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Do you remember the Drive In Movie Theaters?

M

miamimadman

Guest
I just watched a Special on Drive In Theaters. Every Drive In was different. Some Drive In's you could Fly in, at least one in New Jersey. Drive In Theaters flourished all over the World, except for Japan where land was too expensive, and Germany, where laws prohibited Children out after a certain time. In Florida Drive In's offered Air Conditioning, with a hose similar to Gas Station Vacuums. These underground A/C units were a favorite for Rats, which were known to blow into Cars, YUCK!. The original Drive In's featured underground Sound, from what looked like Manhole Covers. Some Drive In's offered Heaters. Mosquito repellant devices were sold at Drive In's, as Mosquitos loved drive In's as well. You could purchase Canopies to block the Rain. Some people drove off with the Speaker still connected to their Window, or what was left of their Window. Some Drive In's had Bleacher Seats in the back, some had Indoor Seating. Some had Amusement Park Rides for the Children, Pony Rides too. And the Snack Bar's at Drive In's, and those On Screen Promotional Ad's to get you in there. Some Drive In's brought the Food to you, as you ordered on the Speaker, how did that work?. And during the day, Drive in's were home to Swap Meets, Church Services, and Meetings. Drive In's were the home to the "B" Movies. Those cheesy Science Fiction Movies, the Beach movies, the Horror Movies, even Drive In's showing Adult Movies. When was the last time you went to the Drive In, and what did you see?
 
> I just watched a Special on Drive In Theaters. Every Drive
> In was different. Some Drive In's you could Fly in, at least
> one in New Jersey. Drive In Theaters flourished all over the
> World, except for Japan where land was too expensive, and
> Germany, where laws prohibited Children out after a certain
> time. In Florida Drive In's offered Air Conditioning, with a
> hose similar to Gas Station Vacuums. These underground A/C
> units were a favorite for Rats, which were known to blow
> into Cars, YUCK!. The original Drive In's featured
> underground Sound, from what looked like Manhole Covers.
> Some Drive In's offered Heaters. Mosquito repellant devices
> were sold at Drive In's, as Mosquitos loved drive In's as
> well. You could purchase Canopies to block the Rain. Some
> people drove off with the Speaker still connected to their
> Window, or what was left of their Window. Some Drive In's
> had Bleacher Seats in the back, some had Indoor Seating.
> Some had Amusement Park Rides for the Children, Pony Rides
> too. And the Snack Bar's at Drive In's, and those On Screen
> Promotional Ad's to get you in there. Some Drive In's
> brought the Food to you, as you ordered on the Speaker, how
> did that work?. And during the day, Drive in's were home to
> Swap Meets, Church Services, and Meetings. Drive In's were
> the home to the "B" Movies. Those cheesy Science Fiction
> Movies, the Beach movies, the Horror Movies, even Drive In's
> showing Adult Movies. When was the last time you went to the
> Drive In, and what did you see?
>

We have a Drive In right in town. I never really go there as I am not a movie person. Last time I was there was in the late 90s.

For the record, their frequency is 89.7
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>We have a Drive In right in town. I never really go there as
> I am not a movie person. Last time I was there was in the late 90s.

Many People who frequented the Drive In didn't go there to see the Movies!

> For the record, their frequency is 89.7
 
> >We have a Drive In right in town. I never really go there
> as
> > I am not a movie person. Last time I was there was in the
> late 90s.
>
> Many People who frequented the Drive In didn't go there to
> see the Movies!
>
> > For the record, their frequency is 89.7
>

We had two competing drive-ins in my home town until the late 80's....I went with the intention of watching the movies but it was either too hot, the speaker didnt work, the date was way more appealing than the movie, etc...

I was y onlable to successfully watch two movies at a drive in.... Ferris Beuller's Day Off and Moonraker...well at least the ones I remember.....LOL
 
Drive ins are the best way to see a movie. The local drive-in a couple of towns over from where I am at is a great place to see a movie. $5 for 2 generally first run movies is a great deal these days, when it can be $8 or so for a single ticket to one of the indoor googleplexes. Plus the ambience of the Drive-In can't be beat.

Check out Drive-ins.com. They have a page on there for pretty much every ozoner that ever existed, many with pictures, and you can submit comments, and read others comments about Drive-Ins past & present.

