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DeAnza Drive-In Theater
1401 South Alvernon Road Tucson AZ |
| Movie Information (520) 745-2240 |
| Gates open at 6:30 PM Movies start at 7:30 PM |
| Adults - $6.00 Children 12 and under free |
| FM radio required - No speakers in the theaters |
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Screen 1 106.9 FM |
Screen 2 103.3 FM |
Screen 3 88.7 FM |
Screen 4 94.1 FM |
Photo - July 18, 1999The Cactus originally opened on March 24, 1951.
In 1976 it was remodeled and reopened as the 3 screen DeAnza, owned by the DeAnza Land and Leisure Corporation. Here's the original Cactus screen and the existing sign proudly showing the current features.
Another screen was added in late 1978 to make it a 4 screen theater.
Here is a rare B&W photo of the DeAnza DI taken in late 1977.
The movies showing were:
Screen 1 - "Warlords of Atlantis" with "Sinbad & the Eye of the Tiger"
Screen 2 - "Horror Hospital" with "Don't Look in the Basement"
Screen 3 -"Convoy" with "The Boys in Company C".
Here's some tickets from the late 1970's. Admission was $3.00 per person, children 12 and under were free.
For a time they also offered "group admission" discount tickets for $2.50 per person. These were available through credit unions and personnel departments as an employee benefit offered by some companies.
The photos below were taken on Jan. 09, 1999
The other side of the marquee and a side view of the original screen.
A view of the overhead sign leading to the two box offices. The northeast screen is seen at the left of this picture.
This is the southwest screen as seen from Alvernon way. The drive-in is now surrounded by businesses and apartments.
These are the two box offices at the main entrance.
Awaiting another happy evening crowd. Note the "FM Radio Required" sign. Speakers were replaced by radio about five years ago.
Intermission on another Saturday night and almost full! The features this evening were "Patch Adams" and "You've Got Mail". Proof that good features can fill the theaters. Photo Jan. 16, 1999
Here's a picture of the snack bar and projection booth.
This is an aerial survey photo taken in March 1998. You can see how they changed the layout of the theater to accommodate three more screens. The original screen is actually much farther from the projection booth and not as bright.
The entrance and ticket booths are near the top right and the exit is to the left, south of the original screen.
The squiggly thing to the North (top) was the Malibu Grand Prix racetrack where you could drive miniature cars. The racetrack is now gone and the land is empty. The empty space to the top left is now a Walgreen's drug store. The street to the left is Alvernon Way.
