The Drive-In and reliving the good ol 'days! Celebrating National Drive-In Day this June.

2023-06-04

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Above- This was several eras & a few decades ago. Sitting in a car and watching the drama and action unfold on a big screen under the stars.Photo byUltra Swank/www.pinterest.com

*****Below - The middle of the Truckers sub-genre cycle. And there were a lot more than you think. Future article coming soon.

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Above- One of the hottest box-office hits of the '70s for the Drive-In circuit. Featuring a young Michael Jan Vincent (Airwol TV).Photo byOff Screen/www.offscreen.com

What’s your favorite Drive-In experience? Was it going to the concession stand -and ordering so much you wondered how you were going to carry it all back to the car…or being able to stay up late to catch the 2nd feature (sometimes the 2nd movie was more on the adult side .. figuring the kids would fall asleep…) or wondering if pop was going to forget to replace the speaker back on the speaker stand before you left the to go home.

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Above- If you notice the titles all these films were right in the middle of the seventies or the tail end. Eat My Dust starred Ron Howard.Photo byVanished Chicago/www.reddit.com

Was this your first Drive-In flick? Girls Girls GirlsTrailer-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e75ncIrK4BA

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Above- two of Elvis biggest hits and that includes the sales from the soundtrack releases. How can you go wrong with two Elvis films.Photo byEliana Pereiar /www.pinterest.com

or was it this?

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Above-The late '50s and '60s saw many double features aimed directly at the teen market. Her is a perfect example.Photo byOpen Edition Journals/www. ournals.openedition.org

I used to work for JO-MOR Enterprises in upstate New York- which at that time they owned and operated several movie theaters including 3 Drive-Ins and I had the wonderful opportunity for one season to manage one their Drive-In’s and it wasn’t really work at all …just plain fun! And when I wasn’t working, I was at the Drive-In myself as a patron slurping down a Root Beer Float and indulging my appetite by eating a cheeseburger with relish and hot sauce. Those were the days when I had not a care in the world, not even bills and so I invite you take a step back in time when Drive-Ins were king (50’s thru the 70’s) and Orange Tang was on every table at breakfast. When the race to the moon was still on and when that was over James Bond was heading into space himself, Bruce Lee was chopping and kicking his way across the screen and Hammer put the color in horror films with dripping red blood and glamorous girls with necks to drool over, where dinosaurs, blobs, The Green Slime and Disney ruled the movie screens and there was no such things as VHS or Cable TV and TV dinners were a kids dream come true to sit down and watch the Saturday afternoon monster movie or the late , late show…..when families wanted a inexpensive outing for the whole family and you could “come as you are” as the ads would say .. hair curlers and all so load up the cooler and pack the chips because we’re off to the Drive-In… and don’t miss our grand opening .. brand new Drive-In Movie Theater!!

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Above- You are all invited -. kids are free and catch me Donald Duck in person. There were many of these types of events for new Drive-Ins.Photo byCinema Tresaures/www.pinterest.com
ON WITH THE SHOW!!!

Movie Trailers/Posters/Lobby Cards-

Above: Disney movies were a staple at the Drive-In

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Above- Disney's first live action film. And one of the most expensive, it delivered and has been released numerous times over years.Photo byThe Film Poster Gallery/www.pinterest.com
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea- one of Disney’s biggest and riskiest productions became and is one the greatest films ever made. Above- a rare insert poster and states a Cinemascope film. Capturing more of the action for a widescreen print. Trailer-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NcvqhN1lcU

Childhood:

The films that I remember as a kid were either a The Producers, Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth or Disney, which Disney had a long standing policy when releasing their films on the Drive -In circuit that the 2nd feature had to be another Disney feature or a family themed film very similar to Disney standards or the that venue was not going to happen-this also applied to any double bill situation, not just the Drive-In market and 98% of the time the owner/operator went with another Disney title. But this lent to a very busy night resulting in a packed “house” and heavy traffic at the concession stand. The playground would be dominated on those nights by little “cherubs” running around with gushing with anticipation for that first feature to start and on cooler nights if you were like me a stash of comic books and later Famous Monsters to read. For comfort since I was relegated to the backseat I started out with a blanket and then upgraded to a sleeping bag and upon “graduation”- a lawn chair/cooler as long as the bugs held off- on a less crowded night it was possible to take a second isle next to your car otherwise most often patrons would sit out in front of their cars and watch the first flick during the warmer months, which really put you under the stars.

