Uncle-Pekka Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 We never had any of these in Finland, nor in anywhere else place in Europe as far as I know... Interesting culture, howver, I'd imagine that you could not see the movie very well happen to be in back row or somewhere in side lines? Then again, what I've learned, the movie was not the main thing if you had good company... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Ed Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 Sadly the one I've frequented closed down this fall to become a walmart Not really walmarts fault but I'm still sad to see it go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 each row of the drive in was a mound that angled your car toward the silver screen... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pflaming Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 The fee was per person, but some nights it was per car, so we would pack the trunk with friends. Some drive-ins had a seating area in front of the projector house where groups could gather. On a side note: The Crystol Cathedral, Robert Schuler, started in a drive-in theater using the sound system and projecting the service on the screen. Others may know that story better than I do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Neon Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 My nearest drive-in is KC. There was one in Fayetteville when I lived in Arkansas; I went every time I had a Saturday night off from work. I also used to go to the drive-in in Fort Collins when I lived in Colorado. I went whenever they were playing a movie that I had been wanting to see. Now that I work day shift instead of night as I did for 14 years, and the long drive, I don't go any more. I have given some thought to buying a projector, connecting a DVD player, using a small AM transmitter, and seeing how far that might go in the little town I am moving to. Maybe start out as a free movie night for the kids on the side of a local church or other "public" building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassfiddler Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 Every spring, summer, and even in to the fall we'll load the car up with snacks and pillows and take the family to the drive-in to see the latest animated movies. We'll always get there early so the kids can run around in the big field under the projection screen. Some times they will even have those big blow-up bounce houses for the kids to play in. It's refreshing to know that there are still a few of these old drive-in's still running so others can experience the fun of these places too. Everyone should go at least once in ther life. After all where else can you take the whole family to see a movie, eat homemade popcorn that you bring, play till you fall over, let the kids be kids, and make memories for a lifetime for only $15. The drive-in is what I like to call, "part of the good life." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kudzuking Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 (edited) We used to have two in this little podunk town, The Moonlit drive-1n at one end of town and the Hub drive-in at the other, back in the 70's they were closed, the Hub still has the marquee visable, man every time I go by there I have the greatest flashbacks, wish i had a nickle for every knucklehead i saw drive off with the speaker attached to the window! I miss the old drive-in burger joints to, around here the Sonic is the only one left, but i never see any gatherings of either people or cars there, back in the day, we had a regular route, Cow Palace at one end of town (and the greatest place for smokey, squealing departures because that's where the hot cars hung out, the Brazier Burger in the middle of town where there always seemed to be a fight brewing, and the Tastee Freeze at the other end right across from the skating rink, I called it "chik city". Friday and Sat nights the drive-in's and burger joints were the only place to be after the ball game of course. Anyone ever figure out how the carload of girls you were chasin' and trying to get to stop and talk always had 200 gal gas tanks and got 75 MPG? AHHHHHHHHH the simplest and greatest times of my life! Edited January 6, 2013 by Kudzuking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hkestes41 Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 Around Joplin when I was a kid we had the Crest, Tri-State and 66 driv-ins which were all pretty popular. There was also a rather unique drive-in called the Mini-Art that was built in a circle around a central pronector house with each car having their own screen. I don't think the movie was the main draw at the Mini-Art either considering the fact that their movies were all XXX. I took the drive-in idea and modified it a bit for our high-school youth group at Church. My garage forms an L off the back of my house and patio. I hung a white king size sheet on the side of my garage that faced our pool and set up a projector for "Dive-In" movies. Would use red lights in the pool and watch cheesy shark movies while the kids would swim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knighthawk Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 I used to go to the one in Houlton Wisc , just across the river from Stillwater Minn. Sure brings back alot of memories , a few ''first times '' happpened there also ! I remember one time .........no, better not ..... After the movies quit , they had out door Church services there, all you had to do was tune your radio to a certain station , and listen to the services. The big screen was there for a long time after it closed, was a major landmark for giving directions.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niel Hoback Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 http://www.49erdrivein.