|
CGI blowouts, teenage vampire romance, remakes of remakes of remakes…
Movies sure have changed over the last few decades.
In 1932, chemical magnate Richard Hollingshead, Jr. tapped into the majesty of adolescent cinema when he held the first outdoor film screening in his Camden, NJ driveway.
The success – and instant magic – encouraged Hollingshead to develop the first drive-in theater, a neighborhood landmark quick to entice crowds with the slogan “The whole family is welcome, regardless of how noisy the children are”.
And, for a little over three decades, the families did come – in droves – as the profile of drive-ins shifted from seasonal fad to national institution.
Going to the movies became synonymous with beautiful summer nights, first dates, concessions, and, most importantly the cars. As iconic as the larger-than-life screens, the RCA speakers, the long, snaking lines backed up on a Friday night, the classic car has very much become the long-standing symbol of this generational touchstone.
Flashback to a typical weekend evening during the drive-in heyday – early ‘50s right on through the ‘60s – and images of fastbacks and hot rods come to mind. Whether dad was lending us the T-Bird or we were borrowing it behind his back, it’s safe to say an entire modern-day museum could be stocked with the sampling from your average parking lot or grassy field of yesteryear.
While the popularity of drive-ins began to wane in the ‘70s and had all but dissipated by the ‘80s, there is still a scattering of theaters around the country that continue to sustain. The one-time mainstream outlet has developed into a niche novelty, frequented by nostalgia buffs who like to travel back in time by rolling into the multiplex in their vintage rides.
This summer, as the heat index climbs and the shiny blockbuster-machine churns, consider shunning the central air for a few hours and making a pilgrimage to the nearest drive-in. Your ride will feel right at home.
Here are a few of the best remaining drive-in theaters:
Delsea Drive-In
2203 S. Delsea Drive
Vineland, NJ 08360
Malta Drive-In Theatre
2785 Route 9
Malta, NY 12020
Capri Drive-In Theater
119 W. Chicago Road
Coldwater, MI 49036
Mission Tiki Drive-In Theatre
10798 Ramona Avenue
Montclair, CA 91763
Stardust Drive-In
310 Purple Tiger Drive
Watertown, TN 37184
Mansfield Drive-In
228 Stafford Road
Mansfield Center, CT 06250
860-423-4441
|