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There's one near where I live that is still open. Unfortunately, they show horrible movies, but it's something I guess.
During my teens and early twenties over 40 years ago, the drive-ins showed horrible movies. It looks like nothing has changed.
But that is not why you went to the drive-in. You went to the drive-in not to watch the movie but to make out in somewhat relative privacy. Ahhhh memories.
the idea sounds great but it did not translate for me. the movies were bad and on top of that children were running loose like its playtime. I think its better suited for teenagers.
Used to have a drive in movie theater right here in Lebanon back in the olden days, I would go to see Escape From New York a lot just to be able to see Ox Baker who could have easily kicked Snake Plissken’s butt!
Now the only drive in movies left are just north of Dayton.
Not all movies were formatted for the drive in projection systems which limited what they showed.
"Not all movies were formatted for the drive in projection systems which limited what they showed."
Having projected at drive-ins and run drive-ins, this is incorrect. Scope and flat (aka "widescreen" were the two main formats after the mid-1950s, and all it took to switch was a different lens and aperture plate, which took all of 30 seconds. Screen dimensions were fixed, of course, but the scope pictures could be shrunk to fit on the screen, have the edge image be blocked by the plate, or have an old style prism anamorphic be used to "shrink" the width to fit the screen, resulting in tall actors.
About the only film format that was a real problem was Cinerama, but that was a problem for most indoor theatres as well. 3-D pics that were red-green could be shown anywhere, the polarized ones needed a silver screen, which many drive-ins had. The issue there was getting enough light through the polarizing filters on the projector without burning them up.
If an operator claimed they couldn't show because of a format, it was more likely code that they didn't want to spend the money for wings on their squarish 1940s screen tower to give a decent picture.
I grew up a block away from a drive in - it's an apartment complex now - and we'd sneak under the fence to watch the movie for free. On warm nights when the bedroom windows were open we'd hear the movies all night long.
Quote:
Originally Posted by woxyroxme
Used to have a drive in movie theater right here in Lebanon back in the olden days,
The "Old Fart"! Played the lousiest movies.
I believe the Starlight Drive-In between Amelia and Bethel is still open, too.
There was one in the town next to mine in VT. I went 2 or 3 times. I remember a "Flintstones / Jurassic Park" stone-age double header in the early 90's! Their facebook page has posts through 2013, so I think they closed after that summer. Pretty decent run.
I also went to one near my college in OH. It closed in 2006.
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Played the lousiest movies. 
