DRIVE-IN MOVIE THEATRES ARE MAKING A COMEBACK Lewis, Marilyn (2004) “Drive-in Theaters” AUTOS.MSN.COM/VOLVO/ARTICLE.ASPX?=4022453>I=4205, June 11, p. 1-2
Our story starts out in Camden N.J. in June of 1933. Richard Hollingshead, a local businessman started the first one. He put a big theater screen and rolling mounds of gravel with sets of speakers next to his gas station. By World War II, there were 100 outdoor movie theaters. However, once suburban life blossomed for boomers’ parents, drive-ins took off. The peak was in the late 50’s and early 60’s. If you have heard “Wake up Little Susie” by the Everly brothers or “At the Drive-In” by the Beach boys, you know something about the social impact of such places. As passion pits, no one knows how many children were conceived in such places, but for most folks, the drive-in meant kissing and hugging. It also meant drinking under age or piling most of your friends in the trunk of the car and getting them in for free. They were fun. Then, the decline started. Daylight Savings, television, escalating land prices, the demise of huge old American cruisers, all gave way to the downfall of the outdoor movie theaters. At the end in the late 70’s and early 80’s, the snack shop had few hotdogs and costly popcorn. The movie screen was beat up and the places went to seed. Movies shown were second run B-movies dealing with sex and/or monsters. Finally, they were sold off to strip malls and Wal-Marts. The new ones are popping up in the West, Midwest, and Deep South. The retro-innovations are better, prettier, have more appeal and attract families with kids who fall asleep in the back seat. There are about 500. If you want to visit the past and watch a movie like your parents
might have done or that you did, check out the website. It’s
really boss. Remember?
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