There’s nothing like a cool night, a warm date, a cold drink, and a hot dog at a drive-in movie.
It’s sad to read that this sunset entertainment is declining. In the 1960s, there were about 4000 nationwide. Today there are reportedly under 200.
Drive-ins were places that welcomed children (many had playgrounds), several teenagers piled into one car, young romantics, and older people who enjoyed an openair event.
Atourneighborhooddrivein, they sold admission tickets “by the carload.” For $5, teens could bring in as many bodies as they could squeeze into a vehicle. This made the kid who owned a pick-up truck a really popular guy.
But some teen couples – and young adults too – didn’t want company. They wanted darkness and privacy, and they didn’t even care if the car speaker worked.
What about the movies? My favorite drive-in carried mostly older flicks, and ran them as multiple features. These started around sundown, and stayed onscreen until past midnight.
And one evening near Halloween was really special. They showed a triple horror feature of The Birds, King Kong, and Dracula.
They called it “The Birds, The Ape, and the Guy with the Cape.”