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Drive-ins are an important pop-culture memory for many.
The drive-in theater is a form of cinema structure (or rather, lack thereof), the first of which opened on June 6, 1933 in Camden, New Jersey.
It consists of, quite simply, a large field, a projection booth and a large, whitewashed wall. It allows the audience to "drive-into" the theater, and view the features from the comfort and privacy of one's own car. Audio, originally, was provided by speakers on posts next to which a car would be parked. This system has been superseded by the more economical method of broadcasting the soundtrack at a low output power to be picked up by a car radio. This method is also advantageous as it allows the soundtrack to be picked up in stereo by the audience instead of monaural.
The drive-in reached peak popularity in the late 1950s and early 1960s, particularly in rural areas. Among its advantages was the fact that a family with a young baby can take care of baby while watching a movie. However, revenue was more limited than regular theatres on account that shows can only start at twilight at the earliest. There were abortive experiments to try to create suitable conditions for day viewing like large tent structures, but nothing viable was developed.
During the 1960s, the movies shown changed from family-oriented pieces to sexploitation movies. In addition, the economics of real estate with the large properties becoming increasingly expensive for the owners to successful operate their businessse. These changes, and the advent of VCR, led to a sharp decline in popularity of drive-in theaters. It is now approaching a quasi-novelty status, with the remaining handful catering to a generally nostalgic audience.
Surviving Drive-In Theaters
References
- "Drive-in" (2001). The Film Encyclopedia, 4th ed., Ephraim Katz (ed). HarperCollins, New York.
- Don Sanders, Susan Sanders, (October 2003) The American Drive-In Movie Theater Motorbooks International. ISBN 0760317070
- Kerry Segrave (October 2001) Reprint Edition. Drive-In Theaters: A History from Their Inception in 1933 McFarland & Company. ISBN 0899507522
- Elizabeth McKeon, Linda Everett, Liz McKeon (December 1998) Cinema Under the Stars: America's Love Affair With the Drive-In Movie Theater Cumberland House. ISBN 158182002X
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