Drive-In Theaters

[markfp]

Many of us have fond memories of drive-ins from a time in the past when it seemed almost every community of any size had at least one. In the region around Albany, New York, where I grew up, there were no less then 15 within a reasonable driving time. Today, of course, in some places drive-ins are as extinct as dinosaurs. Fortunately, there is still a handful left in the part of New York State where I call home.

For those who want to rekindle their memories of drive-ins or just like to read about them I'm sharing this article that appears in this weeks edition of the Syracuse New Times newspaper. Enjoy.

lhttp://www.syracusenewtimes.com/newyork ... -film.html

[moira finnie]

Great article, Mark.

We have one drive-in near here that caters to families (it's fun to see the kids come in their pajamas). They show movies like the latest Harry Potter and Green Lantern summer flicks, though the drive-ins near where I grew up in the Finger Lakes region of NYS had a raffish reputation.

One of them still hangs on, while the one that was deep in the country and showed stuff like Black Moon Rising (1978) and the racy Debbie Does Dallas type of movies is long gone. As teens, one person would pay to go into the drive in with the car and then the rest of us used to sneak into the place via the nearby woods and get thrown out immediately by the owner, who actually patrolled the perimeter with his blood hound!

[knitwit45]

As teens, one person would pay to go into the drive in with the car and then the rest of us used to sneak into the place via the nearby woods and get thrown out immediately by the owner, who actually patrolled the perimeter with his blood hound!

Geez, Moira, didn't you guys know to get in THE TRUNK, and then when the lights went down, out you popped! I never did it myself (honest!) but I saw it happening every weekend. Had some interesting experiences at the drive ins.

There are still 4 of them operating in the general metropolitan area of KC.

[moira finnie]

As teens, one person would pay to go into the drive in with the car and then the rest of us used to sneak into the place via the nearby woods and get thrown out immediately by the owner, who actually patrolled the perimeter with his blood hound!

Geez, Moira, didn't you guys know to get in THE TRUNK, and then when the lights went down, out you popped! I never did it myself (honest!) but I saw it happening every weekend. Had some interesting experiences at the drive ins.

We were kinda slow learners, I guess. Besides, Mr. Drive-In owner and his faithful hound would certainly have seen one of us climbing out of a trunk. In any case, we usually had a 12 pack of Genesee Cream Ale, Boone's Farm Wine or Rolling Rock taking up most of the trunk. (Can't believe I ever drank that stuff. It was awful).

There are still 4 of them operating in the general metropolitan area of KC.

Dang! You are lucky. Don't forget the bug spray, BTW. Just remembering this stuff makes me recall all the mosquito bites I had after an evening out.

[Rita Hayworth]

My Memories

Back in where I live (during the late 1940's to early 70's) me and my family go to a Drive-In Theater about 20 minutes away to see all Disney Films, Beach Parties Movies (like Pajama Party, Beach Blanket Bingo, and others), Godzilla, Horror Flicks (Werewolf, Dracula, Frankenstein), Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce versions), and War Movies like the Longest Day and Sergeant York starring Gary Cooper.

They always have two showings a day (one at 8pm for Families and another one at 11pm) ...on weekends (Fridays and Saturdays) we had showings at 1am in the morning mainly for young couples and teenagers that should know better being at a theater at this time of the day. Many Curfews were broken back in those days ... I did that once and got caught!

It was very popular until 1975 the Owner was forced to sell the lot to my Community College whom they converted it to a parking lot because my college is running out of room for student's cars so that they can park their cars.

Here is my reconciliations:
In 1970 Costs: $1.00 per person, popcorn (three sizes Large $1.00, Medium .50 cents Small .25 cents), Soft Drinks - Same Deal ... can't remember the sizes in ounces. Snickers Candy Bar .10 cents. So, my whole family saw a double-header the Wizard of Oz and Peter Seller's Shot in the Dark, drinks, snacks, and what not for $9.00 for 5 hours of entertainment that includes a Magic Show between the two movies that we watched that night.

Those were my memories ... and going to the drive in theater is a fun thing to do back in those days & I miss it so much because it was it thing to do on a hot summer day on any given day of the week.

[markfp]

For three or four summers in the late 1960's (before I decided on a "real" career) I managed a drive-in. We always had kids trying to sneak in by hiding in the trunk. No, I didn't go after them with a bloodhound, I didn't have to. Either I'd get them at the entrance or follow the car into the theater and just wait until they had to come out for air. Unless they became obnoxious about it, I'd just charge them and that was it. The usual giveaway was when a car came in with just one teenager in it. Now what teenage boy would be caught dead going to the drive-in by himself on a Saturday night?

If I remember correctly, we charged either $1.50 or $1.75 with kids under 12 free. On Tuesday it was four bucks a carload. Usually once in the spring and again in the fall, when it got dark early we'd book in six or seven short horror films from American-International and run a dusk-'til-dawn show. That was always a big winner.

I'll always remember my drive-in days with great fondness.