90th anniversary of Drive-In Theaters!

[chazraps]

Today marks the 90th anniversary since the very first Drive-In Theater opened!

The drive-in theatre was invented by Richard Hollingshead, who opened the first one in Camden, New Jersey on June 6, 1933.



What are some of your favorite Drive-In Memories?

I remember seeing 'The Lion King' the summer it opened with my Dad and falling asleep in the backseat while he watched the second feature 'Dave.'

[salz4life]

My only memory of the drive-in by my house as a kid was seeing ET.

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

Saw a few movies at a drive as a kid in in Mt. Clemens, MI in the 90s. I don't remember what I saw.

There was a playground in front of the screen for the kids to play at before the movie

It in 1996.

cinematreasures.org/theaters/4724


I just searched and apparently there are still 9 drive-in theaters left in Michigan! Down from 130 at the peak.


About 300 left nationwide. If you get a chance, go check one out!

[dirtyoldman]

Drive in theatres is something the world if familar with due to American pop culture but how do they work in reality?

How does the sound work? Are there giant speakers blasting the soundtrack? I see on some TV shows people would tune their radio in but would that not drain your battery?

And when the movie is over, is it not a nightmare getting out?

Also can you see much of the screen sitting in the back seat? Or are you too busy getting off with a lass?

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

Jun 6, 2023 13:05:05 GMT -5 dirtyoldman said:

Drive in theatres is something the world if familar with due to American pop culture but how do they work in reality?

How does the sound work? Are there giant speakers blasting the soundtrack? I see on some TV shows people would tune their radio in but would that not drain your battery?

And when the movie is over, is it not a nightmare getting out?

Also can you see much of the screen sitting in the back seat? Or are you too busy getting off with a lass?

The theater I went to used the car radio over an AM frequency. I assume the power draw on the battery for a double feature to run the radio isn't going to kill a car battery, since there wasn't a theater full of cars stalling out at the end of the night.

There used to be speakers that you would hook inside your car window, but I assume that most places gave up maintaining them.




As I recall it was a slog getting out comparable to leaving a concert venue parking lot.

[BlackoutCreature]

I've only been to one once. A few years back I was visiting Springfield, Illinois the weekend Independence Day Resurgence opened and they had a drive-in playing it so I figured I'd check it out. In hindsight I wish I had seen a better movie, but it was a fun experience over-all.

Jun 6, 2023 13:05:05 GMT -5 dirtyoldman said:

Drive in theatres is something the world if familar with due to American pop culture but how do they work in reality?

How does the sound work? Are there giant speakers blasting the soundtrack? I see on some TV shows people would tune their radio in but would that not drain your battery?

Traditionally each spot at the drive-in would have a small speaker you'd attach to your cars window, although most modern ones use the radio. If you put your car in accessory mode then the two hours or so of the movie should not be long enough to drain the battery, although the one drive-in I've been to said they did have people available with jumper cables to help if it did.

Jun 6, 2023 13:05:05 GMT -5 dirtyoldman said:

And when the movie is over, is it not a nightmare getting out?

Yes

Jun 6, 2023 13:05:05 GMT -5 dirtyoldman said:

Also can you see much of the screen sitting in the back seat? Or are you too busy getting off with a lass?

I mean, there are a whole host of ergonomic factors that go into answering this question. Also, don't call a girl a "lass", it's outdated and offensive. The proper term is "broad".

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

Jun 6, 2023 13:39:09 GMT -5 BlackoutCreature said:

Also, don't call a girl a "lass", it's outdated and offensive. The proper term is "broad".

[dirtyoldman]

I mean, there are a whole host of ergonomic factors that go into answering this question. Also, don't call a girl a "lass", it's outdated and offensive. The proper term is "broad".

You should be grateful. I was going to type fingering a lass instead but thought that might be a bit much for here.

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

Jun 6, 2023 14:08:46 GMT -5 dirtyoldman said:

I mean, there are a whole host of ergonomic factors that go into answering this question. Also, don't call a girl a "lass", it's outdated and offensive. The proper term is "broad".

You should be grateful. I was going to type fingering a lass instead but thought that might be a bit much for here.

Yeah, thank goodness you didn’t say that.

[Ultimo Gallos]

I am just old enough to remember going to the drive in often as a kid.

First movie I saw was at the drive in. It was 1977,I was 3. Dad and my cousin who is 10 years older than me wanted to go see Texas chainsaw Massacre,original,figured since I was 3 and hte movie started at 9pm I would fall asleep on the drive to the theater. Nope I stayed awake. Got very very vague memories of a few things from that night.

Weeks later,Mom is at a concert and dad learns the same drive in is showing The Exorcist. So it is him and I in the car. This I don't remember.

The only other two films I got clear memories of seeing at the drive in as a kid are

Star Wars,no episode 4 no new hope back then. And Superman.

Once we learned there was a drive in down in Pensacola FL we would load up my car and drive down.

In 96 drove down for a Dusk till dawn Planet of the Apes marathon. Went down another time for Friday the 13th parts 2,5,7.

AFAIK the last drive in in MS closed close to 10 years ago. Was barely used the last few years it was there.

WOuld figure with so much empty land and how it stays warm down here most of hte year we would still have a pile of drive ins. Nope. The ones on the coast closed in 82ish when I was still a kid.

[KingPooper]

I have one within in twenty minutes of my house and another about an hour away both I visit a few times a year.

There’s like five more within like two hours but I haven’t got around to visiting them.

Two things helped me through the pandemic one was pro wrestling the other was drive ins

[DSR]

My earliest memory of going out to see a movie was being 5 years old and seeing BATMAN (1989) at the drive-in.

I went to that same drive-in (Kane Road Drive-In) many times with family. Saw stuff like AWAKENINGS, MAVERICK, GODZILLA (1998), HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION, THE MASTER OF DISGUISE. Great times. The last thing I saw there was BATMAN BEGINS.

The owners couldn't afford to upgrade when studios went to digital instead of the reels. So they closed it down. There's an apartment complex in that spot now.

[Porky's Butthole]

I live in Ohio and there are two or three drive-ins near where I live. The closest one is like a 3 minute drive. I've already been to it twice this season.