The End of a Movie Era

I am lucky enough to have lived in two U.S. cities within the last six years that are practically unique. These towns are holding on to a piece of the past. They are two of only approximately 400 U.S. cities to have a drive-in theater.

Many of today's youngsters don't know what a drive-in theater is. It is an outdoor area with a large screen and rows of parking places facing the screen. The spots for the cars sometimes have metal poles with speakers on the top so viewers can hear the movie. Nowadays, the speakers have typically been removed and the audio broadcast through the patrons' car radios. Showings often begin at dusk so the picture is easier to see, and two movies are usually shown for the price of one ticket.

A patent for the first official drive-in movie theater was awarded to Richard Hollingshead, Jr. in 1933, only approximately 30 years after cars began to be made through mass production. In the 1950s and 1960s, drive-ins reached their height in popularity. Around 4,000 of the movie theaters existed during these two decades.

Throughout their use, drive-ins have been a popular spot for teenagers, particularly couples. The theater provided some semblance of privacy and yet was a legitimate date destination. Parents with small children have also appreciated the drive-in since they could take the kids with them and avoid paying a babysitter. My parents created a bed in the back of the car so my sister and I could sleep, and my husband and I did the same for our kids.

Part of the appeal of the drive-in is the relatively low cost. High school students could typically afford to take their dates to see a movie, as could anyone on a budget. At various times and various places, theaters charged by the person or the car. Charging by the person led to the tradition of extra viewers hiding in the trunk of the car until it had parked.

The theaters used marketing ploys other than the movies to draw in audiences and extra revenue. A number had small playgrounds, often including swing sets to occupy the children and give older kids a place to sit outside and perhaps watch the movie. The snack bars have usually been well-stocked with meal items like hot dogs and hamburgers as well as candy and sodas. The intensely over-priced goodies have helped keep some theaters in the black. Bringing drinks and snacks from home is the only way to keep the cost of the drive-in movie down.

Home movies, high costs of real estate, and declining patronage has reduced the number of drive-in theaters to less than 10 percent of what it was in its prime. Even though a few drive-ins have opened (or re-opened) in recent years, it seems likely that the era of the drive-in movie theater is over.

References

"Drive-in Theater." Wikipedia.org.

Robert Strauss. "The Drive-in Theater Tries a Comeback; Looking for a Few Hundred Adventurous Moviegoers." Nytimes.com.

"Drive-Ins." Drive-ins.com.