While many, many businesses have been negatively impacted by the pandemic and its associated business lockdowns, there’s been one outlier that has not only bucked the trend, but is actually thriving in this new consumer climate:

The Drive-In Movie Theater.

A staple in the 1950s (there were over 4,000 of them nationwide in 1958), they providing the driving public with a way to get entertainment without ever leaving the interiors of their shiny, new automobiles.  Carloads of teens, adults, and families gathered in open fields in front of huge white screens that towered over rows and rows of neatly parked cars, each sporting a sound box hanging in the window (to clearly hear the movie audio).  Swing sets and playgrounds were often placed down by the screen so restless youngsters could burn off their pent-up energy.  The concession stand was the hub of all drive-in commerce, their counters offering up popcorn, candies, drinks, and even heartier fare, like hot dogs and hamburgers.  Friends and families gathered, mingled, and were entertained with sometimes two or three different pictures in one evening’s lineup.  You might see Charlton Heston driving a chariot, Gene Kelly singing while on roller skates, or Bugs Bunny outwitting Yosemite Sam.

I fondly remember going to the drive-in as a kid.  There were three or four of them within 25 miles of my house back then, and we’d pile in the car with my mother on a Saturday night, anxious to see what would be playing, as well as excited to experience all of the sights and sounds that the outdoor theater experience had to offer. 

There were often some weird movie pairings back in those days.  I remember one strange double-bill, Walt Disney’s animated feature, ‘Robin Hood’, followed by the summer blockbuster, ‘Jaws’ (yes, I saw it for the first time at a drive-in). As I recall, it was raining, but that didn’t stop us.  My mother strategically positioned two umbrellas on the hood of the car, we scrunched down a little further in the seats, and “viola!” – no more rain on the windshield.  The show must go on – and they’re gonna need a bigger boat.

The advent of home video, cable, the internet, and video-on-demand pretty much killed off the drive-in in the early 2000s, and the number of theaters plummeted over 90% (just barely 348 remained nationwide in 2014[1]).  Nobody wanted to sit in their cars, hear terrible sound (from a frequently busted speaker box), and watch a film they could just as easily rent and watch in their own living room for half the price.  The valuable real estate a drive-in took up could also be used for other, more profitable ventures.  Drive-ins disappeared quicker than your local ‘Blockbuster’ video store (but that’s another story).  Oh, there are a few still out there, but like finding a wild morel mushroom in the woods – you’ve got to know where to look.  These days, the nearest drive-in to me is over an hour away.

However; like a phoenix rising from the ashes, drive-ins are making a comeback.  Small, boutique or pop-up theaters can suddenly appear in a city parking lot, showing indie films or certified classics. An inflatable screen can quickly appear in a field or back yard.  A blank wall next to an abandoned lot can suddenly host an impromptu watch party.  These days, sound is easily projected into a vehicle over the car’s own stereo system.  Digital projection provides crisp images (from tiny projectors).  It’s a much different experience today than it was watching ‘Jaws’ during a rainstorm in 1977.

The COVID-19 social distancing restrictions are tailor-made for the drive-in crowd, and some outdoor theaters are experiencing the biggest crowds they’ve seen in decades.  It’s still a tough business model, though.  Large format, digital projection systems (often costing upwards of $70,000) drive up a drive-in’s operational costs, and the limited viewing schedule (as darkness is a requirement) hurts the ability to generate revenue .  Like regular movie theaters, the drive-in’s make or break add-on is usually the concession stand, but it’s hard to make money there as well (since families tend to pack their own snacks for the car).

So these days, the drive-in isn’t dead – and it isn’t on life support (temporarily, at least).  We’ll just call it “stable condition”. 

So if you have the chance to visit one this summer, pack up the car, toss in a blanket or pillow, and introduce your family to some feel-good nostalgia at the drive-in.  Who knows what may be playing?

Been to a drive-in movie lately?  Drop me a line in the comments section below and let me know about your experience!

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[1] Wikipedia contributors, “Drive-in theater,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Drive-in_theater&oldid=965584048 (accessed July 4, 2020).