8mm Forum: THE DRIVE IN MOVIE THEATER

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Posted by Chip Gelmini (Member # 44) on June 06, 2008, 10:35 AM:

June 6, 1933 *

Happy Birthday - Number 75

Richard Hollingsworth opens the first outdoor drive in movie theater in Camden County New Jersey

:-)

* Source This Day In History as printed in the Boston Globe

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on June 06, 2008, 11:57 AM:

From a photograph in "Drive-In Theaters" by Kerry Segrave :-

DRIVE-IN THEATRE
WORLD'S FIRST
SIT IN YOUR CAR
SEE AND HEAR
MOVIES
25 cents per car 25 cents per person
3 or more persons one dollar
OPEN TO-NIGHT

The opening attraction was the 1932 release "Wife Beware" starring Adolphe Menjou. It was then in second-run (or later) status.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on June 06, 2008, 12:29 PM:

I really want to take my kid (almost 6 now) to a Drive-In Movie. I don't even want to explain what it's about while we are driving there, just pull in, park and let him be amazed. I figure if he's going to be that rare little kid that realizes not all "movies" are "videos", he might as well realize not all "theaters" are "buildings" either.

(This is what's cool about having little kids, they are a lot easier to amaze than adults!)

Local pickings are beyond slim: the last Drive-In on Long Island closed years ago (Now yet another Home Depot), but we travel a lot and whenever we do I check out the possibilities:

http://www.driveintheater.com/index.htm

Posted by James N. Savage 3 (Member # 83) on June 06, 2008, 02:17 PM:

There's a wonderful Drive-In Theater in northern Baltimore, Md. I try to attend at least once a year (its about 90 minutes from where I live).

The owner is a true enthusiest, too. He runs all the old intermission ads between shows, and runs a very full concession building, with everything including pizza & ice cream!

They run tripple features, with all-new movies too [Cool]

.

Check out their web site. Its called Bengie's Drive-In.

James.

Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 549) on June 11, 2008, 06:34 AM:

Ours is 52 years old this year.

www.lunardrive-in.com.au

David

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on June 12, 2008, 10:00 AM:

There is nothing like movies under the stars on a warm summers evening. This painting of the Route 66 drive-in captures the magic:

There are still quite a few drive-ins operating in Pennsylvania. My favourite is the Port Drive-in near Williamsport, set in the Alleghenny mountains:

http://www.portdrivein.com/

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on June 12, 2008, 01:33 PM:

I figure my best shot at seeing a drive-in are the two that are close to Philadelphia, since I have family there and am in the neighborhood quite often.

-oddest place for a drive-in is the defunct one that was once in Alaska. By the time you add the short summer to the late summer sunsets, you have to wonder what they were thinking!

-By the time you were done with a double feature it would be early the next morning.

There was once one on Hawaii which is also gone.

-Now that's a real loss.

Posted by Rick Skowronek (Member # 385) on June 19, 2008, 05:05 PM:

Just happened across this thread and it brought back very fond memories. Went on my first blind date at one and ultimately the blind date became my wife. Now married 43 years this year. I know, ancient.

I always enjoyed going to one on a nice summer eve. You could dress whatever, bring your own goodies including a brewski or two and, in my younger days, steam up the windows.

Luckily down here in South Florida we still have a 12 screen drive-in. Have been several times. It's located at the world famous Swap Shop near Ft. Lauderdale Florida. This normally the world's largest outlet and garage sale facility. Several days a week vendors can reserve an outdoor spot to display and sell their wares. These number in the thousands. In addition they have several very large buildings where full time vendors reside. Now, to take full advantage in the evening they turn all these spots into vehicle parking place in 12 different screen areas.

So smart they put in FM radio transmitters (no speaker poles, remember) for the movie stereo sound and you select the station of the theatre you're at and listen to it over the car's radio. It usually draws nearly a full house every night and has first run movies.

Steve, if you ever get down to South Fla. with the family, look it up.

Rick

Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 549) on June 21, 2008, 04:50 AM:

Hi Rick,

I have always wanted to know, when you see a movie at Swap Shop, does the fact you can see another screen nearby or behind the screen you are watching distract you?

I think they rebuilt two screens damaged by a huricane and are now back to 14.

How do the cars find their way to the correct screen? We have a raod with signs for each of our three; but 14???

Is the light and presentation good? Do they have carhops cheacking tickets or can you stay on all night?

I have always planned to go but have never been down to Florida. I do remember the Stadium 8 in LA, that was the biggest I had seen.

David

Posted by Alan L. Hitchcox (Member # 598) on June 21, 2008, 10:03 PM:

I live about 20 mi east of Cleveland, Ohio, and we have two active drive-Ins -- three if you count one about 35 mi outside of Cleveland. We had three until last year when one (Memphis Rd. Drive-In) was sold for development.

My wife and I took our dog to the Drive-In last night. Drive-Ins are still a bargain at $16 per car for a double feature. We saw Get Smart and Don't Mess with Zohan. Get Smart was better than I expected, but I don't think our dog liked either one, as she slept through both. We would've paid more than $30 to see these movies at the theater.

Ohio has pretty strict smoking laws. I don't smoke, but you're allowed to smoke in your car at the Drive-In, or bring lawn chairs and smoke outside while watching the movie.

Also, the Drive-In we attended, Mayfield Road Drive-In, makes it clear that they make most of their money from concessions, and very little from admission. They allow you to bring your food and drink, but if you do, they charge a $5 fee. I find that reasonable, as do most patrons.

Posted by John Cook (Member # 203) on June 23, 2008, 08:07 PM:

My parents live just down the street from the 66 Drive In theater in Springfield Illinois.

Sadly enough last summer real estate investors plowed under the last remaining Drive In theater in the Omaha area. I'm glad my kids were lucky enough to experience the Drive In while it was still in operation. We all miss it now.

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