> I just watched a Special on Drive In Theaters. Every Drive
> In was different. Some Drive In's you could Fly in, at least
> one in New Jersey. Drive In Theaters flourished all over the
> World, except for Japan where land was too expensive, and
> Germany, where laws prohibited Children out after a certain
> time. In Florida Drive In's offered Air Conditioning, with a
> hose similar to Gas Station Vacuums. These underground A/C
> units were a favorite for Rats, which were known to blow
> into Cars, YUCK!. The original Drive In's featured
> underground Sound, from what looked like Manhole Covers.
> Some Drive In's offered Heaters. Mosquito repellant devices
> were sold at Drive In's, as Mosquitos loved drive In's as
> well. You could purchase Canopies to block the Rain. Some
> people drove off with the Speaker still connected to their
> Window, or what was left of their Window. Some Drive In's
> had Bleacher Seats in the back, some had Indoor Seating.
> Some had Amusement Park Rides for the Children, Pony Rides
> too. And the Snack Bar's at Drive In's, and those On Screen
> Promotional Ad's to get you in there. Some Drive In's
> brought the Food to you, as you ordered on the Speaker, how
> did that work?. And during the day, Drive in's were home to
> Swap Meets, Church Services, and Meetings. Drive In's were
> the home to the "B" Movies. Those cheesy Science Fiction
> Movies, the Beach movies, the Horror Movies, even Drive In's
> showing Adult Movies. When was the last time you went to the
> Drive In, and what did you see?
>
 
Also I understand at one point, Drive In's charged by the Car Load. Maybe that was a special family night deal?


> Drive ins are the best way to see a movie. The local
> drive-in a couple of towns over from where I am at is a
> great place to see a movie. $5 for 2 generally first run
> movies is a great deal these days, when it can be $8 or so
> for a single ticket to one of the indoor googleplexes. Plus
> the ambience of the Drive-In can't be beat.
 
I found out the other day there is still one around here, saw them doing a report on it on WAAY 31 i beleive, looks interesting<P ID="signature">______________
<div align="center"><a href="http://937thewolf.tk">
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</P>
 
> Also I understand at one point, Drive In's charged by the
> Car Load. Maybe that was a special family night deal?

Around Providence and most of New England, it was a general
practice. Became so after they figured out that too many
cars were arriving with just the driver and the rear end
hugging the ground with ten people jammed into the trunk.

<P ID="signature">______________
Is THIS what the congressman meant when he suggested bombing Mecca?
<a target="_blank" href=http://www.city-data.com/zips/92254.html>http://www.city-data.com/zips/92254.html</a></P>
 
So true Les. In the Mid 70's we were going to the Reseda Drive In, however it was closed for the night. Some Kid had just died, hiding in the back of a Station Wagon, where the bench seats would pull up. Seemed there was a Gas leak, he cried out for help, but was ignored.
> Around Providence and most of New England, it was a general
> practice. Became so after they figured out that too many
> cars were arriving with just the driver and the rear end
> hugging the ground with ten people jammed into the trunk.
 
In NW Indiana, there used to be a lot of them. Most of them closed in the 1960's, and most sites were replaced with retail establishments. In Griffith Venture was built on the site at Ridge Rd & Cline Ave. It's now a Kmart.
The former Kmart in Hammond was built on a site at Indianapolis Blvd. in 1968. I don't know the names of those locations. The one I do remember was open until 1998 when attendance went so low that the owners couldn't afford to keep it open, and that was the Y&W in Merrillville Indiana. The only time I went there was with family in 1978 in my grandmother's 1971 Buick Electra wagon. That one had 2 concession stands and 3 screens, and at that time, speakers were used at each spot. it was in the late 80's that the theatre switched to part 15 equipment, and I know this because at the entrance, there was a sign at each screen to get into listed a frequency a person had to tune into to hear the audio.
While I haven't been to this, it's still open and that's the Valpo 49 Drive In. It's only 1 screen and the only NW Indiana drive in still standing today, and that one shows mostly second run movies, but occasionally show 1st run movies too. If they get a first run movie, they also show a second run after the first movie. Otherwise it's just 2 second run movies.
I have yet to return to a drive in. I hope to do so someday when I have a schedule that permits me to do so. I have yet to return to an indoor theatre, but that's another thread for another day.
 
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