23
Apr
09

Drive In Movies Still Operating Today

By Andrew Godfrey 4 Comments
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags:
A typical drive in theater of the past in a simpler time before computers occupy so much of our time.

A typical drive in theater of the past in a simpler time before computers, video games and MP3 players occupy so much our time today.

The drive in theater may be a dying breed today but there are still drive in theaters in operation in many states today. There are no longer any drive in theaters in the state of Louisiana where I spent most of my youth and adult years. Louisiana is one of three states without an operating drive in moviet theater as of  December 1, 2008. The other two states without a drive movie theater are Alaska and Delaware.

Sacramento, California has one of the 18 remaining drive in movie theaters in California. It is called the Sacramento 6. I am not sure if the 6 refers to six screens.

I can still remember the wait for darkness so the movie could begin playing on the giant screen. There are still memories of the concession stands and the popcorn, candy and cold drinks that were for sale inside.

Who can forget the speakers that allowed us to hear the sound emanating from the movie?  It is sad that drive ins have lost their popularity over the years as other interests took the place of a night outside at the drive in movie.

We went on a vacation to see the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006 and on the way we saw a drive in movie in Mt. Airy, N.C. and it was like going back in time even if the speakers of the past were gone and the sound came from a certain frequency on the car radio.  My grandsons thoroughly enjoyed the experience and it was good that they experienced what it was like to see a movie under the stars.

Too often we forget the past and the great memories like drive in movies. It has been 76 years since Richard Hollingshead opened the first drive in movie in Camden, New Jersey on June 6, 1933.  It cost 25 cents per car and 25 cents per person for the first movie.

http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa980121.htm

This is a list of operating drive in movie theaters still operating as of  December 1, 2008:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_active_drive-in_theaters

4 Responses to “Drive In Movies Still Operating Today”

Feed for this Entry Trackback Address
  1. 1 thedark2
    April 24, 2009 at 1:15 AM

    The Sacramento Six does have six screens, but not for long. The property has been sold and once they clear up some traffic issues, the site will become one of those megaplex theaters. The drive in just can’t bring in the same kind of revenue, but it sure has atmosphere, like watching a movie under the stars.

    Reply
  2. 2 Andrew Godfrey
    April 24, 2009 at 1:21 AM

    Thanks for the info on the drive in theater. After this one closes there probably are very few drive in movies left with six screens. Hope you have one still left not far away from Sacramento. At least they are turning it into a megaplex. I saw some photos of old drive in movies that that had turned into a junkyard for old cars so at least they will still be showing movies except inside of a building.

    Reply
  3. 3 Ron Sayles
    April 24, 2009 at 6:41 AM

    As far as I know there are none left in Wisconsin. I know that there are none in the Milwaukee area. In the good old days my wife and I would take our dog and head to the drive in. Bogus, our dog, died and today we pop in a DVD, just ain’t the same.

    Reply
  4. 4 Andrew Godfrey
    April 24, 2009 at 7:36 AM

    These according to Wikipedia are still operating in Wisconsin:

    The Big Sky Drive-In Theater in Wisconsin Dells
    The Field of Scenes Drive-In Theater in Freedom, Outagamie County
    The Gemini Drive-In in Eau Claire
    The Hi-Way 18 Outdoor Theatre in Jefferson
    The Keno Drive-in in Pleasant Prairie
    The Moonlight Outdoor Theater in Shawano
    The Sky Vu Drive-In in Monroe
    The Skyway Drive-In Theatre in Fish Creek
    The Stardust Drive-in Theater in Chetek
    The Starlight 14 in Richland Center

    Reply

Leave a Reply

« From The Past: Burma Shave Signs
Classic Television: Dragnet »

 

April 2009
S M T W T F S
    May »
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930  

Blog Stats

  • 11,351 hits

RSS Nostalgia and Now

  • Mr. Monk: The Obsessive Detective February 9, 2010
    Monk aired the first time on July 12, 2002 and remained on the USA Network till December 4, 2009 when it finished its eighth season. Actor Tony Shalhoub was Mr. Monk and had previously played Anthony Scarpacci on Wings from 1991-1997. Detective Adrian Monk was the quintessential wacky detective that solved crimes on the USA [...]
    Andrew Godfrey
  • Health Update On LC Football Player Harold (Bruce) Broussard February 6, 2010
    Former Louisiana College football player Harold (Bruce) Broussard had cancer surgery during the past year and had to undergo radiation therapy. The radiation therapy has worsened a pre-existing lung problem. Please remember Bruce in your prayers and I want to thank Jim Jossick for relating this information to me. Both of them were my football [...]
    Andrew Godfrey
  • Louisiana College Wildcats Football Now and Then January 31, 2010
    Since moving from Pineville, Louisiana to Knoxville, Tennessee in August of 2007 we have lost track of how the Louisiana College football team has done this season. It was good to see that they compiled a 7-3 record in 2009 when I checked online to see how they played in 2009. They not only won seven [...]
    Andrew Godfrey
  • Senator Dudley “Hadacol” LeBlanc: 20th Century Medicine Man January 29, 2010
    Senator Dudley J. LeBlanc had a pain in his right big toe in 1943 and it spread to his arms, legs and neck and three doctors couldn’t relieve the pain. He escaped from a hospital and a doctor told him on the way out that he looked like walking death but that he had something that [...]
    Andrew Godfrey
  • Watkins Products: Still Around 142 Years Later January 26, 2010
    Watkins products were first sold in 1868 as the salespeople used a horse and buggy to visit the homes on their route. The company was founded by J.R. Watkins who started the company in Plainview, Minnesota. Watkins died in 1911 forty five years after he founded the company. Their products include home health care products like [...]
    Andrew Godfrey
  • How Many With Same Name? January 22, 2010
    There is a website named howmanyofme.com that lets users type in their name and instantly receive results of how many people with that name live in the United States. You can type in Brett Favre and find that there is only one person in the United States named Brett Favre. There is also only one Drew [...]
    Andrew Godfrey
  • Dairy Queen: Founded 70 Years Ago January 20, 2010
    The first Dairy Queen opened in Joliet, Illinois in 1940. For many years Dairy Queens were the only fast food place in many cities before the advent of McDonalds, Burger Chef, Burger King and many other fast food places. 2010 is not only the 70th anniversary of Dairy Queen but also is the 25th anniversary of [...]
    Andrew Godfrey
  • Passenger Train Memories January 19, 2010
    One of my fondest memories of the past is traveling on a Kansas City Southern passenger train named the Southern Belle from Alexandria, Louisiana to Kansas City, Missouri when I received a trip to Kansas City as a high school graduation present to see the Kansas City Athletics play the New York Yankees in 1962. I [...]
    Andrew Godfrey
  • White Castle Hamburgers January 18, 2010
    Walter A. Anderson c9-founded the White Castle chain selling small square hamburgers. The store offered a special in the early days selling five hamburgers for 10 cents. Billy Ingram was the cook and partner but later bought the White Castle company from Anderson in 1933. Anderson is credited with being the inventor of the hamburger bun. [...]
    Andrew Godfrey
  • Classic Television: The Untouchables January 14, 2010
    The Untouchables first appeared on television 51 years ago when the first show aired in October of 1959. It was attacked by Italian groups who thought the violence in the shows was excessive and pictured Italians in a bad light. The show was famous for the drive-by shootings in the early seasons but the show was [...]
    Andrew Godfrey

Top Clicks

  • None