For those who were children or teenagers during the 1950s and 1960s, the drive in movie was the place to be on a summer evening. The classic drive in movie setup had a large screen set up outdoors. Sometimes this was a true screen, while other drive in theaters utilized the side of a building. A projection booth in the back created the image on the screen. Drive in movie theaters consisted not of seats, but of a large parking lot for cars. The sound was provided either by loudspeakers or by individual speakers designed to be hung from the window of each car. Some drive in movie theaters were set up to broadcast the audio by radio, and could be listened to through the car’s radio system rather than a separate speaker.

Drive in movies always had a concession stand for sodas, hot dogs, popcorn, candy, and all of the typical movie concessions still sold in today’s indoor theaters. Some added lawn chairs on patios in addition to the space for drive-in customers. Others offered propane heaters or other systems designed to entice customers to come to their theater, especially during the winter months.

The first drive-in theater had an unusual beginning as the brainchild of Richard M. Hollingshead Jr., whose family owned the R.M. Hollingshead Corporation Chemical Plant. In 1932 he began testing his idea of outdoor theaters in New Jersey, first by setting up a screen in his driveway and using this own Kodak movie projector.

Hollingshead was given a patent for his system in 1933. His first drive-in movie theater opened in Pennsauken, New Jersey, in June of 1933. Even though this first theater was only open three years, this family-friendly concept soon caught on in other locations. Similar theaters opened within two years in Pennsylvania, Galveston, Los Angeles, and Massachusetts. Soon, drive-in theaters were operating in nearly every state. There were about 100 of these theaters nationwide by World War II; as soon as the war ended, there were hundreds more, and the drive-in craze kept expanding.

Drive-in movie theaters were quite popular in part because they welcomed children to the show. In fact, many drive-in movie theaters added playgrounds or other attractions. Parents did not need to worry about their children interrupting the movie, or having to hire a babysitter to get an evening out.

The popularity of the drive-in theater peaked in the early 1960s, with around 4,000 drive-in theaters located across the United States. Drive-in theaters were increasingly being labeled as “immoral” because of the privacy the concept gave moviegoers. During the 1970s some drive-in theaters became less family-friendly, showing films targeted at adult moviegoers, or even pornographic films. In some areas, the land simply became too valuable to use as a drive-in theater, which usually operated only after twilight and only in the summer months. The drive-in theater also succumbed to other technology like color televisions and VCRs which became more popular modes for movie viewing.

Today, there are still a handful of drive-in movie theaters sprinkled throughout the United States. If you’re looking for a nostalgic time, watch a drive-in movie this summer. Today, this method for watching movies is still a great family activity. Many also go to drive-in theaters for the novelty of the experience. For those old enough to remember, and even for a new generation, there’s nothing quite like the drive-in movie experience. Along with other classic 50’s entertainment like pedal cars, sock hops, and soda fountains, the drive in theater stuck in people’s minds long after its 1950s heyday ended.

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