Last dusk marked the 75th anniversary of the opening of the first drive-in movie theatre. Drive-ins are one of my passions, excepting the corndogs.
Inventor Richard M. Hollingshead tinkered with various combinations of films, screens, sound, and automobiles in the yard of his home, before hitting on a magic formula, which he patented. His Drive-In Theatre opened soon thereafter in Camden, New Jersey, on June 6, 1933.
Shown that night on the gigantic 40-by-50 foot screen: "Wife Beware" with Adolph Menjou.
Admission was 25 cents per person, plus 25 cents per car.
Backseat smooching would not be invented until 1967. (I'm penciled in for August, 2011. I couldn't get lucky earlier. Apparently, it is quite the something!)
Drive-in theatres took awhile to hit their peak, but they soared during the 1950s, totaling almost 5,000 locations across the United States.
This live 1951 sketch from "The Colgate Comedy Hour" features Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis as they spoof the booming exhibition phenomenon. The boys and drive-ins contributed sizable chunks to each other's success.
Can't see the video? Try here.
Can't see the video? Try here.
