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A drive-in theater or drive-in cinema is a form of cinema entertainment and viewing which consists of a large outdoor movie screen, a projection booth, a concession stand, and a large parking area for automobiles. The screen is usually a wall or other structure (many times a complex steel-truss structure with a complex finish) painted or created as white to relfect the projected image upon.
Within this enclosed area, customers can view movies from the privacy and comfort of their own personal vehicles. The biggest drawback for this form of filmviewing is that it is limited to night-time hours and some weather restrictions as well. These facilities usually take-up quite a bit of real estate in the area they reside in, mainly due to the amount of space needed for customer parking.
Some of the original Patent Drawings.
The idea originated in the early 1930's in Camden, NJ. by a man named Richard M. Hollingshead. He was an innovative person and always had grand ideas while he was working as a sales manager in his father's auto parts company. According to one story, his mother was a large woman who was uncomfortable sitting in a regular movie theater and Richard gave the idea a great deal of thought on how to help her enjoy a show and improve her quality of life.
He had a few ideas but one very simple one turned into an experiment in his driveway with a Kodak Projector, mounted on the hood of his car, aimed at a screen that was attached to some trees and finally worked-out some of the details after trying a few things that didn't work.
Richard M. Hollingshead
He tried different techniques for how it woulld all be configured, then worked-out the parking-arrangement and spacing to allow everyone that attended, an unobstructed view of the screen. Once he had this idea in- place, he applied for, then was granted a Patent in 1933 and He opened his first Drive-In Theater soon thereafter.
With three investors, his cousin John Smith, Edward Ellies, and Oliver Willets, he formed a small company which then owned a 400-acre (1.6 km2) "Automobile Movie Theatre". This facility opened in Camden on June 6, 1933 to amazement and wonder by the general public as they'd never seen one of these places before.
RCA Victor provided three six foot (1.8 m) by six foot speakers to go with the 40 foot (12 m) by 50 foot (15 m) screen and the very first film shown was "Wives Beware", starring Adolphe Menjou.
The charge was $0.25 per person and $0.25 per automobile, with a maximum cost of $1. Hollingshead would go on to sell the original theatre in 1935 and opened another one.
The theatre company licensed the concept to another theatre chain, but had trouble collecting royalties for the idea. Eventually, after the chain was taken to court, Hollingshead's patent was later ruled invalid in 1950, however the idea continued on.
The idea was a good one, and since there was then no patent to infringe-upon, the concept and idea caught-on elsewhere across the continent. Drive-In Theatres would go on to become part of the American Pop-Culture and Landscape across the country and the world.
Some of the first RCA-produced Drive-In Theater Speakers
In some of the early Theatres, sound was produced from Speakers in the main screen tower, but the quality was not that good becaue of the distance that the sound had to travel (unlike a traditional theatre where the sound was all contained and "reflected" off the walls of the building. There were many many, many attempts made to improve it.
In 1941, the RCA corporation found a solution and produced the first in-car speakers that even featured built-in volume controls so the patrons could adjust the volume in their vehicles. These were better than the original sound that was produced, but some of them didn't sound very good, especially after some time with these devices being left in the weather all the time along with other factors.
Another one of the hazards to in-car speakers is that the "stands" that were not very visible, would be subject to damage (as well as the vehicles) when folks were entering or leaving the parking spaces. Many times, folks would "forget" to remove the speaker from their vehicle, which also led to damage of the individual speakers, stand-mounts, as well as the wiring involved in it all. Damage ranged from something minor to speakers "catching" the window glass and breaking it, to other scratches and dents.
The sound quality of the in-car speakers was almost "tinny", but other technologies would come along later to improve the patron experience on many levels including to reduce the damage caused.
Single RCA Speaker with either a Red, White, or Blue knob on it.
It was a few years, but some of the Drive-Ins began to remove the in-car speakers in favor of the newer "broadcasting type" audio for the shows. This gave the customers a better experience as the sound was being produced from their in-vehicle radio/stereos, or even portable radios as the sound was transmitted on a short-range AM or FM transmission. This was a vastly improved quality for the sound as well as removing one of the largest causes of damage to customer vehicles and theatre equipment.
An animation that would be shown on the screen informing the patrons that it was time to start the movie
The popularity of the Drive-In's soared after World War II and would peak in the 1950's and 1960's. The theaters would provide cheap, family entertainment including many having a Playground (or other things) for their youngest patrons. For colder-weather, in-car heaters were also offered at many Theaters, much like the Speakers had been, to keep guests comfortable and returning to the venues.
This type of heater plugged in to 120vAC (not 12V car power)
to warm your car during cold nights at the drive in movie.
In addition to the comfort of the guests and patrons to view and hear their favorite films, the Concession Stand (or Snack Bar) would fill the needs of those who were hungry or thirsty during the show.
