00:15:40 +0000

I grew up in Montclair and I was glad to see everyone remembered the monkeys. It was so much fun to be in our pj’s and walk to the snack bar. Didn’t popcorn taste good in those red cardboard boxes?
So much fun to bring the speaker into the window and we drove off and pulled it out twice.I loved the picture Thank you

By: Jim Goble

Jim Goble — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 04:02:50 +0000

My first visit to a drive-in was the West Drive-In, Cody, WY., in about 1958, when I was age 11. I developed a fascination for drive-ins and worked at two of them in Denver, CO when we moved there in the early 60′s. I had an ongoing fantasy then about owning a drive-in. After owning another business in Denver for over 25 years, I found the beautiful two-screen Landmark Drive-In in Wichita, KS to be for sale. I bought it in March 1998, changed the name to the Starlite, and have spent years improving and enjoying it. I feel like one of the luckiest people in the world to be able to own a drive-in, as there are only about 400 left from a peak number of about 4,036 in 1958.
Photos of the (Wichita) Starlite are at http://www.starlitefun.com. If you have a drive-in anywhere near you, do yourself a favor and go enjoy the unique experience and the bargain that is THE DRIVE-IN THEATRE! PS: Many of the Southern California drive-ins had absolutely spectacular neon signs and neon murals. What a shame to have lost them along with the theatres. Jim Goble

By: Ron Morris

Ron Morris — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:13:22 +0000

Thank you!
What a great photo of the Valley mural.What memories of growing up near there and later working there.i worked ther from 1968 to 70.i also bounced between the Mission drive-ion and the Rubioux Drive-in.I operated the train there.
Thanks Again!
Ron

By: Delvin Harbour

Delvin Harbour — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 19:52:07 +0000

Great photo of the Valley Drive-In! My Grandfather,T.T.Lackey,worked there doing the maintenance and the cleanup of the drive-in.My brothers&sister would help him on Saturdays.Sometimes we would find money laying around on the ground!My Grandparents lived in an old 2 story house north of the drive-in on Kingsley Ave. owned by the theater owners.A lot of memories!

By: dave blair

dave blair — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 21:02:22 +0000

i remember the valley well.my mom would take me and my girl freind there,because i did not have my DL YET .i couldent wait tell my mom fell asleep .for then me and my girlfreind could full around in the back seat.i had the (coolist mom ever)…..dave