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Ed Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 I used to go to the one in Houlton Wisc , just across the river from Stillwater Minn. Sure brings back alot of memories , a few ''first times '' happpened there also ! I remember one time .........no, better not ..... After the movies quit , they had out door Church services there, all you had to do was tune your radio to a certain station , and listen to the services. The big screen was there for a long time after it closed, was a major landmark for giving directions.... I think thats the same one we used to see on the way to the apple river. If so it was still there as of 99-00 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIPJOBXX Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 We still have a drive in up here in Bremerton and it Called the Rodio Drive in Threater. Here is there Face Book site. Still a family run bussiness and seems to be holding there own. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rodeo-Drive-In-Theatre/115615525131058 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruffy49 Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 There is a fully functioning one at the intersection of Interstate 40 and US Highway 70 in Memphis still. Don't know if it is the traditional hang a speaker on the driver window or a clip a lead to your antenna and run through FM though. So I'm going to install an AM/FM/Cassette head unit in my glovebox just in case. Or maybe the 6/12 dual ground AM/FM/SW headset... Or should I just hang the AM/FM/8-track under the dash? Comfy seat and quadraphonic speaker system is a must for the later style drive in theaters. Older ones with clip on leads broadcasted in mono. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark D Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 At one time there where about eight drive in theatres near home. One exists today that I am aware of in Medway, Massachusetts and it is very popular in the summer. Fee to enter is $25/car load, compared to $12/person at the theatre. One of these drive-ins happened to be along the eight mile road between my childhood home and my mothers parents home. We visited there every Friday evening. I distinctly remember my mother telling my father to "floor it" one night, as I gazed in awe at the two VERY large breasts on 50' high silver screen... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 and dad said, Dear, you know we ought not be speeding.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIPJOBXX Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 I think my best memories are of getting lost at the drive in and trying to find our car. Or maybe just trying to pickup girls but never was very successfull at that! Or go in the rain to a drive in and park on the down side of those ramps that aimed your car at the screen and park sideways-that was so you could roll your window down and see the movie and not get wet. But of course the best part was the experimenting with life itself and your date that night! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldodge41 Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 Still five operating within an hour radius of home, hard to believe when most are closed in other areas it seems. I can think of four in that one hour radius that are long gone too. Usually make a couple trips each summer. Some good times there when I was younger......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle-Pekka Posted January 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 (edited) Wow, A lot of nice memories and good stories - I really enjoyed reading your posts - Thanks for sharing! Good to hear you guys really do love & cherish the drive-in culture: we here associate the drive-in-movies as essential part of american car culture as the V8, automatic transmission and heavy chrome. Probably due to 50's & 60's movies, in which we caught glimpses of these open air theaters. Ed, Sorry for the ending of "the Cottage View" - I'm sure you would have survived without another mall, but obviously the mall is better business... Edited January 7, 2013 by Uncle-Pekka confusion... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T120 Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 Mark..That wouldn't have perhaps been "The Attack of the 50 foot woman" on the 50 foot screen.I agree,some great mamories Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark D Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desoto1939 Posted January 7, 2013 Report Share Posted January 7, 2013 The First US drive stated in Camden NJ on May 16,1933 Use this link below to get the history of the drive-in in the US. I taught in the City of camden for 10 years adn the drive in is now gone. http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa980121.htm Rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle-Pekka Posted January 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2013 There was a picture of that 1st theater in Camden... below... Also found a cool Life-mag. cover from end of 40's: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randroid Posted January 7, 2013 Report Share Posted January 7, 2013 Gents, ... and all this time I thought I was found under a cabbage leaf! -Randy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted January 7, 2013 Report Share Posted January 7, 2013 I have many fond mamories of the drive in movie theaters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bewillie Posted January 7, 2013 Report Share Posted January 7, 2013 Tell us about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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