Historic Treasure of the Week - August 11, 1991
By Barbara Carney
Vigo County Historical Society
Historic Treasure of the Week - August 11, 1991
By Barbara Carney
Vigo County Historical Society
Drive-ins gone, but memories still blare
If you’re too young to remember the ‘50s and ‘60s, this strange-looking box probably resembles something from outer space. Anyone who has even watched a movie from an automobile will recognize this as a speaker from a drive-in theater.
On June 6, 1933, Richard Hollingshead Jr. and Willis Smith opened the world’s first drive in movie theater on a 10-acre site in Camden, N.J. The screen was 40 feet by 50 feet, and the sound equipment was supplied by the RCA-Victor Company. There were two shows per night. Nine rows of ramps accommodated 500 cars.
For the next 40 years, the drive-in thrived on two American obsessions: the motion picture and the automobile. The popularity of drive-ins peaked during the 1950s, providing entertainment for families and thrills for young couples.
A drive-in theater was born when an entrepreneur bought a large plot of land on the outskirts of a town, and erected a huge screen with rows of parking spaces facing it. There was a post between two spaces with a speaker on either side. There also was a ticket booth at the entrance, a concession stand and usually a playground.
The speaker or in-car radio was connected to an electric cord attached to the post and the movie sound came through this. Speakers caused problems. Some didn’t work. Other times, people drove off with the speakers still attached to the car window, often pulling out the posts and damaging the electrical wiring. Cars began lining up outside the drive-in just before dusk. They were filled with young families with the children already in pajamas ready to fall asleep midway through movies, and young couples on dates. Some drove pickup trucks with lawn chairs in the back ready to park in the last row.
People devised all kinds of ways to get in the drive-in without paying. Some hid in car trunks or under a blanket on the floor of the back seat. Others climbed the fence around the drive-in.
Nationally, the success of the drive-in theater chains were keyed to two factors: climate and driver registration. There were 15 million more cars on the road in 1952 than there were in 1946, and drive-ins increased proportionately. Florida and Arizona had the longest seasons, but Texas led all the states in driver registration, ensuring a constant supply of customers.
In 1958, there were some 4,700 drive-in theaters operating nationwide. Twenty years later, the number had dwindled to 3,178 and they are rapidly becoming extinct today.
Terre Haute’s first drive-in theater was opened in 1948 at Lafayette and Haythorne. In 1949 came the Eastside Drive-In on Poplar Street and in 1950, the Corral in Seelyville.
The speaker pictured as this week’s historical treasure probably came from the North Drive-In. Bill Decker donated it to the Vigo County Historical Society.
In 1958, said to be the peak year for drive-in theaters, the Aug. 11 edition of the Terre Haute Tribune advertised a double-feature at the North Drive-In. It was "Raintree County" with Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor and Eva Marie Saint; also "The Snorkel." Children under 12 got in free and miniature golf and free pony rides were offered.
"Desire Under the Elms," with Sophia Loren, Anthony Parker and Burl Ives was playing at the Corral.
Two "exotic, untamed" adventures, "The Lost Paradise" and "Island Woman," were on at the Eastside.
Tickets were 50 cents per person, but Monday night was Buck Nite, with a car load getting in for $1.
Most drive-in operators have sold their land to developers, but some are supplementing income by renting space for commuter parking during weekdays or to flea markets or auctioneers on weekends. Others are showing "R" and "X" rated movies.
Locally, the three drive-ins are gone, but they still are a part of our nostalgic past.
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.