My Teens and Cars:

Cars were a large part of the outdoor theater experience. Many of the theaters would have “car hops” or “cruise Nites: where the muscle car enthusiast could display his/her wears so to speak mixed with entertainment — fireworks and music, either live or piped in on the speakers. Well, I could not wait until that included me parading up and down the isles “crusin”. On those designated events it also revolved around biker or car flicks-usually sell outs.

Below: Heralded as the “Best: biker flick-trailer for Run Angel Run starring William Smith and directed by the great Jack Starrett

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Above- Art for a print ad ran in the early '70s Willam Smith one the biggest action stars entertained us for over 6 decades.Photo byCult and Exploitation/www.cultandexploitation.blogspot.com

Above: one of my favorite biker flicks- The Losers starring William Smith who could play the meanest guy in the world or like his character in this movie an honest to goodness hero-the hero persona is something that William was very much familiar with since he spent several years as a Texas Ranger on the TV series Laredo. Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQU3cRBoWGo

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Above-This is the type of car I was traveling in when I hit the Drive-In scene -a 1972 2 door with olive green newly painted.Photo byCollector Car ads/www.collectorcarads.com/
For me a license and a blue card meant I could drive at night. Plus I was so excited because when it was my turn, I had a 1972 Green Chevy Nova with a stock engine and a killer sound system featuring an 8 Track player with a stereo receiver. This car was cherry-meaning a little old lady really did own this car and drove it to church on Sundays so it was up to me to break it in.To accomplish this it was drag time and who get boost the their speakers the loudest(my base/subwoofer was in the trunk) , spin a “doughnut” and who could stay out the longest or latest and anything that came our way, maybe even a few “fogged windows”-this included the Drive-Ins and my friends and I established that as our hangout along with the local Charbroil (a burger and fry shack-not McDonalds) At the same time I was heavily into martial arts-Judo/Jiu Jitsu/Kung Fu/Karate, so, just about every “chop sockey” flick that got released made it to the Drive-In in my area and I was there along with crew most of the time not making home til close to dawn because usually there were triple bills and a late nite stop onion rings and hot sauce.

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Above- Japanese release poster for the Green Hornet move circe '70s. compiled from the 1966 US Television series.Photo byNaso Martial Arts/www.nasosmartialarts.blogspot.com/

And when it came to Bruce Lee, I can tell you I saw Return of the Dragon at least-well I actually lost count at 20 times on the big screen so to say I was hooked is an understatement, but that movie affected me emotionally and inspired me in terms of my training (not matter what else, every day 300 pushups/sit ups and a run). I had a great respect for Bruce and his philosophy. This was at least for me a simpler time with no worries, not a care in the world, so don’t always be in a hurry to grow up, for these are the times that a person is going through many changes both physically and emotionally and is a period in our lives to be treasured, explored and embraced.

Below: Bruce Lee trailers -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1hvEG8VbJc&t=12s

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Above- Hercules double feature that found box-office longevity -numerous re-releases over a 20-year period. Two of the best peplum films.Photo byTim/www.pinterest.com

Above: the best poster ever conceived for a double bill showcasing brilliant artwork and allowing for the same detail and creativity that usually goes into producing a poster for one film.