An Intermission Ad
These snacks and refreshments that in most cases, needed to be served very quickly for patrons to return to their show. It was quickly found that this part of the theatre was vital to its success of drive-ins in general. As the aspects of society gaining mobility with their own vehicles versus mass-transit during the late 1940's and 1950's, drive-in restaurants were also gaining in popularity as well.
The Drive-In was no exception to this and food revenue also increased during this time. Management found new and creative ways to push the idea that during your visit you needed something to quench that thirst, or feed that hunger, all while watching the latest film in the comfort of your very own vehicle.
Hot Dogs, Pizza, Cheeseburgers, Popcorn, Soft Drinks, and a host of other "food" could be found there to enjoy along with the show. There was reminders before the show, as well as even short intermission breaks during longer films to promote this to allow patrons to go without missing any of the story. These promotions were geared towards the concessions because of how important it was to the facility management.
An "intermission cartoon" to entice patrons to the Concession Stand.
Most locations used the now-famous drive-in intermission films, popularized by the Filmack Company. These short-films would feature dancing hot-dogs, pizza, and soft-drinks and in some cases had countdown clocks to let you know how much time you had before the show would continue. These were all designed to mesmerize the audience members, wet their taste pallets and open their wallets.
While some operators experimented with two-way speakers to take orders, and have someone come out and deliver food to the car, others had mobile carts patrolling the lots selling many of the items from the snack-bar and concession stands.
Many Theaters even had "car-hops" like their Drive-In Restaurant counterparts to make the experience even more appealing for their patrons.
A car-hop, delivering an order
The focus on the Concessions then for any theatres, or venues, whether they be "building-based", or a Drive-In, is that the revenues from this part of the operation usually stay within the facility itself and go back into the operations which is good from a business-standpoint. This is mainly because the concessions is the responsibility of the facility, and not the distribution groups that supply the films and film content. Some film rental rates are extremely high, and most facilities "rent" or "lease" the content from the companies that produce it.
Since the Drive-Ins were a mainly after-dark-use facility, some owners would later allow other uses for their large amounts of parking and potential storage space. During the days, or off-seasons, this use would generate some more income for the theaters, which was good for the owners and the business. Some of these uses included temporary Flea Markets, Swap Meets, and even Outdoor Church Services.
A typical Flea Market at the Mission Drive-In, San Antonio, Texas, 1984
Over time, with the advent of other sources of entertainment, as well as the rising cost of Real Estate and other economic factors, Cinematic Landmarks such as these have been slowly disappearing over the years, leaving less than 500 across the United States currently. Many of those which were closed were later demolished and the real-estate used for other things such as Office or Retail Space, with some being replaced on the exact same land with Mutli-Plex indoor Movie Theaters. Some properties have just been left vacant with nothing remaining there but an empty field. However, a very-select few that were closed have even re- opened to be given a new-life with new patrons looking for a very unique movie-going experience.
Drive-in Theatres have been mixed into our culture and landscape to the point that even they have appeared in other TV shows and films.
Whether it was "adult animation" such as "the Flintstones" or :The Simpsons" TV shows, to movies such as the "Cars" series of films or "Twister" (1996).
Drive-in featured in the Flintstones (TV-1960's)
Drive-in featured in the Simpsons (TV-1990's)
Drive-in featured in Cars 1 & 2 post-credits (Film-2000's)
The drive-in scene in "Twister" (1996) was filmed at a real
drive-in theater (The Beacon Drive-In) in Guthrie, Oklahoma
Groundspeak Waymarking reference for the Beacon:
https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/wmA9ET_Beacon_Drive_In_from_the_movie_Twister_Guthrie_OK
In the film it was called the "Galaxy" and was destroyed by the tornado.
It's amazing just how much Drive-Ins have become a part of our Popular Culture
Many folks feel that these Gems of Americana are very much an endangered part of the landscape. Most, if not all of them, have very fond memories of their time spent there and would love to be able to revisit their favorite Drive-In Theater once again.
**2020/2021 RECENT NEWS**
It is interesting to note, because of the health concerns of being around other folks during the time of the CoronaVirus Pandemic, Drive-ins seem to be making a come-back due to the secluded-nature of how guests can safely visit and enjoy the entertainment at the venues.
The Tiffin Drive-In Theatre (Tiffin, OH) has this information on their Social Media page:
Our ability to entertain you depends on ALL our customers working with ALL our staff to keep each other as safe as possible in the face of Coronavirus. Let's be KIND to each other during this difficult time and embrace the changes in the name of safety.
It's unlikely that many of the "classic" locations that once were Drive-In theatres
will return where they once were, but one never knows.
There has been discussion and news lately that its possible to have Drive-in Movie Theatres operate during DAYLIGHT hours with the advancement of very large LED displays that can be seen in the daytime, such as the ones that are used on Billboards and other daylight-viewed items. It's unclear at this time if any currently operating locations will have this technology, but its nice to think that they can and could use it.
