Google reminded me with this clever and creative "Doodle" that today is the 79th anniversary of the opening of the first drive-in movie theatre.
Coincidentally (or not), it also happens to be my father's birthday today — he himself a writer and historian of varied interests, in particular that of drive-in theaters and historic movie houses.
An article which he wrote in 2005 for Journeys, AAA's magazine, "When drive-ins die... and when they won’t" is sadly no longer online (the subject of relying on newspapers and magazines to maintain archives is a topic for another time).
However, I happen to have a copy on my hard drive. The full article is now archived here on this Beyond the Depot page, for those interested.
It all began in Camden, New Jersey in 1933:
Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr. had a whale of a notion during the early years of the Great Depression. After tinkering with bedsheets, drop cloths and a secondhand Kodak film projector, he filed for exclusive rights to protect his idea. In May 1933, the U.S. Patent Office granted Hollingshead approval on patent number 1,909,537. He immediately formed Park-In Theaters, Inc., erecting the world’s first movie facility accommodating both patrons and their automobiles. On June 6, 1933, the Camden, a converted vacant lot, screened the long forgotten talkie Wife Beware for the paying public. (Source: Rolin Miller, ("When drive-ins die... and when they won’t")
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| June 1959 Everett Motor Movie ad. |
Eventually, Washington State was home to more than 40 at the height of their popularity in the 1950s and 1960s— and nationwide, more than 5,000 drive-in screens.
Locally, I'm sure many readers remember Marysville's Thunderbird Drive-In, Burlington's Skagit Drive-In, the Everett Motor Movie and Puget Park in south Everett, Lynnwood's Sno-King, and the Kenmore Drive-In.
However, by the 1990s, the lure of rising real estate prices saw many local drive-ins shuttered.
The sprawl of suburbia brought with it a wave of mall and commercial strip development. Sparsely settled space that not long ago was the domain of roadhouses, two-pump filling stations, $3-a-night Bide-A-Wee auto courts — and, today, only memories of lost landmarks like the Everett Motor Movie — became high-priced real estate. By 1997, only 14 outdoor theaters remained operating in the state, and each passing year has marked the closure of another of the survivors.
Today, there are just six drive-in theaters left in Washington State. Since his article was written in 2005, Puget Park Drive-In in south Everett and the Vue Dale in Wenatchee have closed, both in 2010.
The future is uncertain for the remaining theaters, as they face the same dilemma as small movie houses such as the Olympic Theatre in Arlington: the impending switch from 35 millimeter film to digital. The conversion can cost tens of thousands of dollars — for independently owned theaters, it's a make or break deal.
So where can you still see a movie locally through your windshield? I'll let Rolin Miller take over here.
- The Blue Fox (Oak Harbor WA): The most ambitious multi-purpose drive-in complex in the state, it is home to a go-cart track, game entertainment center, and the Brattland Express train ride for children. All of this is in addition to an ambitious, usually first-run playbill changed weekly during a year-round operation. Opened in 1957, it “seats” under 200 cars, many belonging to appreciative Navy families, and boasts the spiffiest (and newest) restroom facilities a mother could wish for at any theater.
- Valley 6 Theaters (Auburn WA): The Valley began life as a “one-lunger” in 1960 and just kept growing. In terms of dimensions alone, this 55-acre 6-plex is the state’s lollapaloosa, hemmed in by the city of Auburn. Manager Keith Keel masterfully books and pairs up the latest releases, operating all six screens during June, July and August (cutting back to three before Memorial Day and after Labor Day). Try for a high summer visit: the drive-in aficionado will grow goose bumps, after dark, taking stock of a half dozen simultaneously lighted screens. It’s a sight.
- Wheel-In Motor Movie (Port Townsend WA): Located just south of town on Theater Road, off Highway 19, this well-concealed gem carved out of native evergreens, is cute as a bug’s ear — and about the same size. Richard Wiley, who has operated his father-in-law’s creation nearly all of its 52 years, runs a tight ship for all ages, including those who are too young to remember Johnny Mathis. Parking is on grass and listening via original Eprad speakers you’d best never try to make off with.
- Rodeo Triple Drive-In (Bremerton WA): Washington’s oldest active drive-in — since 1946 — is located minutes west of Gorst in Kitsap County. Don’t blink or you’ll overshoot the entrance hewn out of the woods along this stretch of Highway 3. Owner Jack Ondracek has enjoyed increasing success with the Rodeo in recent years. However, with three double features to choose from, it’s a good bet the uninitiated will find one worth watching anytime during the spring-to-fall operating season. The Rodeo’s rural setting is deceptive — the theater is state of the art and there isn’t an RCA speaker to be found anywhere on the sprawling complex.
- Skyline Theater (Shelton WA): From the tasteful neon sign just off Highway 101 to the manicured landscaping incorporated into the facility, the Skyline is an impeccably cared-for centerpiece of Americana. Every speaker on the lot is in operating condition, each pair residing on a stanchion crowned with a guiding red light. Parking for about 275 vehicles is regulated so that big rigs don’t ruin the viewing for ground-huggers. Large, appreciative crowds are allowed to make themselves comfortable in an all-ages-kid-friendly atmosphere. The first run double features (nearly always PG) are a bargain for big and little families, and the booming snack bar is a sight to behold.
- Auto Vue Drive-In Theatre (Colville WA): Celebrating its 60th year in operation in 2013, the Auto-Vue has been owned by the same family since opening (the Wisners also operate the indoor Alpine Theater in town). Today the theater is looking at a fourth generation legacy. It’s a long drive from anywhere, to be sure, even for the $10 a carload Wednesday night double feature, but it’s a worthwhile effort. You’ll never see a darker night than the kind served up in Colville for an outdoor movie.
(Editor's note: Happy Birthday Dad)
