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Drive-in movies and days gone by
Lincoln Times-News ^ | 3/25/25 | Dan Barefoot

Posted on 04/26/2025 6:04:20 PM PDT by DallasBiff

In the 21st century, Americans are enamored with outdoor life. They seem to think that the “au naturel” way of life is quite magical. Did you realize that a type of movie theater was a forerunner of this out-of-doors magic nearly 100 years ago? And, yes my friends, the drive-in theater was an American invention. What a novel idea — a whole group of people could casually view a movie/movies from the privacy of their own vehicles, parked with many others under a star-filled sky

(Excerpt) Read more at lincolntimesnews.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: culture; drivein; movies
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To: Chickensoup

Lucky man, though he was also fortunate to have had you in his life for a period of time.
Sometimes, we don’t treasure what we have got until it’s gone. That has been my experience.


21 posted on 04/26/2025 6:41:30 PM PDT by lee martell
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To: lee martell

“Suddenly, my Dad was taking the speaker and the heater out of his window, and before you know it, we were leaving the drive in. “

My father took us to see The Ten Commandments. It was summer and not dark till around 9 PM.

After about 2 hours he put the speaker away and we left.

I knew it was not over because we hadn’t seen Moses get the tablet.

But my father had to leave as the next day was a work day and getting up at 6AM.


22 posted on 04/26/2025 6:42:27 PM PDT by TexasGator (1'11.'11/'~~'111./.)
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To: DallasBiff

Wait,,, they had movies?? Who knew?


23 posted on 04/26/2025 6:43:34 PM PDT by Craftmore
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To: TexasGator

Your family was something like mine back then.
Don’t question your Father. If he needs to be ready for work, then that’s how it’s got to be, so stop those tears!


24 posted on 04/26/2025 6:46:09 PM PDT by lee martell
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To: FreedomPoster

I remember those. For some reason, I always felt lonely playing, or even looking at, those playgrounds. Had a brother but he was four years younger and not very nice lol.


25 posted on 04/26/2025 6:48:43 PM PDT by kelly4c
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To: lee martell

I don’t think my father realized the movie was over 4 hours long including the pre-movie ads, coming attractions and cartoon.


26 posted on 04/26/2025 6:52:46 PM PDT by TexasGator (/1'11.'11/'~~'111./.)
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To: DallasBiff

Firs tmlvie I was ever taken to was at a drive in and I’m sad to report that it was “the sound of music” lol- was mother’s choice e lol... BUT we did later get to go see star wars at the drive in, so it was worth it lol.

For metal detector folks, the old parking lots can be rewarding sort of- some old rare-ish coins can be found in them. But lots and lots of pull tabs too which is a pain.


27 posted on 04/26/2025 6:58:00 PM PDT by Bob434 (Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana)
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To: TexasGator

It was indeed a super long movie. More even, than your typical double feature.


28 posted on 04/26/2025 6:58:11 PM PDT by lee martell
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To: Red Badger

“Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)”
I was dating my wife who had a very young daughter( two yrs almost three old).
We brought her along. We had went to Sacramento county fair earlier in the day and little girl Christina had “Pigged out”.
I had a fairly new Chevy love PU truck. Immaculate interior.
Cloth seats and carpeting.

We had gotten Daughter Christina some goodies from the snack bar.
Right in the middle of the movie she starts Puking all over my truck’s immaculate interior!
I was more worried about the poor kid! My future wife was horrified, we had only been dating a short time. We missed some of the movie as everything got cleaned up enough to
get her home.
Never went to another Drive-in again with Christina.
Been married going on 48 years to her mother, and my daughter Christina now 50, is doing fine, with her
own family,
despite me having raised her since age almost 3.
Strange things happen at Drive-ins.


29 posted on 04/26/2025 6:58:26 PM PDT by rellic (No such thing as a moderate Moslem or Democrat )
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To: DallasBiff
I was born in 1947. We didn't have a car, so we never went to the drive-in. Every weekend we'd go to the movies at the theater down the street from us. Our mother gave each of us a quarter for the 15 cents it cost to get in, and we'd have 10 cents left to get a box of popcorn, candy bars or boxed candy that cost 5 cents each. They changed movies on Sunday, so sometimes we'd go both days.

I don't remember how old I was when I did finally go to the drive-in, but one of the first times I remember taking my two sons to the drive-in was to see "Day of the Animals" in 1977.

30 posted on 04/26/2025 7:00:29 PM PDT by mass55th (“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” ― John Wayne)
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To: Steely Tom

Used to be for sure. My old land yatch Polaris 4 door and my older style suburban both were like sitting on a couch- new vehicles are separate seats unfortunately. The girlfriend could slide over next to the driver back in the day as seat belt laws weren’t around then, and the vehicles had such comfortable couch like quality to them. Miss those old vehicles a lot. I also miss filling up a near empty tank for under $10 or so too! Now it’s a $50 bill for a small tank vehicle almost.


31 posted on 04/26/2025 7:03:20 PM PDT by Bob434 (Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana)
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To: lee martell

Sweet.
In retrospect We both made errors.

Together and married 16 to 22 and was wife #2 out of 6 that I am aware of. He was about 12 years older.

He sort of raised me. Lol


32 posted on 04/26/2025 7:03:23 PM PDT by Chickensoup
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To: TexasGator

When we were young children, we would go to the drive-in, in our PJs, even playing on the playground.


33 posted on 04/26/2025 7:03:28 PM PDT by NEMDF
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To: roving

We had a drive in theater only a couple blocks from my childhood house. We used to bring our own popcorn and snacks. Since my parents insisted on smoking, despite my severe allergy to the smoke, I’d have to sit on the roof of the car. But it was still so cool to watch the movie from your own car. No strangers laying a couple feet away from you like at the modern indoor theaters (which I don’t attend). Everyone was quiet and well behaved. Another part of former America gone. You could not have the same orderly atmosphere with today’s undisciplined kids.


34 posted on 04/26/2025 7:04:28 PM PDT by EinNYC
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To: DallasBiff

We have a few of them in central PA. “The Point” is not far from Bloomsburg. There’s one in the Poconos.


35 posted on 04/26/2025 7:06:35 PM PDT by Buttons12 ( )
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To: Steely Tom

Quite true!
I don’t think the Drive-in experience will be quite the same in modern vehicles.


36 posted on 04/26/2025 7:13:56 PM PDT by sjmjax
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To: DallasBiff

The last time my parents took the kids to the drive-in was to see the Muppet Movie. Unfortunately, on the other screen, they were playing Caligula and my mother couldn’t stop us from paying the other movie any attention. So, we left early.


37 posted on 04/26/2025 7:28:10 PM PDT by Jonty30 (I can promise I can land any plane that is in the air, because gravity only moves in one direction.)
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To: sjmjax

Yeah, they’ll need a USB connection or Bluetooth or something. Probably have to do a QR code to place a concession order.


38 posted on 04/26/2025 7:29:25 PM PDT by FamiliarFace (I got my own way of livin' But everything gets done With a southern accent Where I come from. TPetty)
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To: rellic
We missed some of the movie

Luke destroys the Death Star using the Force.

39 posted on 04/26/2025 7:30:13 PM PDT by DoodleBob (Gravity's waiting period is about 9.8 m/s² )
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To: DoodleBob

I have all the Star Wars videos that I choose to have.
I know the ending.
I bought one of the first VHS machines out there and have a very loud Surround sound Audio system. Much better than a movie house or Drive-in.
I can drink beer and not worry about driving home.


40 posted on 04/26/2025 7:41:26 PM PDT by rellic (No such thing as a moderate Moslem or Democrat )
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