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Master and Commander
Posts: 1431
| Subject: What ever happened to drive in movies?
When I was a teenager there used to be alot of drive in movies that showed horror movies and stuff. I wonder what happened that made them disappear? It was alot of fun piling a bunch of you friends in your 4 wheeled demon of destruction and spending the evening watching the flick or just horsing around. Usually smuggled in some beer. A was a great place to go with your date and make out. Didn't care what was on the screen then. I know of one in Kearney Neb. that I think is still working but that's about the limit. Those were the good old days!!! 
Edited by RCK 2009-05-10 3:54 PM
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1814
Location: Boydton, Virginia | Subject: RE: What ever happened to drive in movies?
Yep, I remember piling 5 or 6 shipmates in someones old sedan, pick up some beer and a bottle and cruise on up to the drive-in on Stock Island, just north of Key West. One time we were so snockered that we took out a couple of the speaker posts on the way out. A cheap drunk for a bunch of eternally broke swabbies.
"Let the good time roll"
Steamboat sends |
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Old Salt
Posts: 264
Location: Harrison, NJ | Subject: RE: What ever happened to drive in movies?
Usta be one here in NJ about 5 miles from my house (in a town called Rutherford, alongside State Highway 3). At the time I had a 1972 hatchback Pinto. When my wife & I were quite a bit younger we would pack up the kids, drop the back seat of the car to make a "bed" of sorts and take the kids out for the evening.
Eventually the kids would fall asleep & we would enjoy the movie. Didn't care what the movie was, it was an "evening out"; and a "cheap" one, too. It didn't cost a lot, but it didn't matter because we didn't have a lot of money either.
Bet you didn't know that the drive-in movie was invented here in New Jersey. |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1324
Location: Oxnard, CA | Subject: RE: What ever happened to drive in movies?
The an$wer to your que$tion i$ money! The cost/benefit ratio against the plot of ground the drive-in occupied fell below profitibility, and they closed. Also fewer and fewer people attended the drivel-in, and when the audience disappears, so does the profits. They simply died away. Whay staved of closing for many of the drive-ins was a saturday or sunday swap-meet, but even then the income from admittance, parking and vendor charges couldn't cover the expenses.
Take the square footage of that drive-in, and put a strip mall on that plot of ground, and your profits will soar tremendously. Then put in a 12 or 15 or 18 screen walk-in theater in that strip mall, and you make money hand over fist. |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3674
Location: Kansas City Missouri | Subject: RE: What ever happened to drive in movies?
Yes, Great old days indeed. There were many reasons for their demise, I believe this is a major one.
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1608
| Subject: RE: What ever happened to drive in movies?
I think, but I'm not positive that in SoCal the reason for their demise was the escalation of land value. The "passion pits" were pretty much like getting a motel room here. |
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Old Salt
Posts: 359
Location: Saco, Maine | Subject: RE: What ever happened to drive in movies?
Got one a mile up Rte 1 here in Saco... Looking forward to taking the lady there this summer. Wonder if we can fog up the windows like the old days at the "Finger Bowl"?
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3202
Location: Alexandria, Virginia | Subject: RE: What ever happened to drive in movies?
Radolph Scott died. The Creature from the Black Lagoon disappeared. Teenagers found there were other locations where you could be more comfortable making out than an automobile back seat.....When the pirates who ran the food concession started asking you to take a second mortgage for a ten inch plate of nachos. and, a large cup of pop passed the price of a glass of Chateau Lafite Rothchild. I don't know about the cost of real estate making the take at the Drive-In a poor choice of real estate usage. My Drive-In was five miles out of town next to a junk yard, and lumber mill.....about a half mile from the county landfill, that at the time I went to the Dixie Drive-In, was simple known as,"the DUMP". No, when they quit making Commando Cody serials. When Johnny Weismuller got replaced as Tarzan....When Red Ryder and Little Beaver retired....When Ester Williams grew too old to turn 15 year old boys on....TV knocked a hole in the evening entertainment TEXACO brought you Ed Wynn, Sid Ceaser and The Hit Parade, and Jack Benny and cowboy shows came into your living room for free and making out on the downstairs couch became popular. Jiffy Pop that you could pop on the stove made a helluva lot more economic sense than shelling out for that stale stuff with the rancid butter they hawked for a couple of bucks at the concession stand. But the main thing that did 'em in was by 1954 every kid had drive-in speaker hanging on the headboard of his bed. DEX |
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Senior Crew
Posts: 186
| Subject: RE: What ever happened to drive in movies?
Where I lost my virginity in my Dad's car.
Joe'the'Most
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 2561
Location: Rapid City, SD | Subject: RE: What ever happened to drive in movies?
But, how was the movie, Joe?
Cora |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 606
Location: Citrus County FL | Subject: RE: What ever happened to drive in movies?
Oh yeah, Joe! I remember the Mountain Drive-in out on RT52. I don't remember seeing any movies while I was there though..... |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1431
| Subject: RE: What ever happened to drive in movies?
whalen - 2009-05-12 12:10 PM
Oh yeah, Joe! I remember the Mountain Drive-in out on RT52. I don't remember seeing any movies while I was there though.....
Musta needed glasses back then too huh!!! |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 2357
| Subject: RE: What ever happened to drive in movies?
Yes, the introduction of the video player was the major reason for the decline on Drive ins.......loved going to them as a kid, especially when my uncle would sneak me in.
I believe we only have one left in the Perth area.
Blue *_* |
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Senior Crew
Posts: 186
| Subject: RE: What ever happened to drive in movies?
I didn't know they showed movies!!!
Joe'the'Most |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 781
Location: Port Orchard WA | Subject: RE: What ever happened to drive in movies?
we have one still locally but I haven't been in a couple years. What ever became of the on near the base in New London remember see MASH at that one plus alot of B (for Busty) Russ Meyers movies there as well. Seems to me it was still there in the 80's when we were building Michigan. |
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Crew
Posts: 66
Location: CT | Subject: RE: What ever happened to drive in movies?
Bear, The drive in movie in Groton has been replace by a shopping center, soon after the Michigan left. Also
gone is the one in Montville area along 32. There is one left in CT somewhere, But I'm not searching for it. |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1269
Location: Hopewell Junction NY | Subject: RE: What ever happened to drive in movies?
Bear - 2009-05-13 10:02 PM we have one still locally but I haven't been in a couple years. What ever became of the on near the base in New London remember see MASH at that one plus alot of B (for Busty) Russ Meyers movies there as well. Seems to me it was still there in the 80's when we were building Michigan.
I had my first experience with pop-top cans at that drive-in in Groton, as I recall. Damn near sliced a finger off in the dark.
That other "experience" came many years later.
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 781
Location: Port Orchard WA | Subject: RE: What ever happened to drive in movies?
I went to the movies last night and saw Star Trek on an IMAX damn good movie really wish there were more drive ins still around as I would like to go see it again but on a nice summer evening in the bed of my pickup |
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What ever happened to drive in movies?
