Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Drive In Movies

Being a fan of PBS, you just never know what is going to be on their schedules.  Usually a lot of the really good things are on during their "Beg for Money" events and I really don't like the long breaks they take to raise their funds during those.  Yes, I know it is a necessary evil and I have given because... I do watch.  The other night we watched an interesting history of Drive In movies that I had DVRed.

Drive-ins began in the late 1930s, really hitting their peak in the 1950s and 60s.  Of course, that's prime time for us Baby Boomers.

Our parents had young families and for the most part, it was much cheaper to pop your own popcorn, fill up the cooler with drinks, load up the kids (that would be us) and take off for a night at the Drive In showing 2 movies.  My sister and I would sit in the back seat, but my brother, being 6 years younger than me, 3 years younger than my sister (the middle child and she has an opinion about that poor overlooked child) would lay in the rear window so he could see.  That would be probably about 1958-1962ish. 

We wanted to go play on the swings and slides way up front, under the big screen, but we were never allowed to do that.  I don't think either of our parents wanted to go supervise. It could also have something to do with the fact, we were always in our pajams too. We were allowed, once in a while, to lay on the hood of the car, if we didn't get in their viewing way.


I was in high school from 1964 - 1968 and did my share of  Drive-in dates.  That's where I saw the Billy Jack movies and the Annette and Frankie Beach Party movies.



We still sometimes, popped our own popcorn to bring in but I think the dates would go inside to get drinks. I do know that on some of my double dates, my girlfriends wanted those giant pickles.  I never could understand that.  Give me the popcorn, thank you.



I know we did try those little mosquito coils you would light  and sit on the dashboard to help keep the bugs away.  I can say, I was never in a car that drove off with the speaker still attached.  That happened lots, I'm sure.



I think Daylight Saving Time killed the Drive-ins.  It's so late by the time it gets dark enough to see what's on the screen.  I think there are still a few stragglers that are open, but they are the rare case.  Now, in this economy, they would be a good treat for cash strapped families.... but, there is that Daylight Savings thing still.




9 comments:

Kathy ... aka Nana said...

Didn't we have daylight savings time back in the 60's? I remember many a date at the drive-in back in the day. ;-)

Deanna said...

What memories! I'm going to have to a drive-in post. I never thought about Day Light Savings Time as the possible cause of their demise. You might be onto something.

Anonymous said...

Ed and I went to a drive-in on our first date, so drive-ins will always have a special place in my heart :)

There is still a drive-in located about 35 miles from where I live! It's the only one that I still know of, and it does a brisk business, showing double features.

Thanks for the memories...

Anonymous said...

I went to the drive-in a few times both as a single woman and as a housewife. Hated it. It was too difficult to go to the restroom in the dark.

Jackie McGuinness said...

Growing up in Quebec drive-in movies were not allowed. Oh the power of the church!!!
So we had to go into Ontario to see a drive-in!

Chatty Crone said...

I remember those days - they were so much fun! It would be so hot now! lol sandie

Kay said...

I used to love those drive-in movies. I guess it was fun to just be totally comfortable in the car. I wonder if there are any still around.

Nonnie said...

The few times we went to the drive-in movies stand out as fun times. I remember the last time we went to a drive-in movie, we took our dogs with us to "watch" 101 Dalmatians. LOL.

Intense Guy said...

I remember watching the premiere of the orginal (and first) Star Wars movie in an old beige plymouth station wagon. The tinny sound swelled and did the opening theme just fine.. and when it was really late (it was a double feature with ... West World? a movie about robots taking over the world) I jumped in the back and slept on a camp mattress.

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