An Evening at the Drive-In Picture Show

By Nancy A. Meadows-Galloway

One of the most beloved symbols of the fifties was the drive-in movie theater. Many teenagers of the period frequented the drive-in on a weekly basis. Not only was it a chance to see a movie but also to meet with friends and catch up on gossip.

The idea for the drive-in movie theater was patented on May 16, 1933 by Richard Hollingshead. He also opened the first drive-in movie theater in 1933 located in Camden, NJ which had a 500 car capacity. The price of admission was twenty-five cents for the car and then twenty-five cents per person.

The “boom” for the drive-in movie theater began in the early fifties with the invention of the talk-back system first used in Greensboro, NC by movie goers. You simply pushed a button which was connected to a main switchboard which in turn summoned a “car-hop” to your vehicle.

Another invention in 1950 was the in-car heater which allowed theaters to stay open year round even through the very cold winters experienced in the northern states.

The largest drive-in theater in the country was the All-Weather drive-in located in Copiague, New York. It had a capacity of 2,500 car spaces and also 1,200 indoor viewing seats along with a playground and a full service restaurant. This drive-in boasted 28 acres and a train to usher theater patrons around the vast complex.

As the years progressed many drive-in theaters saw a decline in patronage  and many were closed. In the past couple of years though there has been renewed interest in the drive-in movie theater with 7 new theaters opening in 2005 alone and 3 reopening.

Ohio leads in the number of drive-in movie theaters with 36, next is Pennsylvania with 34 and New York with 32.

In 1958 there were almost 5000 drive-in movie theaters in operation. Today there is less then 500, but that number is continuing to grow with each year. Who knows there may still be hope for this icon of the fifties era.