Drive in theater

[rockinrollfan37]

i find that it's really sad that people became so busy with thier personal lives that they no longer go out and socialize with friends and go to drive in movies! i went to a few drive in's as a kid with my family in the early 80's and i am fortunate to have those great memories in my head forever! i mean really how long did it take to get in the car and drive a few miles to the theatre and park your car and enjoy a night out with your family and friends! drive in's were quite an experiance!

[Sarasdad91]

Thank you videomix22. That was a tearjerker, but a wonderful video.

[Dnyce261]

3:22 Twin Hi-Way Drive In has been reopened. 

[vm756]

The remains are awesome! Its mostly still there. I like that. However, i am intimidated by the screens for some reason.

[1skunkus]

remember passing them on the freeway and all screens would be playing?

[Sarasdad91]

@1skunkus Remember sitting on the roof of a friends house to watch a movie? You couldn't hear it, but it was still fun to watch. It sure made you wish you could read lips. I saw a movie with Raquel Welch called the Kansas city bomber that way, I was just 11 then.

[Narrowgaugefilms]

Well...

They aren't all gone. Last summer we were up in Maine and took in a show at the Bridgton Twin. Two summers ago it was the Sunset in Colchester Vermont. Both are doiing fine.

It's well worth seeking these out and experiencing them: it's more than just a movie!

[JacobMays95]

I hate this... I was really born in the wrong era, I really wish I could've been around to see this kind of thing and back when there were real cars and life was so much simpler...

[MultiJesse1995]

still one here in dallas! (its oregon, not texas.) thumbs up if you live in dallas oregon!!!!

[Pookatube]

What was the name of that song? It sounded mournful, yet touching......

[videomix22]

@Pookatube The song is titled Sanctuary. It is performed by Jim Wilson and is off his "Places in my heart" album.

[hckyplayer17]

WOW! Thanks for the memories. Breaks my heart to see theaters like this. There is one here in NH in this condition I visit often. Great Video!

[videomix22]

@hckyplayer17 Glad you enjoyed it and Thanks for watching.

[Elvis1972MovieTour]

Thank you so much for the Drive-In Memories. Great Video

[richkal]

Sheesh... thats almost heart-wrenching, if you can remember when the places were alive and vibrant. I almost envy the younger crowd; they'll never know what they missed.

[blackcoffeebomb]

Thanks so much for putting this together. Made me cry.

[spartacusnv]

OMG - We used to pack 10 kids and four adults in our stationwagon. The BEST part - We brought our OWN food and wore our PJs and slippers! Every time there was a SCARY part, we would get our blankets, cover our heads and SCREAM!! FUN, FUN, FUN! You CANNOT do that in a movie theater without someone complaining. PLEASE BRING THEM BACK!! I KNOW kids of today would TRULY love them, as they can walk from car to car during INTERMISSION to see if they can find any of their friends and hang out!!

[JubalCalif]

Heavens to Murgatroid! This short film is really QUITE moving! It brings back so many wonderful memories for me. I saw a LOT of movies at local drive-ins with my family or friends when I was a kid in the 60's and a teen in the 70's. A TOTALLY different experience than going to a walk-in. And a lot more fun! THANKS for posting this delightful footate for us to enjoy! CHEERS! :-)

[videomix22]

@JubalCalif Thank you friend for watching. Yes, I too remember those wonderful Drive-In movie day's with my family back in the 60's and in my teenage years during the 70's. Those memories will live with me for the rest of my life.

[JubalCalif]

@videomix22

You are MORE than welcome! My drive in memories will live with me & my siblings forever too! It's a unique experience that (sadly) most young people today can't relate too, since there are so few drive ins left. THANKS again for a heartwarming little film !!! :)

[TheBelldiver]

There is a operating drive in in ft Lauderdale, I went once. $4 - $5 bucks for pop corn  for 

[pulpculture]

Hmm. The drive-in at 1:03 looks just like the old Hatfield Drive-In in Alabama before the screen finally collapsed, which was years ago.

