In the late 1950s my family and I went to a drive-in theater to watch a movie. My father was substituting for the regular projectionist who had taken a two-week vacation. I don’t remember what movie we saw, maybe Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. The whole experience of watching a movie in the car was so unique. We three kids would go in our pajamas so that when we fell asleep in the car, our parents would just have to carry us to our beds upon our return home.
The drive-in was a fascinating experience. With the little metal speaker that would hang in your window, the big snack bar at the back of the space, the playground under the screen for the little tykes before it got dark. And then there were all those people sitting around you in their cars, in the dark. It was as if you were alone in the middle of a crowd.
By the end of the 1960s there were 220 drive-in theaters in the state of California. Today about 20 remain open. Home entertainment centers have changed our lives, but the drive-in experience is a memory that will be hard to erase.
By gosh, I have a husband story to go with this one. As an 18 year-old bride with a new husband, when I got mad at him, I would run away for a few hours. If it was daytime, an inside movie would be my destination. If at night, the drive-in would do. I would take the car and living in AZ, I would go off to the drive-in alone. Then I would watch the movie, calm down and go home.
ReplyDeleteAfter Bob died, and eventually I married Lee in Los Angeles, Friday nights found us with 4 kids either at the drive-in or Dodger Stadium. If the former, we made fried chicken, hot rolls and butter wrapped in foil, big dill pickles and brownies to eat in the car. Next time I see my daughters, I will ask them for their memories of drive-ins. Thanks for the memories. love, mr