Drive-in theater nostalgia

[Kernel Crittenden]

Many great drive in memories. As a little kid playing on the playground equipment in front. As a teenager in love, drinking beer with the boys. Now just more memories and experiences my kids and grandkids will never know.

 

[steelslaver]

The drive in. Memories. Wondering how many emergency marriages those caused. Driving down a road and giant scenes appearing off to the side. Sneaking in your buddies and some beer. My brother getting caught with wife #2 by his present wife #1 and the scene in front of tons of people. He laughs about it now. Thoughts of a certain Sue come to mind.

 

[pawngal]

Have a new drive in movie theater about 8 miles from me.

Superior 71 Drive-In Theater – outdoor drivein theater

 

[7shooter]

Seventeen with my girlfriend and a half pint of Jim Beam. Life was good.

 

[soFlaNative]

Hi-Way 9 in Dania off US1 was a coming of age favorite of mine.
Mosquito coils were essential and the A/C hose provided cool air with the scent of rotted crabs.
When Mrs. Native and I first hooked up she was driving a '68 VW square back.
Backed into the slot with the hatch open or shut provided endless opportunity for good times.

 

[joeintexas]

Some of the times best movies were on at the drive ins...or so I'm told. I know they sounded good!! Growing up in the 60s were quite an adventure.

 

[loknload]

Sad to say all of the Drive-Ins in my area are long gone! Have a lot of fond memories from them though.

 

[BearBio]

Seems like SoCal had one about every mile or so. While in college, my crew from McDonald's would decide which show to go to. Guys on dates parked the row behind, single groups parked one row up. Singles drank, couples......."talked".

 

[Filo McShoe]

Bob Seger- Night Moves - Video Dailymotion

 

[JcMack]

You mean the passion pits? First time I got lucky was at one of those.

We always brought beer. I got my first POA with Laurence of Arabia on the screen. It took 3 separate trips to the drive in to see the whole movie. I fell in with bad companions in HS and the girls in the bunch were fast and loose. Not that I'm complaining or certainly didn't back then.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

We always brought beer. I got my first POA with Laurence of Arabia on the screen. It took 3 separate trips to the drive in to see the whole movie. I fell in with bad companions in HS and the girls in the bunch were fast and loose. Not that I'm complaining or certainly didn't back then.

Why in the world would you go to the drive in to get a power of attorney???

 

[keith44spl]

Oh, Boy !!!

The Drive-In Theater......

My mis-spent youth. A shiny '49 Mercury and a Peggy Sue

A Rebel without a Cause....



*Disclaimer; No girls got in trouble.

.

 

[NYlakesider]

O yes drive in theaters. A good family friend was general manger of 4 in our extended area That meant among other things my car got in free any time I went to his places.

Had a lot of fun their even saw a few movies. Remember those cars of the 60s were big and very comfortable.

 

[jag312]

Don't know how true it is, but I heard a story that Steve McQueen took a bunch of his friends to a drive-in in a WW2 Army half track.

 

[BC38]

Have a new drive in movie theater about 8 miles from me.

Superior 71 Drive-In Theater – outdoor drivein theater

That is AWESOME!

20 years ago they said the drive-ins were dying because
1) the indoor cineplexes were SOOOO much better, and
2) the land was worth more for use as retail or commercial space

Personally I think the cineplexes are better for watching movies in surround sound, but that is the only way they are better. There was so much more to the drive-in experience that can't be duplicated in an auditorium setting.

As for the value of the land, with brick-and-mortar retail in such decline, maybe that is one less obstacle for new ones opening up.

I'd love to see one open up here locally. I'd go for sure - frequently.

 

[Eagle 477]

You mean they showed movies there.

Rob

 

[rwsmith]

You could write a book....

Early on, they were family fun. I remember the 'Pic' commercials because the mosquitoes were terrible. The spiral green thing that you lit up and it smoked out the bugs.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUDISlDkGI0[/ame]

If the crowd got peed off about something they'd shine their lights on the screen and honk their horns.

As a later teenager, we went to drive ins but it wasn't for 'family fun'. In fact, some families probably got started at the drive in.

I remember well, the 'Planet of the Apes' marathon. We took coolers and had a regular tailgate party.

I snuck up on my now wife just to scare her a LITTLE bit. It got me three weeks of cold shoulder. Never did that again.

PT 109, Battle of the Bulge were two favorites when we were kids.

Flamingo, North 52, Gateway.... There were about a dozen in our town alone, and the 'town' wasn't much back then, but the drive ins did a thriving business. It was hard to find a spot to park if the movie was a good one.

Later came the 'Port' theater with x rated movies we watched from the railroad tracks. I remember 'He and She' for some reason.

We used to go to really crappy movies just for fun and giggles. We still laugh about some of those. Horror and Vampire movies were faves.

Here's some more memories..

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr-0enrzvjs[/ame]

 

[loknload]

As I said up above a lot of fond memories from back then!
First car was a 56 Dodge with a back seat like a living room couch,need I say more?
Sometimes I don't even remember what picture we were seeing?
Times were good back then!

 

[Rustyt1953]

This was the old Twin Drive-In 4 blocks from where I lived. With all the two and three story houses around we didn't always need a car.

I saw "Carmen Baby" and " I, a Woman" there. Steamy stuff for a 16 year old.

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

There is one in Riverside, CA that is still open, the Van Buren Drive-in. Used to go there often before we moved to AZ

Van Buren Drive In Theatre

Once I was at a drive-in with my girlfriend and she went into the snack bar to get us some popcorn. A girl behind her in line asked if she knew she had her sweater on inside out....whoops!

That was about 54 years ago and she is still my best girl.......