[THRILLAKILLA187]

WOW A SAD VIDEO CUZ I LOVE THE DRIVE-INS WE LOST 4 GREAT DRIVE-INS IN MY AREA NOW THERE'S ONLY ONE THE FORD WYOMING !

[Monstroslocos]

This video brought good memories of getting in the family station wagon or my dads pick-up and going to the Floral drive-in in East Los Angeles to watch a spanish movie for my parents it was a lot cheaper to go to the drive-in when there was 5 kids and 2 adults. Its now gone but the memories will last a lifetime. Thank you for posting by the way I now live in Utah and there is a drive-in in Salt Lake City.

[videomix22]

@Monstroslocos Im right with you on that one. We were also 5 kids and two adults in our family and $5.00 a carload at the Charro Drive-In on Saturday nights to watch Cantinflas was a real bargain. Well, the Drive-In's are gone but the memories at the Drive-In with the family are embedded in my mind forever. Thanks for watching my video.

[DrChiliAbrams]

Yes that is sad to see, but drive-ins are making a comeback. Google drive-in theaters and you will see. I have been to 11 of the remaining 19 in california in the last year.

[ScrapNfight]

What a heartbreaker. VCR's spelled death for the Drive In Movie. On their way out now are single screen movie theaters.

[mase4t4]

Loved it, Thanks

[DramaDon83]

I had no idea there were so many drive ins that are no more...there is one near me in Willow Oak near Mulberry Florida that has been shut down all my life..I am 45, and this thing is made out of concrete...maybe I will make a video about it...it has always been a mystery to me because I cannot find information about it...

[videomix22]

@DramaDon83 Could be an old Drive-In theater snack bar or something. If you shoot an video, let me know if you upload it. Thanks!

[innocuousaccount]

I remember going to one of these when I was a kid! It's sad that there are so few left, because if there was one around, I would certainly go to it.

No idiots kicking your seat (that happens to be sticky for some reason you'd rather not think about), announcing their own moronic commentary while you're getting so aggravated that you're not even paying attention to the movie any more. + your ears weren't ringing by the time the movie was over at these just to drown out aforementioned loudmouths!

[creeptales1]

my dream is to own a drive in theater i would love not for the money just for the fun and of the old feeling watching really terrible movies that people have forgotten do you think it would work

[BeautyPrettySociety]

@creeptales1 Yess. I've never been to one. :(

[1skunkus]

@creeptales1 I would so do it with you if money was aquired, land was available, gangs would stay out and the rights to play the films, I want to do it too

[haasguidod101]

I miss drive in's, those were the days!!

[50zcarsman]

About 12 years ago, as part of a cultural exchange/conflict resolution exercise, I hosted two 15-y.o. boys from former Soviet Georgia for a weekend. Took them to Bengies Drive-In just east of Baltimore on a summer Saturday night. They had very little English, but I could tell they were in HEAVEN -- hot dogs, fat-salty popcorn, the Claw Game for prizes, and scantily-clad Balto chicks all around! Likely they're the only Georgians who've been to a drive-in. The slept like babies in the back seat.

[DJBuckCallYo]

I remember when I went to a drive in as a child, I was fortunate that at least I had the experience to watch a movie at a drive in, cause nowadays there aren't as many drive ins as there used to be, I loved drive ins, they were fun, and we were more relaxed.

[Cineramicfilms]

Another great video. Quivers with feeling

[musicman257]

love the video.i got my first kiss at a drive in loved them.they were a blast.i rember when they used to be all over to.thanks for sharing.

[videomix22]

@musicman257 Thanks, glad it bought back some great memories!

[Elvis1972MovieTour]

@videomix22 Great Awesome Video. My Favorite Drive-In Theater was Harbor Blvd Drive-In Theater in Santa Ana CA. It was about 9 miles from Disney Land. I miss it so much. Yes. I am Drive-In fan

[stetra52]

There are a few in Virginia, and West Virginia. I'm 58 and remember when they were all over. This was so sad because they were so much fun! Getting older is a double edged sword!