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Above- Loaded with action and plenty of bikini shots - Raquel exceeded as the character, Fathom. Sky diving, bull fights and scuba diving.Photo byRobby Elrobot/www.pinterest.com

Above — Fathom, 1967. Japanese release highlighting more actions scenes and the trailer below starring Raquel Welch: Trailer-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9rfOwOwOS0

The Equipment-
Projection...projectors-projection booth:
The presentation of a film at the theaters or a Drive-In requires a tremendous amount of light. Powerful bulbs for a theater but for a Drive-In an additional piece of equipment is needed to help the movie make its way to the screen. - an arch light which looks like a massive sparkler. Extremely thick ,it hopefully makes a few presentations before being replaced. Without this Arch light at least back in the early days-'50s - '80s it would not have been possible to make a go of Drive-In. below is the inside of a typical projection booth. As you can tell a big window provides projectors to project an image onto the outdoor screen.
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Above- left, the big reel-that is used in process of building a print. Movies take up several reels of film and need to be spliced together.Photo byFacebook/www.pinterest.com
Trivia- Today many Drive-Ins are using 4K laser projection. See a shining moment when the Palace Garden Drive-In (PA) reopens. Making the transition to digital. Below-

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Above- This is making it possible for Drive-Ins to compete and stay open. Think vintage cars-finding parts for an older model can be tough.Photo byCinema Treasures/www.cinematreasures.org
Sound-
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Above: This innovated sound company- would eventually become known as Westrex. Keep your eyes on the end credits. It may surprise you.Photo byThe First Thing You See/www.thefirstthinguc.tumblr.com
Above: let's not forget the most prominent sound company-Western Electric, if not for them- sound in movies would have taken a lot longer to have materialized…
Concessions-
Um Umm Intermission and some yummy treats...

For those of you who might be getting hungry please visit our concession stand…there is something for everyone…

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Above- Looks like a couple of patrons have decided they needed a little something to tide themselves over til the next features starts.Photo byFarris Wheel/www.pinterest.com
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Above- Check out this menu. Not bad fr a Drive-In. Black Cows, shakes and malts. All popular during the '50s and early '60s. Umm Hungry?Photo byMike Rhoden/www.pinterest.com

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Above- Back in the day you get almost anything at the concession stand. And it was good quality to boot.Photo byDaniel Martinez/www.pinterest.com

Below- watch a Drive-In intermission countdown-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP6TxSH_pSM&t=1s

Theme nites:

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Above- This Drive-In is providing space heaters for chilly nights. So, don't let the cold keep you from a cozy night out.Photo byCinema Treasues/www.cinematreasures.org/
Below-Fuqua owned 3 Drive-Ins in the Georgia area. And like many theaters would run joint ads to save money.
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Above- These Drive-In theaters offered varied themes and pairings. 3rd down is a Disney double bill. A quad on the monster scene 2nd down.Photo byStuart Dickinson/www.pinterest.com
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Above-This was a coming attraction ad. Here we have two Hammer Films released in the US by Warner Bros-Seven Arts.Photo byFilmcapability/www.filmicability.blogspot.com

Above: The space at bottom-middle of ad is where you would place your name and location of theater or the release date.

007-Gentleman secret agent:

This is the big one 007! Never before had there been a better paring for a double feature than the Bond films and over the course of the mid 60’s to mid 70’s was there a more well-orchestrated marketing campaign to keep our most beloved British secret agent in the public eye-hence the Bond Sale was created.

Even Bond got in on the Drive -In action and usually to big success with large crowds and most of these ads would state to come early …

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Above- The first two 007 films brought back to cash in on the worldwide phenomenon-after Goldfinger was released.Photo byGreenbriar Picture Show/www.greenbriarpictureshows.blogspot.com
Hear an earlier double feature paring of 007-Dr. No & Goldfinger, trailer-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pnSvjg1bFM

Did anyone say Beach Party? Trailer-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRhvPXpTbNA

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Above- The ultimate beach movie-Beach Party. The first of the film series. Starring Frankie and Annette. Smash at the box-office.Photo bybsartteacher/www.pinterest.com
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Above: It would not be proper “beach” movie without Dick Dale making an appearance or showing up on the soundtrack. Thanks AIP!Photo byTumblr/www.pinterest.com

The Drive-Ins started out being built-in far-off areas where it was not practical to build a movie theater, usually rural areas old farmland with a very cheap screen and someone grilling food .. maybe some old fold up chairs to sit in with a projector in the back of a truck … then once they caught on .. major money started being poured into the construction including a decent projection booth and wired speakers with stands…this happened within the 40’s with most of the major changes and then once we hit the 50’s families and teenagers with disposable income became the main audience and where the marketing efforts were directed.

