Hilltop Drive-In
East Greenwich, Rhode Island1955-1987
Browse Hilltop Drive-In tees, long sleeve tees and hoodies. The Hilltop in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, opened in 1955 on Post Road with Carmen Jones, and its tower carried a pattern of large dark and light squares under the name. In 1963 the town council president asked for cuts to one film, and the manager paid policemen to stand at the gate. Pick a style below, then read the full Hilltop history further down. Down Home Apparel is an American small business remembering the best places and teams of yesteryear, and every shirt is printed to order in the USA.
4 products
Hilltop Drive-In History
The Hilltop Drive-In in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, opened on March 13, 1955, on Post Road, with Dorothy Dandridge in Carmen Jones and the Bowery Boys in Jungle Gents. It stood on Route 1, north of the Quonset Drive-In. A trade paper had reported it under construction for the brothers George and Harry Erinakes in the spring of 1954, with an opening set for that June, but the first ad did not run until the next March.
In June 1963, the town got involved in the program. After a preview attended by police and clergy, the president of the town council asked for cuts to The Seducers. The Providence Journal reported that Harry Erinakes, the manager, took out three scenes before the first show, limited admission to patrons over 18, and paid policemen to stand at the gate.
Its tower carried a pattern of large dark and light squares under the name, still visible in a color photograph taken after the theater closed. The last season was 1987. The theater was torn down in 1999, by one count, and St. Elizabeth's nursing home is now on or next to the land.