[IanGorton]

Yeah it's sad that most of them closed down in the 80s (Thanks to the invention of the VCR)

There are still a few around here in Australia as well. There's one in the region I live in and I go there as often as I can. Until I started going there the last movie I saw at the Drive in was ET.

I'm only 30 and I agree with you, Kids today don't know what they're missing out on. Though the one I go too still gets plenty of families with kids in PJs. Now that brings back memories.

[ScrapNfight]

Wow, this is a real heartbreaker. Quivers with feeling

[GEMINITREKKER]

Kind of a sad video.These Drive-In Theaters should be preserved as part of American history.There are a few operating still.I know of some in New Hampshire,Massachusetts and Ohio!

[coolley100]

Very nice. Thanks for posting.

[videomix22]

@coolley100 Thank you, glad you enjoyed it.

[Myrmish]

Ahhh, the crunching sound of the gravel as you make your way at dusk to the speaker pole. Spotting bats as they fly across the white screen before the cartoon starts. A whole evening of shooting stars above, and the smell of a fresh chocolate hot toddy in a metal can. Distant airplane lights disappear and reappear behind the dark silouette of pines lining the entrance road. Days gone by.

[MARTS54]

Terrific tribute to what we once had, and sadly what we don't have anymore. The music on here is excellent - adds to the sadness of what we have lost. It brought back wonderful memories of my youth and the local drive-ins we used to have in my community. My first memory is of my parents piling us kids in his red and white station wagon to go to the local drive-in to see "A Hard Day's Night" with the Beatles.

[driveinights]

A very touching and well crafted video! Five Stars!

[ncrdisabled]

Boy great job really brought tears to my eyes I loved going to the drive in when I was

a child with my parents over 30 years ago. I have not seen a drive inn since 5 years ago now that I am in New York. I grew up in Louisville KY and there were 7 drive inns within 10 miles of where I lived. Sure miss those days!!!!

[ShockDoc]

No sad words here! If people had supported this industry, they would still be here!!!

[IAmFurby090]

When my local one closes, my childhood memories will be no more. :'( Don't people realize how much better the Drive-ins are? You don't hear a ton of noisy children, no smooching and no uncomfortable feeling made by the one next to you in movie theaters... Though drive-ins had their problems, but less of them than movie theaters have...

[Cerilio94]

Fantastic Video!!! Nice Job!!!

[carolmichellef]

This video made me so sad ... I say let's bring them back!!!

[cresidue]

Sad...

[yukadoo]

A bittersweet voyage thru yesteryears, and yester-tears ... a cornerstone of our innocence, and happiness ... a trip back thru time, to an era of timeless-ness.

A time to remember ... never to be forgotten.

[ArizonaDelRio]

That's the thing I remember most. People honking their horns at the end of a movie.

[NikeAurrs45]

they actually seem much more convient than going to a movie theatre but no thanks to piracy it'll maybe never happen

[Skaterman30000]

is it still open?

[videomix22]

Thank you moebetta74, glad you enjoyed it.

[mizzpink98z24cavi]

It's so sad to see the end of an era. I would rather go to a drive in to see a movie instead of a theater. But, that will never happen....

[sr71ablackbird]

@mizzpink98z24cavi I would rather go to one also. It might be possible one day, if the children and teens of today were taken to one, exposed to it and see how it influenced our culture and way of life at one time. Not only would it give them a chance to get out of the house and get to know others, while having fun at the same time.

[mooseboy101]

we still have one here in van-buren

[sr71ablackbird]

@mooseboy101 , Savor it , if and when you can, because you never know, one day, it may be gone, as the 2 were where I live.

[Ghidorah13]

Very sad video! Most of the young people today will never get to experience what it's like to watch a movie at a Drive-In.

