DRIVE-INS: PAST AND PRESENT

The Burgomaster · April 30, 2009, 09:18:15 AM

Here's a cool website:

http://www.drive-ins.com/

Jack · May 01, 2009, 08:13:22 AM

Well it's not too cool, I just get "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage"

We used to have a drive-in in our town. I remember my folks taking me to see quite a few movies there. Poseidon Adventure, Clockwork Orange, etc. I always loved watching movies in the car, it was just fun.

The drive-in was shut down many years ago. Now it's just a dusty lot.

The Burgomaster · May 01, 2009, 08:26:19 AM

They must be experiencing technical difficulties. I was in there yesterday. The site lists information about drive-ins across the country, even if they have been closed for many years. It's also a good way to find drive-ins in your area that are still open. There are more existing drive-ins within a 1 or 2 hour drive of my house than I ever would have imagined. I am familiar with 2 of them, but I didn't know about the others.

Pilgermann · May 01, 2009, 02:07:01 PM

I'm ashamed to say that I've never been to a drive-in. The only one near where I live is now permanently closed after having been around since 1949. I think it was the first drive-in that National Amusements operated.

BoyScoutKevin · May 02, 2009, 03:40:51 PM

Quote from: Pilgermann on May 01, 2009, 02:07:01 PM
I'm ashamed to say that I've never been to a drive-in. The only one near where I live is now permanently closed after having been around since 1949. I think it was the first drive-in that National Amusements operated.

I don't think you need to feel ashamed, I imagine there are alot of posters here, who have never been to a drive-in. But, if you have, the memories.

The first film I ever saw was at a drive-in. It was "Shane." Of course, I was too young to remember, but my parents told me about it later. Twice we tried to see it. Twice the fog rolled in, and they had to stop the film. The third time we tried, the manager just waved us on through, and we got to see it for free. The third time must have been the charm, as we finally saw it all the way through.

Other drive-in memories . . .

Newsreels. I'm old enough to remember them showing newsreels before the start of the feature.

The ads for the drive-in concession stand. And they always made the food sound so good.

The playgrounds at the drive-ins. One had a miniature train you could ride.

Driving pass a drive-in at night. You couldn't hear what was being said, but for one shining moment, you got to see what was on the screen.

Putting on our p.j.s, before being put in the car and driving to the drive-in to see a film. Actually, a drive-in was one of the best places you could take a kid to see a film. You could put them in their p.j.s, and if they fell asleep during the film, they didn't disturb anyone, and you let them sleep.

When I first came to the area, where I now live, there were two or three drive-ins the area. But, they are all gone now. The land where they sat, just became too valuable not to sell for other development.

That is one of the problems with drive-ins. The land they sat on, just became too valuable.

Other problems . . .

The weather. Rain. Fog. Which made watching the film impossible. And if it was on a summer night, in an area, where it got dark late, sometimes you had a hard time seeing the film anyway.

Those tinny speakers, which sometimes didn't work. Of course, if they didn't you just moved your car to a different one. Rolled down your window, always on the drivers side for us, put the speaker on the window, and then rolled the window all the way up.

Ah! What memories.

Trevor · May 04, 2009, 06:17:59 AM

Before TV came to South Africa in 1975 ~ it was banned here, believe it or not ~ drive-ins thrived in SA.

Unfortunately now there are only two left: the Velskoen in Johannesburg and this one www.menlynpark.co.za in Pretoria.

asimpson2006 · May 04, 2009, 02:48:39 PM

I've been to the drive-ins a few times in my life. It was when I was younger since there was one pretty close to where I lived that closed down I think about 10 or so years ago and became a Kohl's department store. There is another that pretty close to where I live but since I don't go out and do things too much anymore. Once my health gets better I will probably go to one again.

Dennis · May 10, 2009, 11:12:26 AM

My favorite drive-in memory is one that happened at the "La Mirada" drive-in, we arrived early and went to the snack bar for sodas and a big tub of popcorn. When the film started the first thing Poogie and I saw was a newscaster in a newsroom and he said "The popcorn you are eating has been p****d in, film at eleven", after a moment of shocked silence the whole place filled with laughter, it was great.