Does anyone remember the drive in movies?

[roosevelt]

Originally Posted by Dave Bob

Thanks for dredging up memories of Cinema Park drive-in. I think my parents took me to see Bambi there (maybe during its 1957 re-release). The other memory of that intersection was a big mysterious lot on the south side of Missouri that my dad told me was an earthworm farm. It was heavily shaded by many tall trees, perhaps eucalyptus, and you could see piles of dark dirt through the trees. Every time the family would drive by, someone in the car would say "there's the worm farm!"

You are right about the worm farm, it was called Arizona Earthworm Farm but listed at 120 West Missouri. Maybe that was the guy's house and office. I know the lot you are talking about, it was covered with eucalyptus trees and I thought it was a nursery. When a commercial building was built there, they cut down every single tree.

[Dave Bob]

Originally Posted by roosevelt

You are right about the worm farm, it was called Arizona Earthworm Farm but listed at 120 West Missouri. Maybe that was the guy's house and office. I know the lot you are talking about, it was covered with eucalyptus trees and I thought it was a nursery. When a commercial building was built there, they cut down every single tree.

Wow, worm farm confirmation. That's neat, I guess Dad wasn't just pulling our leg. Too bad the big trees were ultimately wiped out.
The listed address looks like it would have been close to the big Methodist church at Central & Missouri that my parents took me to in the mid-50's. And a wealthy friend of the family named Charlie Black had a nice house on a big lot with room for horses a couple blocks farther west on the N side of Missouri.

Back to drive-ins--I remember driving down Central past the Silver Dollar during the 70's when the marquee was advertising "Texas Chainsaw Massacre".
Used to hear stories about teenagers trying to sneak trunkloads of their friends into drive-ins, but don't know if that was widespread in Phx.
The metal speakers that you'd hang on your car window seemed notorious for their low-fidelity sound. Guess the teen patrons didn't much care.

[Peggy Anne]

I used to love the old intermission concession stand offerings on the big screen.

[roosevelt]

Originally Posted by Peggy Anne

I used to love the old intermission concession stand offerings on the big screen.

Here is a very old 1937 drive in theater, not in Phoenix. You will note the odd speakers that slid along a pipe. The smartly dressed attendant would go to each car and move the speaker for best listening.

The first drive in in Phoenix, east Van Buren, was simply called the Drive In. Later, they changed the name to the Phoenix Drive In after others were built around the valley.

[MGotcha]

I used to go there in the 70's. It was a single screen setup on the west side of Cave Creek Rd between Cactus & Sweetwater behind Home Depot (was a Woolco back then).

[YAZ]

The Passion Pit.

Watchin' the submarine races....

Hey.....we have the "Dive In " movies now!

That's a cool idea....

[1AZkid]

My parents used to take us to the Acres, Peso and Oasis drive-ins. Being a large family of 8, mom would make delicious fried chicken to take with us, which she placed in a paper sack and would make popcorn too. The smells in the car were wonderful and exciting. Along the way we stopped at the grocery store to buy bottles of orange or strawberry soda pop, large whole pickles that we picked out of a huge the jar at the butcher counter, and a watermelon. We'd drive along as the sun was going down. The lights in town seem sparkly at dusk. We'd try to park next to an empty space so we could set out our lawn chairs or sometimes we kids would just sit on top of the car or on the large front fenders. Sometimes if we had extra money, Daddy would take us to the snack bar during intermission and let us pick out a snack. We'd pass by the outdoor bleachers along the way where the teenagers hung out. I can still remember the beautiful night sky and a Little Anthony & The Imperials song playing on the speakers;"Take me back, I'm begging please". Afterwards when we got home, we'd all pretend we were asleep in the car so that daddy would have to carry us inside one by one. Great times.

[Autumn07]

My Grandpa had a Model A (candy apple red color) neat car, unfortunately I only got to see pictures of it.

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

I remember the Model A Ford, before drive-in movies. I rode in my grandfathers Model A and thought that was really cool.

So naturally I remember the drive-in movies. As a teen-ager in Detroit that was the place to go with a date. Don't remember any of the movies though.