[soylentteal]

Thanks for sharing, videomix. I live north of Seattle and the county's last drive-in will be torn down next month. I had 20 years of fun there (movies and swap meets) and now my kids are going to lose a precious piece of Americana. For those of you who love their local drive-ins, enjoy them as often as you can, because many will meet the same fate as these.

[sr71ablackbird]

@soylentteal I could not agree more. For that is what happened to the city that I live in. Now, the nearest one is 2+ hrs away. I can only hope that one day that they can re-open one on a vacant part of land on the opposite side of which one of the drive-ins was on.

[hikernut1968]

Hey, I know, I just found out that Puget Park is closed!! How sad! I used to live up in Bellingham and we had the Samish twin drive- in, I lived right next to it and went all time in the summer. There is no trace of that one after it closed in 2001- sad to see these going away:((((

[Rando123a]

Now I feel like crying. At least we have one about 2 hours away that I try to get to once a month or so.

[Alleghenymike]

Wonderful....thanks! Now I'll go wipe the tears out of my eyes and spend the next hour getting the lump out of my throat.

[sr71ablackbird]

@Alleghenymike  Mike, I felt the same way when I seen this. It gave me memories of the 2 that were here in the town where I reside. It also reminded me, as to what a treasure was lost when both of them closed down.

[Arkstrikle]

iam 38 and last movie i saw at a drive in was 1983 octopussy,ah how miss them not around anymore vhs killed the drive in.

[Idoljunky32]

Excellent post! Really enjoyed it! I remember going to the Skylite Drive-in on the boarder of Milwaukee and Menominee Falls (in Wisconsin) and seeing ET, Star Wars and Alice in Wonderland. Sadly, the Skytlite has been ripped down since the 90's. The town I live in now (West Bend, WI) tries to do a "Movie In The Park" type drive-in from spring-fall before snow hits. It's really nice. I wish drive-in's would make a comeback. Again, thanks for posting this! Excellent Job!

[Ghidorah13]

I used to go to the Starlite & 41 Twin (South Milwaukee) almost every weekend. The great memories I have of being there . I now take my boy's to the Drive In's in Kenosha & Jefferson about 4-5 each summer & hopefully they will have the same memories when they get older!

[donho1950]

Really enjoyed this post. I have so many good memories involving our local drive-in. Sadly that one closed, but there is still one operating fairly close, and as busy as that one is, I don't think it will be closing any time soon.

[RadioLaPrincess]

There is nothing better than watching movies outdoors. I am only 38 (so not of the baby bommer generation) but can remember going as a child.

[billysscreeningroom]

This is just excellent!!

[videomix22]

Thank you billysscreeningroom, glad you enjoyed it.

[zathras9now]

I just about missed this era, but we've got one that opened up about 10 years back and it has been joined by a double screen version on the other side of town. So look around, you may find one close to you!

[sr71ablackbird]

@zathras9now I just wish you knew how lucky you are to have one of those near you. For what you have there is what used to be where I live.

[zathras9now]

Lots of fun, when we get to go. Hope you can find one nearby.

[zombiesass]

Shame kids don't what they missed...Thanx for the awesome video!!!!

[gutjoe]

A sad, but nice movie. It's hard to understand how something that was so ALIVE can become a thing of the past. Progress? That's not what I would call it.

[sjtom57]

I couldn't finish watching. Too painful. But thanks for all the great memories anyway. :)

[unidelvius]

I was not born at a time when drive ins were at the peak of their time, but i do feel for all those theaters that closed down or forgotten. May they rest in peace

[CodyL211]

I shead a tear lol. I wish i was alive in the 60's about 19 years old, so i could experience the true drive-in experience for my self. back then was the right way to watch a drive-in movie. the one in my town doesnt have the old speakers because they all broke off, so you have to tune into a radio station, unlike the old days where you hooked the speaker to your window and enjoyed the movie with your delicious snacks. why are they becoming extinct? can anyone PLEASE tell me why. i NEED to know!

