East 30 Auto Cinema

4220 Lincoln Street E,
East Canton, OH 44730

Unfavorite 2 people favorited this theater

Additional Info

Previously operated by: Co-Operative Theatres of Ohio

Previous Names: East 30 Drive-In

Nearby Theaters

East 30 Auto Cinema

The East 30 Auto Cinema opened June 15, 1950, featuring the 1936 drama “Trail of the Lonesome Pine” with Sylvia Sydney, Fred MacMurray and Henry Fonda. The second feature was the 1946 adventure “Adventure Island” with Rory Calhoun, Rhonda Fleming and Paul Kelly. In addition, there was a screening of a Disney cartoon. I would have thought they would have screened a newer feature for the opening night instead of a movie from 1936. However, it was the second full-length feature film to be shot in 3-strip Technicolor and the first color movie to be shot outdoors.

The East 30 Auto Cinema was opened by George Dellis who was a district manager for A.G. Constant Theatres of Steubenville, OH. The new outdoor theatre was built at a cost of $125,000 and it featured a 65ft x 66ft screen. It had a parking capacity for 800 cars. In 1955 Nate Schultz tba Selected Theatres of Ohio took over the operation of the drive-in. Co-Operative Theatres of Ohio was the booking and buying agency starting in 1955.

The East 30 Auto Cinema was twinned in June of 1975 and tripled in July of 1977. The theatre décor was the usual white buildings. In 1977 the concession stand was painted light blue. It reverted back to white in 1978. It closed in 1988. From information I have, the last person to operate the East 30 Auto Cinema was Mike Krunich. The drive-in was demolished and is now an empty lot.

Contributed by Randy Studer, moviemad4life

Recent comments (view all 6 comments)

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on September 12, 2007 at 3:00 am

In 1963, the owner/operator was S. Schultz. Capacity was 1,000 cars per the motion picture almanac of that year. There was also a Giant Drive-In in Canton and an Auto Drive-In in North Canton.

OhioJeremy
OhioJeremy on January 27, 2014 at 10:25 am

The address is missing, and the map is in the wrong spot. The theater was on Trump Ave SE, on the southeast corner at Old Lincoln Hwy (just north of where the bypass abruptly ends). You can clearly see the outline of the rows in an aerial map. The back portion has been built over, but most of its original area remains untouched.

Brassman
Brassman on February 18, 2016 at 7:48 pm

We have been to this drive in also in the 50’s and 60’s.We have been married 58 years.

jwmovies
jwmovies on January 14, 2019 at 7:59 am

The approximate address for this theater is 350 Trump Ave SE, East Canton, OH 44730. Ramps are no longer visible. Barbco Drills are the buildings in the back of the former drive in off Pekin.

Please update.

rivest266
rivest266 on November 9, 2021 at 7:50 pm

Last season: 1988 per newspaper listings.

Kenmore
Kenmore on June 6, 2025 at 4:48 pm

A closer address is 4220 Lincoln Street East, East Canton, OH.

The main entrance for the drive-in was on Lincoln Street and this address puts it right on the property.

Although most of the property is undeveloped, the only traces of the drive-in remaining are the entrance road which is now used to connect a few businesses to Lincoln Street, and remnants of the exit road which connects to Trump Avenue.

https://tinyurl.com/bdenftm2

You must login before making a comment.

New Comment

Subscribe Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.