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Michigan Cinema History:
The Lakes Drive-In Theatre
10501 E Grand River Ave., Brighton, MI 48116
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OPENED : May 11, 1951
CLOSED : Sept. 3, 1989
Capacity : 700 (approx.)
The Lakes was a Drive-In theatre here along Grand River, east of Brigthon, and it opened in May of 1951. It was owned by C.A. Anderson/Lakes Theatre Corp. and Mutual Theatres. It had a capacity of 700 vehicles and only ever had a single-screen for the time it was here.
Aerial 1960's from HistoricAerials.com
The Lakes Drive-In was a big single-screen theater which opened in 1951, along Grand River Ave., not far from downtown Brighton.
This Drive In Theatre was one of the last Metro Detroit Drive-Ins to be built, and began it's life here with parking for about 700 vehicles. It was one of a few drive-in theatres in the area, and the single-screen measured 118' by 50'. Unfortunately, the large screen was the best part of this one with the concession stand and box offices left a bit lacking for some of the Drive-In Theatre afficianados.
Marquee 1987
This "ozoner" (as many drive-ins were called) had a capacity for 700 vehicles when it was opened which was adequate to accomodate the draw of the public to this unusual and very popular entertainment venue.
During the peak business time in the summer months, the Lakes was most-likely filled to capacity with movie-goers who wanted some entertainment under the night sky.
Drive-in Theatre Flea Market
Most of the time, the drive-in was a good value for the money as it would be a good evening's entertainment for folks of all ages including children being admitted for free many times.
1974 Newspaper Ad
Attendance at the Lakes Drive-In was mostly seasonal for it's patrons because during the colder months it was just too-cold to enjoy the show without freezing or possibly running out of gas in your car just to keep the heat on. In-car heaters were installed later-on in most Drive-Ins and allowed for the patrons to enjoy the drive-in year-round. This upgrade in the facilities for the patrons would draw the crowds even during the sometimes-very-bitter cold Michigan winter nights and made the experience just that much better.
During the warmer months in order to help control insects, the management would "smoke" the whole drive-in complex. The foggers were known to have some issues where they'd catch-fire in some Drive-In locations. This technology did improve over time however and had fewer-issues and problems as time went on.
Skeeter Fogging truck
Economics changed as time went on, and many drive-ins closed in the mid-to-late-1980s and early 1990's. The introduction of VCRs and other at-home entertainment meant more people were either staying home to watch movies or going to indoor movie theatres which were getting bigger screens and Dolby sound. This evolution would lead to the decline of "going to the movies" and folks staying-home.
Lakes Drive-In Screen
Land values and prices began to go up and the suburbs gradually expanded around it. As the area built up, property taxes also increased until the cost of the taxes on the 20+ acres that most drive-in's occupied were more than the net income the theatre generated.
The Lakes Drive In Theatre would be demolished and soon after, a business / office complex would then occupy the former drive-in’s site.
Matchbook
The Lakes screen was dismantled after closing and about a third of it was used to erect a small screen at the Galva Autovue Drive-In in Galva, IL. The upper neon portions of marquee were saved and restored, one side has been listed on ebay a few times, the other side is hanging in a garage in metro Detroit
2002 Ebay photos of the restored sign
Many people that would visit the area later on not having any idea that this was once a special place for people to be entertained on warm summer nights.
1989 Ad
The Drive-in was an experience that many people cannot get out and enjoy much anymore. The viewing and experience of watching a movie from the comfort of your own automobile, truck, or van.
1970's Aerial view of the Lakes Drive-In
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After little more than half a century, the era of the Drive-In Theatre ended. Many people that visited a Drive In Theatre consider themselves lucky to have been able to experience such a unique entertainment venue. Most people who attended in their adolescent years don’t remember what movies they saw but many of them do remember how exciting it was to be outside late at night, loading up at the snack bar and then then trying not to fall asleep while watching the flickering movie screen from the comfy backseat of the car.
After the close: View from Roadside
One theater goer summed up her feelings. "You just worry sometimes that it will be all gone. We felt so sorry to see those others all go. We really enjoyed this place."
From the Outdoor Moovies Archives, a 1989 video of the
Lakes Drive-In Theater in Brighton Michigan, while it was still open.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPYMV7ZDAdc
Many folks feel that the Drive-in Theater is a part of an Endangered Americana that is missed by all who treasured the times that they had there and those that remember this classic drive-in theatre do so with warm memories and fondness that will live-on for a long time to come.
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IF you have any more information or
details on this location, please email me
and i will include it in the description.
Thank you.
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This theatre was a wonderful part of
Metro Detroit and SouthEast Michigan,
and the memories remain even if the location has changed.
This is what makes it a wonderful part of Michigan Cinema History.
Please BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS and as always, Enjoy the Hunt!