You are standing at the gates of the old Se Rancho Drive-In,
where El Dorado County residents viewed feature films from 1950 to
the mid-1980s. Apart from the old Empire Theater in downtown
Placerville, this was the only cinema for western El Dorado County
until a modern theater complex was built in 1983.
MarshallOD and I both watched movies here as kids, but at
different times. He has fond memories of running around the
playground in front of the screen before the movies started,
waiting for sunset, carrying fresh popcorn from the concession
building to the car, and on warm nights, sitting in lawn chairs to
watch movies under the stars.
The first mention of the Se Rancho in the Mountain Democrat
archives is a January, 1950 letter of appreciation from "Vic"
Banta, the owner, thanking patrons for making the grand opening a
success. In a later article, we read the drive-in was the
undertaking of some local farmers who built the Se Rancho at the
site of a previous pear orchard.
In 1950, the price of admission was 65 cents, with 12 and under
admitted for free. Movies were shown seven nights a week, and you
called 86J4 for information. You could also call the owner's
house!
After Vic's death, the owners of the Empire Theatre, Jim and
Arla Towler, bought the Se Rancho and kept it going, under the new
name of El Dorado Drive-In. In December, 1983 a modern theatre
complex with four screens opened on Placerville Drive, at the
corner of Ray Lawyer Drive. It was named Placerville Cinema 4,
which was selected in a drawing of names submitted by Placerville
citizens. At the time of its construction, the Mountain Democract
described it as "another chapter in big business vs. family
owned."
Not long after, the El Dorado Drive-in closed for good, having
provided 35 years of entertaining feature films. The last published
ad we could find was in September, 1985, when the drive-in was only
open Friday through Sunday.
When you log your cache, we would enjoy any memories you have of
this entertaining place.
The cache is a cammoed 35mm film cannister.