[PumpDog99]

The innovation of a better quality picture and digital surround sound led to more people going to indoor theaters and abandoning drive-ins.

[sr71ablackbird]

@PumpDog99 and that is the problem, all the indoor theaters, for this what replaced one of the drive-ins where I live. Personally, I would NOT care about the Digital surround sound or the picture quality. I would rather watch it the way it used to be. If you click under videomix22's name, he has posted on it "drive in intermission films" click that and watch it. is the exact same way I remember it , the crickets, the sound of audio, the video, now if one could just smell the pic coils burning.

[sr71ablackbird]

@CodyL211 VCR, DVDs, home theater.

[ANDE2004]

I remember as a child I used to ride with my family in our big green Dodge Coronet station wagon with paper shopping bags full of buttered popcorn!! Then in the late 80's in my fathers 1965 Buick LeSabre convertible, we used to raise and lower the top in that huge car just to see how many cars behind us would honk their horns as that huge top blocked their view,,, all in fun!! Good times!! Sad to see it fade away....:-(

[ebrickbay]

AWESOME! Road Warrior, E.T., Star Wars, Phantom of the Paradise, Capricorn One, Heavy Metal, Smokey and the Bandit....Just a handful I can recall off the top of my head. My Mom would make the old school TV dinners, the ones with foil pans and foil covers, and we would take them with us. By the time we started eating at the beginning of the first movie, they were perfect to eat.

[Cryocide13]

After watching this, I did a search and discovered there are still a lot of drive-in's on the outskirts of Los Angeles - some of them new. Looks like I'll be trying out a few of them this Summer. Wonder if the experience will be as good as when I was a kid... Maybe I shouldn't mess with good memories....

[videomix22]

Trust me my friend, I bet it will bring lots of great childhood memories. The stars above, the big screen, the breeze of a summer night, oh yea it should bring back great memories. Let me know how it works out.

[ElvisonTour1972]

@videomix22 This is one of the most greatest and also saddest video i have ever seen. The music goes excellent with the demise of these Drive-Ins. I will miss the Harbor Drive-In Theater in Santa Ana CA. The Drive-In was located at 3700 McFadden Ave.

[thecopykidofthestarz]

@videomix22 Im young Though I do like indoor theaters I Like the old Fasion ones with the opera house style decor, but I will never forget my first drive in movie with my parents in back of my dad van.

[videomix22]

@thecopykidofthestarz Those are memories that will be with you for the rest of your life my friend. Thanks for watching.

[Cryocide13]

Nicely put together. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I've never understood how these things can still be standing after so mayb decades. I guess they just close and are forgotten. It was strange seeing that screen just feet away from what looked like a mobile home park. Perhaps it's too costly to demolish the screens, so they just sit...silent giants from another time. Sad...

[videomix22]

Thank you Cryocide, God I miss those Drive-in days of getting togther with the family on Saturdays nights.

[DetroitRick1]

I vaguely remember the Gratiot Drive in, which was about 6 miles from where l grew up. Also remember the Bell-Air drive in.

[awaseniu]

Can I stop crying now? I don't think so.

[Mightydein]

Drive in's are the best way to be watching movies because you don't have to worry about a noisy audience ruining the movie. Your watching the movie in your car and you can pack your own snacks without getting any grief from the theater staff. But even still the snacks for sale in the drive-in taste a lot better than the snacks at the movie theater. From my experiences at the drive-in even if you hated the movie you still had fun. I can't say the same for any non drive-in theater.

[walldinowalldino]

How unbearably sad.

[fizziwig88]

GREAT VIDEO!!!

[RadioLaPrincess]

Is there a list of all these drive-ins in this piece? I ask because a few look like ones that were near me in the Chicago area. Great piece.

[videomix22]

Hi RadioLaPrincess, Sorry there is no list of the Drive-in's on this video. I randomly picked them from the internet and then placed them on this video. Thanks for watching!

