5 of 23

Write now Article Tools

For those of that are old enough to remember, there was nothing quite like a trip to the drive-in to see a favorite movie!

The drive-in theaters have pretty much disappeared from the American Landscape, but in their day they were quite the rage! In the northern part of the country it was mainly a warm weather activity, however some drive-ins had window heaters installed so if one could keep the frost off the windshield, movies could be enjoyed in even the coldest of weather.

There was nothing quite like enjoying a summer evening sitting in a car, with the windows rolled down , enjoying a flick under the stars and full moon! With a gentle breeze flowing in the window, there was nothing to disturb the evening except the need to massacre an occasional mosquito.

It was a great place to enjoy a date with your main squeeze. One could count on the fact if the moment did happen to get romantic, those immortal words would emit from the loud speaker, "Jones ,your chicken order is ready!" What a setting. As you can imagine, overcoming that interruption always required a great deal of concentration.

Probably the best part of the drive-in scene was the Sunday night gathering for the weekly party. Anyone who was anyone would be there. It was well known in the area that no one went to the drive-in on Sunday night to watch a movie. Whatever event was happening on Sunday it was planned around the weekly ritual of going to the drive-in! If there happened to be a little beer left from a Sunday afternoon party , so much the better. It sure went good with the chicken.

Cars would be coming from all directions and the crowd would start gathering just before dark and one of the main challenges would be to see how many people could get in for free. It wasn't uncommon for kids to be piling out of trunks as soon as it was dark enough to be unnoticed. Little did we know this training became very useful for those who later went on to Vietnam.

It wasn't so much to avoid paying the entrance fee, it was just fun to see what one could get away with.

It was unheard of to have a date on Sunday night, why would you want to do that? What, miss all the fun? It was always the perfect ending to a week-end, soon the movie would end, we would pack up whatever was left and head home to face another work week and look forward to the next Sunday Night at the movies.

Learn more about this author, Gary Wonning.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about The good ol' days: Relishing unforgettable memories?
We want to hear your view. Write now!