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 ...
That’s why I drove my parents Buick Station Wagon!............
A local city once had a “drive in theater” all on small screens placed in a huge circle. Each car had it’s own private screen. They played mostly porn movies. It didn’t last long before the city closed it down.
Last time I was at a drive in theater(Not the one mentioned above) was in the early 1980s to see A BRIDGE TOO FAR.
My brother-in-law lived just outside the APACHE drive in in Tulsa. One night we heard a loud commotion from the area and investigated.
They were showing a semi-porn movie and the back fence was crowded with underage teens and kids all watching it over the fence. Some brought their own chairs to stand on.
It was one of those films the news papers advertised as..”SO BOLD IT HAD TO BE RATED ‘XXX!’”
We did not stay to watch it. Our wives...
Our Drive-in closed in the mid 80’s. All it showed was second run movies.....................
My first Drive in Movie I remember was “The guns of Navarone” . Still watch it on TV occasionally.
When I was a kid there was a drive in right next to our subdivision. The houses that were directly on the property line were given free speakers attached to a tree in their yards. One of my friends family had a speaker and we would sit outside and watch the movies for free. Good times!
“We saw Jurassic Park as a first run movie”
We saw Blazing Saddles at the drive in.
“Death Race 2000”
Nice!
Since you’re relatively local, it was the drive-in that used to be here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/qsJp4TjbvKxVvAU46
I guess those theaters may be closed down?
I bought a Blu-Ray of Blazing Saddles in case it ever got cancelled.
I grew up in Jacksonville, FL and it was the Midway Drive In on Beach Blvd but I doubt its still there.
Back in high school a friend wanted to buy a van.
His Dad: “No - you’re not getting a van. I know what goes on in those things!”
Kid: “Oh? The same thing that goes on in our station wagon!?”
In the 60s we would go frequently in Ventura, CA.
Playground below the screen. We couldn’t afford concessions so we brought food and kool-aid with us.
We played at the Playground until sundown.
Movie night would be a few cartoons, one usually Disney short ( animals causing chaos mostly), maybe a serial then a short G movie. After that an Rated M movie for adults.
We kids were usually asleep by then. I once snuck some peeks of “They Shoot Horses Don’t Tgey?”. Lots of nudity and Jane Fonda “screwing the guards”.
Plot surrounded an old dance contest.
In my day X wasn’t porn.
Ratings were G, M and X.
HA. The dog would jump into the bun. Very suggestive.
Someone in Nashville opened one with classic cars already there. Your ticket was for a car and movie. They had car hops.
Closed after a few years.
Heh, so THAT’S why Drive In movies have that reputation as baby-makers!
My family had a Finnish exchange student in the late Seventies-early Eighties and she came back with her children to visit us back around 2007, bringing her two pre-teen children with her.
She wanted to do something “really American” with them, and I suggested a Drive in Movie!
When I asked them what movie they wanted to see, there was only one choice:
“The Simpson’s Movie”!
It can be argued there is nothing more American than watching “The Simpson’s Movie” at a Drive in Theater!
I love drive in movies...I especially liked it when they rigged it so you could listen on your car’s radio!
My best friend had an uncle who owned one of the two in my area, and we got free passes all the time. When we went to the other one, we would jam a few of us in the trunk of that Ford LTD and go giggling through the gate!
Love Drive in Movies. Went to see Jaws in the winter up here, and we brought a catalytic heater with us...it was damned cold even with it.
James Mason did great in 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea; but, Kirk Douglas was a just awesome. When they filmed the “Whale of a Tale” song, Kirk unexpectedly grabbed the guitar, played it, and did the interesting handling tricks, all off script.
Muppets and Caligula. That’s a classic snafu right there!
Another movie great was "Hail Columbia" at the NASA Cinerama with the sound system turned up. Ypu almost expected your face to get burned.
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