[08aburns]

it almost makes ya wanna cry

[jdstarlit27]

Striking Images. A beautiful tribute to drive in theatres past and present. I love abandoned drive ins! I spent several summers at ba drive in that closed down before I even was able to go to it. Only about a mile and a half from my house, me & my buddies would go there to relax and smoke....well....let's just say we wern't smokin' Marlboros. My friends climbed up the screen tower but I was too scared. We got paranoid after the police started patroling then they tore it down.

[metalalien79]

The Las Vegas 5 drive in never closed, open to this day. The picture and sound are terrible but every weekend on a warm night, packed from one fence to the other... over flowing with people. Us included.

[notbrosproductions]

If I could, I would give you an Oscar for this well done and very moving piece. Can't say enough about it.

Where did you find this wonderful music?

Thank you for this great film. 5 stars!

[Mike8291]

GOOD NEWS The TWIN HIWAY Drive in has reopened that you saw in this video near Pittsburgh!!

[driveinfaned]

Nice job. It truly is sad to see a piece of Americana fading a little bit more each day. I think of all the laughter and fun that used to be had in those abandoned drive-ins, and I think it's sad that some people have never experienced a night at a drive-in. Places like this are harder to find each year. Keep up the good work!

[ericinwisconsin]

There is indeed something sad about a run-down, abandoned drive-in theater. Such is the way of the world. The time of the drive-in is past.

I wonder what things we have today that we'll one day look back upon with nostalgia?

[notbrosproductions]

"The Drive-in Will Never Die!" - Joe Bob Briggs

Body piercing and tattooing

[ericinwisconsin]

LOL! God, I hope not! I don't think much of body piercings now.

Still, I HATED valley girls in the 80's, but now I kinda look back at them fondly.

[VeRTiGo9191]

Very moving! Sad, we need to stop the drive ins from closing! Nice work!!

[toybaseball]

We've got to hang in there and keep supporting them if you have one around you. I do and love them. I commit to going to at least 2 movies every season, more when possible. Green Bay, Wi

[winniversal]

I've been to the Putnam and the Deer lake drive ins featured on here!

[steffidude]

save our great drive in. The owners are too old to run it this coming season. They have it for sale. Has wonderful screen and natural gas well. Always full movie night. Near Shelbyville Indiana, Skyline Drive in..

[cinerama62]

I"m sitting here watching this, and thinking of all the good times we used to have at our Drive-In, "The LakeShore" in Port Huron MI, closed, gone. Thanks VideoMix 22.

[videomix22]

Glad you enjoyed my video cinerama62. Thanks for watching.

[eyezcsoulz]

Thanks for the touching video! My husband and I own and run a Drive In Theatre, and can only hope people start to realize what they are losing out on when Drive Ins shut down! Thanks again for the thoughtfulness!

[yogafan6500]

That is one sad but brilliant video about the late great Drive-ins of America.

[allbassband]

They still have one not too far from me. But the last time I went there in (1989ish) it wasn't the nicest place to be. I would hate to think what it is like now.

What a shame.

[videomix22]

Thanks for the comment Anita. I hope someday someone will invest money in building a Drive -In theater here in San Antonio. We just had the last one close forever in 2007. God I'm going to miss those days of getting together with the family on Saturday nights at the Drive-in. The last Drive-in here was called the Mission 4 Drive -In Theater.

[yourvon]

THANK YOU FOR A FABULOUS AND YES, SAD VIDEO.

Some of the Best times of my Life have Memories of Those Days.

The 50's were So Fine because of Drive-Ins.

There is still one close, in Barstow, Ca.

Does anyone remember hiding in the Trunk, of maybe a '57 Chevy

Would Love a Comment!

[anitashelby]

Oscar You make such heartfelt videos..I feel the same as you..That all of the Drive In Movie Theaters are a thing of the past now..It was soo much fun..I miss them terribly..Maybe they will be back one of these days..They say that all things come back..But who knows when..But still it will never be the same as before...thanks Oscar for posting...Hugs Anita