About the time when RK Chevrolet opened its doors, a favorite American pastime was going to the local drive-in theater to catch a double-feature. Although drive-in fever peaked in the late 1950s, in 1964 it was still a popular way to spend an evening for both couples and families. The first drive-in theater was invented by Richard Hollingshead of Camden, New Jersey in June of 1933, after he experimented with a sheet, a projector and a radio in his own driveway. After World War II, between 1946 and 1948, the number of drive-in theaters across the U.S. rose from 102 to 820. A decade later the number of drive-ins had skyrocketed to almost 5,000, including a combination drive-in/fly-in theater for cars and small planes!
The appeal of the drive-in theater experience was that it offered so much more than just watching a movie. It was a place to socialize, hang out with friends, and enjoy a variety of snacks at the refreshment stand. Shortly after the Baby Boom began in 1946 there were so many children at the drive-ins that many theaters had playgrounds installed. In the 1950s, as the size and number of drive-ins increased, some theaters also offered attractions such as pony rides, talent and animal shows, and miniature golf.
Sadly, by the late 60s and 70s the drive-in heydays were gone, and the 1980s saw a huge decline in drive-in attendance, in large part due to the introduction of cable television and VCRs. In the late 90s there was a resurgence of interest in the drive-in; some reopened and added extra screens, and some new drive-ins were built for a new generation of drive-in movie-goers.
Today few drive-ins remain in operation, but their status as an American pop culture icon lives on. Visit our Virginia drive-in page for a list of 8 currently operating theaters in Virginia, or check out www.driveintheater.com for listings of drive-ins in other states.
