Cruz'n to the Drive-In
Ahhh.... Drive-ins. The Passion Pit. The place to sneak a whole trunk load of your friends or for the more adventurous, a secluded, dark, sometimes cramped, place for that new love. Back in the 1950's drive-ins sprung up all over, given that our countries had a great deal of cheap, accessible, vacant land and people were financially well-placed, had automobiles, and enjoyed an emotional relationship with their cars. We did not regard our cars as simply a mode of conveyance to get from A to B. Along with the pioneering shopping malls, drive-ins led the post-World War II rush to suburbia. Both catered to families who didn't want to return to the city at night - it was too much of a hassle. But everyone was ready to drive to a mall or a drive-in. Once there the family didn't have to get out of their comfortable car except for refreshments and of course the kids' playground or sometimes the adult playground or the bingo or the square dance. No one had to dress up and babysitters weren't needed.
The drive-in thrived for a time. The film on the screen was irrelevant, mostly B-movies. One of the largest drive-in theaters was the All-Weather Drive-In, Copiague, New York with parking spaces for 2,500 cars. It also had an indoor 1,200 seat viewing area that was heated and air-conditioned, a playground, a cafeteria, and a restaurant with full dinners. A shuttle train took customers from their cars to the various areas on the 28 acres.
Many drive-ins included a playground, miniature trains, pony rides, boat rides, talent shows, miniature golf, and animal shows. Theaters would open the gates as much as three hours before the movie would start, thus allowing customers to bring the kids early. Dinners such as Fried Chicken, Barbecued Sandwiches, Hamburgers, and Pizza were on the menu. A few theater owners even gave the customers the ability to order from their car and have a car hop deliver. To increase sales the intermission trailers were invented.
Ahhh.... Drive-ins. The Passion Pit. The place to sneak a whole trunk load of your friends or for the more adventurous, a secluded, dark, sometimes cramped, place for that new love. Back in the 1950's drive-ins sprung up all over, given that our countries had a great deal of cheap, accessible, vacant land and people were financially well-placed, had automobiles, and enjoyed an emotional relationship with their cars. We did not regard our cars as simply a mode of conveyance to get from A to B. Along with the pioneering shopping malls, drive-ins led the post-World War II rush to suburbia. Both catered to families who didn't want to return to the city at night - it was too much of a hassle. But everyone was ready to drive to a mall or a drive-in. Once there the family didn't have to get out of their comfortable car except for refreshments and of course the kids' playground or sometimes the adult playground or the bingo or the square dance. No one had to dress up and babysitters weren't needed.
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The drive-in thrived for a time. The film on the screen was irrelevant, mostly B-movies. One of the largest drive-in theaters was the All-Weather Drive-In, Copiague, New York with parking spaces for 2,500 cars. It also had an indoor 1,200 seat viewing area that was heated and air-conditioned, a playground, a cafeteria, and a restaurant with full dinners. A shuttle train took customers from their cars to the various areas on the 28 acres.
Many drive-ins included a playground, miniature trains, pony rides, boat rides, talent shows, miniature golf, and animal shows. Theaters would open the gates as much as three hours before the movie would start, thus allowing customers to bring the kids early. Dinners such as Fried Chicken, Barbecued Sandwiches, Hamburgers, and Pizza were on the menu. A few theater owners even gave the customers the ability to order from their car and have a car hop deliver. To increase sales the intermission trailers were invented.
