1950 – Opened by V. C. Smith and his father
1952 – Started first-runs films
1958 – Open Year-Round with in-car heaters
1959 – Leased by Budco Theaters
1980 – Split into twin screens
1986 – Closed by Budco Theaters
In 1950, V.C. Smith and his father opened the 309 Drive-in, with an 800-car capacity on 22 acres of farmland. At first, business was sour, because it was the dawn of the television era, and indoor theaters were hurting because Americans had discovered the television for recreation.
In 1951, Smith turned around the business with a simple idea of a free movie night. Smith went to every store in Hatboro and placed cards in the windows inviting residents to see a drive-in movie for free. “Hatboro Night” worked so well, they had an “Ambler Night” and then a “Lansdale Night” to help get the drive-in theater started.
In 1952, the drive-in began showing first-run films, something unheard of in the “low budget, B-grade, horror-film world of drive-in movies”. The first big smash was the biblical epic Quo Vadis. The drive-in took in three times more money than the week before. The next week it showed The African Queen, starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn.
In 1958, in-car heaters were installed, which allowed the May-October business to extend to year-round.
In 1959, when V. C. Smith wanted to retire, he bought out his father's interest in the theater and leased the drive-in to Claude L. "Bud" Schlanger, the man for whom the Budco theater chain was named.
Around 1980, Schlanger expanded the drive-in by making it twin screens.
In 1986, Budco Theaters closed the Route 309 Drive-in Theater, after 36 years of service, to use the drive-in space for additional parking for the indoor 309 Cinema 9 (the same year AMC’s American Multi-Cinema Inc. purchased Budco Theaters). The closing of the Route 309 Drive-In left just one drive-in theater in the area: The Bucks County Twin Drive-in (Theater Tragedy I - GC4R1PY) in Warrington PA.
FTF Prize: $10 toward a movie ticket!
Sources: Newspaper article by David Lieber, Inquirer Staff Writer, Posted July 10, 1986 on Philly.com, CinemaTreasures.org, Movie-Theater.org, Drive-Ins.com.