Drive-In Americana.
One of the best memories I have from my childhood is my parents taking me to the Drive-In Theatre. I loved watching the cartoons through the front window of my dad’s Oldsmobile, even though I always fell asleep before the feature movie. When I was old enough to stay out late, my friends and I would hang out at the Drive-In with our Muscle cars all lined up together. We would watch the movies sitting on the ground in front of our cars completely absorbed in the outdoor experience.
I will always remember Clint Eastwood in his early westerns, they were my favorite at the Drive-In!
Last summer, I took my family to the Drive-In and we had a great time. It really made me think about all the closed down Drive-In Theatres around our community. Why would people not want to experience this special form of entertainment anymore? To answer this question, I first wanted to have a good understanding of why people went to the Drive-In when they were really popular.
This is what I have learned:
In the 1930′s the first Drive-In Theatre opened launching a truly unique American venture in entertainment. By 1942 there were 95 Drive-In Theatres in 27 states, with Ohio leading the way with 11 of them, and at least 5 of those were close to the house I grew up in. When WWII hit, gas and rubber were in short supply and the Drive-In business stalled-but by 1948, and with the war over, 820 Drive-Ins across the States were opened!
The 1950′s saw close to 5,000 Drive-In Theatres rise out of vacant fields and farmlands all around our country’s neighborhoods. The owners enticed families to come to the show early and enjoy activities before dark: things like miniature golf, pony rides, train rides, boat rides, animal shows and even talent shows! It was also during this era that all kinds of great food, candy, buttered popcorn, soda and fresh, hot coffee was sought after by patrons.
screen capture of an intermission ad
Food is still one of the best parts of the Drive-In experience!
The 1960′s saw shopping malls popping up around the country and with them came the indoor movie theatre. Boasting air conditioning, comfortable seating and better technology, the indoor theatre started to take movie fans away from the Drive-In.
The 1980′s did significant damage to the Drive-In businees with the lauch of the home VCR and cable television. Everybody wanted to stay home and watch movies. It wasn’t until the 1990′s when the kids of the 60′s started to feel nostalgic about the Drive-In that a “re-birth” started to take place.
Today, there is an estimated 400 theatres left from the days that saw 5,000.
Check this link out to learn more and to support a Drive-In near you! www.driveintheater.com
March 21, 2009 at 1:57 am
i love drive-in theaters. our family used to always go when i was kid…that’s where we saw the original witch mountain movies and all those other wonderful disney movies. i even still loved going in the 80′s when i was in h.s. it was far cheaper to go then. remember when they charged by the car load and not by the person? that screen shot of intermission ad has me reminiscing for sure. for the younger kids there was always that playground at the drive-in. the last drive-in i went to was prob in 1999 or 2000. it’s still around and it’s in vegas.
March 28, 2009 at 2:49 am
I sure do remember being charged just by the car and not by the person! I can’t wait to go again this summer.
March 21, 2009 at 2:01 am
The old ads really take me back too!