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Above- Lots of stamina and coffee to make it through this one. All the Frankie and Annette for a night. Plus, Erik Von Zipper.Photo byLinda Halder/www.pinterest.com

And all kinds of crazy events were held ...live spook shows, concerts and live appearances of the very stars (Annette and Frankie Avalon) of the films especially in regard to American International Pictures or AIP as they were to become known in later years, even amusement rides before show time to attract patrons. and it worked. Even today there are more Drive-In’s operating in New York than the state of Florida-however Fort Lauderdale boasts the largest Drive-In with 14 screens and a flea market open 7 days a week…

Anyways whatever your favorite Drive-In memory is please take a moment and jot it down here…We would love to hear from you ….and so would Doc…so stop by here or at Reviews on the Edge on Facebook and let me know. Oh, and don’t forget to replace the speaker on the stand before starting your car and making the venture back home and as always, we hope to see you again next time at the Starlite…goodnight for now…

Related material and links-

***** Just for the record-I had the pleasure of working at the Starlie Drive-In which was located in Henrietta New York back in the very early '80s as the Assistant Manager. Fun times-I can remember one year we opened a weekend early because we had had such a run of great weather. Well Friday night the air temp was in the seventies. Next day was damp and Rainy and Sunday night we had a mini blizzard. ***That night we had eight cars, and we were freezing at the box-office. We were like please I hope they go home.

*Below for additional information and history of the Drive-In Movie Theaters:

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Above- another relaxing night at the Drive-In and looks like everyone in town is here.Photo byDrive-In USA/www.pinterest.com

The history of the Drive-In and information on current operating Drive-Ins in the US and your local area-www.driveinmovie.com ******** Currently the count on operating Drive-Ins is coming in at 330 approximate.

Amazon:

see Dark Sky Films DVD releases available at Amazon featuring a double feature per DVD with drive-in intermission and coming attractions everything needed to duplicate the experience except for the mosquitoes-my favorite of their Drive-In Double Feature series is Search and Destroy starring Perry King (Riptide TV series- n- Lords of the Flatbush), Don Stroud(biker flicks and The Nights The Lights Went Out In Georgia), George Kennedy (Tick…Tick…Tick) and the 2nd feature The Glove with John Saxon(Enter The Dragon) and Pro Footballer Rosey Grier- www.amazon.com

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Above- Search and Destroy-filmed in Niagra Falls, Canada. Martial arts and Vietnam war veterans as the story with breathtaking backdrop.Photo byDVD Lady/www.dvdlady.com/

MVD Entertainement Group-

Another great place for nostalgia and the Drive-In experience is MVD (Music and Video Distributors).

They represent not just their own label, but many music and Home Entertainment companies releases through their partner program. Drive-In Double Feature series from Dark Force-. These Bluray releases are loaded with coming attractions and intermission segments. Set up to provide the feel of being at the Drive-In.

Even including the " On behalf of the management-thank you for your patronage and a kindly reminder that before exiting the theater to make sure you replace the speaker back on its post. This to assure your safety and avoid any unnecessary damage. And again, thanks for coming out tonight. See you next time."

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Above- The cover art is from a vintage print ad for the original release circa-'70s. From of all places my hometown-RochesterPhoto byTarget/www.target.com/

Titles include The Loners & Dragon vs Needles (a double dose of bikers and partnered with kung fu mania), Secrets of Sweet Sixteen & Wacky Taxi plus The Back Dragon & Enforcer from Death Row....***for entire list follow link-https://mvdshop.com/

***Disclaimer- any & all links in this article have no direct relation to or are in anyway sponsored or affiliated with myself or NewsBreak. Furthermore, nor are the reason for the creation of this article.

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