Saturday, September 28, 2013

The American Drive-In Theatre


The American Drive-In Movie Theatre (Popular Culture)
By Don & Susan Sanders
ISBN #978-0785829751
Crestline
Price $8.95 (Hardback)
160 Pages
Rating 5-Stars

“Once An American Phenomenon”

The authors collect photographs and history of the American Drive-In theaters that once dotted the American landscape. Every town had one, and they drew families in their automobiles out for a movie in their own living room – the car! Perhaps the height of the drive-in theaters came in the 1950s, with monster films and teenagers on dates. Today they are gone, but their memory remains with those who grew up in that decade of fast cars, invaders from Mars, and a neat place for teenagers to neck without parents watching from over the couch.  In the book also are pictures of the Snack Bars – remember “It’s Intermission Time, Folks” – and the playground up front for little brother to vacate the car while big brother sneaks a kiss from his date.

I came out of the 1950s generation, and remember the drive-in theaters with fond memories. Living in Wichita Falls, Texas, I went to the Seymour Road Drive-In, as well as the Twin Falls Drive-In, and probably several others. I also went to the Brazos Drive-In Theater in Seymour, Texas as well as San Antonia, Texas, but don’t remember the name. I do remember the last time I went to the drive-in, it was to see “Damnation Alley” in Grand Forks, North Dakota in the late 1970s. The San Antonio drive-in had “dollar night”, and my wife would pop popcorn and make cool-aid, and we went quite often. It was cheap entertainment at the time, and we loved it.

This book will bring great memories back to those who remember them, and introduce those who never knew them to an American icon of a bygone day.

Tom Johnson
Echoes Magazine

2 comments:

  1. I remember going to the drive-in with my parents as a kid and later on in my own car on dates (some fun memories!). The last time I went was when we lived in Brownwood in the '70s. We took the kids to a double feature, one of which was The Great Train Robbery with Donald Sutherland and Sean Connery.

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  2. Yes, what wonderful memories, especially dates during monster flicks. Another American icon slowly fading away.

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