Drive-In Movies

[Cachoo]

Any memories....or are you going to one now?

Last movie I saw at a drive-in: Blazing Saddles

What I want to see at a drive-in: Twister

I've also noticed drive-in church services.

I noticed our local drive-in was opening with Shrek....followed by IT. hhhmmmm

 

[Susan1]

I couldn't even tell you how many movies I've seen at the drive-in. We used to go with parents when I was a kid. Shauna's dad took us to see The Ugly Dachshund and turned the station wagon around so we could lie down in the way-back. We had the Cruise-In past downtown Miamisburg for a long time (it was built way before I was born) and then Southland 75 across from the mall. In high school and after, we used to go practically every time the movies changed, so I don't even remember what all I saw. Alicia and I went to see Funny Lady and parked in the middle of the two speakers and put one in either side of the back seat so we could sing along with Barbra in stereo. Gosh, I'm really showing my age, huh? One time while my cousin was in the bathroom, we moved her car. She had a fit. That drive-in closed in 1986. It's been a strip mall since. Sad.

My ex and I went to the Melody 49 a few times in the 80s-90s. I remember taking his kids to see the first Batman. One time when it was just us, the second movie was...(shoot - the one with the talking venus flytrap that had a girl's name - anybody?). So boring we fell asleep and they had to come and tell us the movie was over and to go home. At least by then you could listen to the movie on the car radio. I just looked - that drive-in is still open - https://www.melody49drivein.com/welcome/

 

[Cachoo]

Thank you for sharing your memories and I loved that you moved your cousin's car. These drive-ins proliferated when I was a kid too and they were fun. When we were little of course we would go in our pj's and fell asleep before the second feature. When we were older but still young teens it was an easy meeting place in the summer.

 

[Susan1]

Thank you for sharing your memories and I loved that you moved your cousin's car. These drive-ins proliferated when I was a kid too and they were fun. When we were little of course we would go in our pj's and fell asleep before the second feature. When we were older but still young teens it was an easy meeting place in the summer.

I looked it up - the Miami Cruise-In was built in 1947! Way, way before my time. I remember in the 60s when they had a miniature golf in front of it. The kind with the windmill and clown and stuff.

Forgot to mention - it was guys we just met who actually moved Lisa's car. I told her I told them not to. Ha. (shhhh!)

Yeah, when I was little, my mom popped popcorn and brought candy bars and a thermos of iced tea. Later, half the fun was seeing who was in the concession stand, and hanging out at different people's cars. In high school, we followed friends in who had snuck people in in the trunk. I mean, geez, save $1? I guess it was the thrill of it. They also brought the beer. That reminds me - half of a beer and I fell asleep during the second movie, "Friends" - with the Elton John theme song. I have never seen that whole movie.

I just saw a rerun of The Middle the other day where the parents took the kids to a drive-in, and they didn't get the point, or the fun. Actually, teenagers wouldn't have gone to the drive-in with their parents back in the day either.

 

[Aussie Willy]

We used to go the Drive-in when we were kids. We loved it. Go in your pyjamas and dressing gown with blankets. Our nearby town had one. Saw lots of Disney movies there. Particularly Herbie the Love Bug. And another one was The Dutchess and the Dirtwater Fox which was a fun Goldie Hawn/George Seagal movie set in the Wild West.

I do remember my dad was on baby sitting duty one night and went to watch A Clockwork Orange. He assumed us kids would just fall asleep. I woke up and saw one of the more graphic scenes from it.

The other thing were the slide ads back then. We used to rotate around the car who got what on the screen. Funny the car ads were always the fourth one so the same person kept getting the car.

And of course there was the playground in the middle of the field that was packed before the films started and the kiosk to get your junk food.

 

[Japanfan]

The small northern Canadian town had a drive-in. It was about 10 miles out of town, but very near where we had our summer cottage. We would just drive down the one dirt road in the cabin area, cross the highway, and the drive in was just a few minutes away.

We took grandma to see 'Jesus Christ Superstar' one Sunday night. Bad idea. She was really distressed and for days afterwards kept saying 'The Romans did it! The Romans did it!' (We are Jewish).

 

[Lemonade20]

Our drive-in is still operating and was showing 80s classics all week like “Footloose”, “Dirty Dancing”, and “Raiders of the Lost Ark”

 

[Prancer]

I just looked - that drive-in is still open - https://www.melody49drivein.com/welcome/

We used to take the kids there when they were little, although I think we went to the Dixie Drive-in (which is also still operating) and Park Layne (which isn't) more. It's always fun to go somewhere in your pajamas when you are a kid.

Do you remember the Skyborn, aka the Skyporn, where they showed XXX-rated movies that could be seen quite clearly (albeit briefly) from the highway?

I visited a friend with my daughter in Cape Cod a few years ago and my friend and others kept telling me that we should go the drive-in for a good old-fashioned experience that couldn't be had elsewhere. They were always crushed when I said that we have drive-ins here and have been many times, as they were under the impression that there were only a few drive-ins left. Maybe so, but this is the Midwest, where life moves slowly.

 

[Susan1]

We used to take the kids there when they were little, although I think we went to the Dixie Drive-in (which is also still operating) and Park Layne (which isn't) more. It's always fun to go somewhere in your pajamas when you are a kid.

Do you remember the Skyborn, aka the Skyporn, where they showed XXX-rated movies that could be seen quite clearly (albeit briefly) from the highway?

I visited a friend with my daughter in Cape Cod a few years ago and my friend and others kept telling me that we should go the drive-in for a good old-fashioned experience that couldn't be had elsewhere. They were always crushed when I said that we have drive-ins here and have been many times, as they were under the impression that there were only a few drive-ins left. Maybe so, but this is the Midwest, where life moves slowly.

I didn't know so many were still around here. I know where the Skyborn was. There was a roller rink right there. The only other one I remember going to was the Captain Kidd (?) in Kettering once with my now ex-husband. I don't know why. We had two drive-ins in Miamisburg, so we didn't need to go far. More families and better movies were at the Southland 75. By the 70's, we called the Miami Cruise-In the Screws In cause more high school kids went on "dates" there. And they tried to make it a XXX place later, but it was right next to a neighborhood and I'm kind of remembering that people could even sit up on the Miami River levee and see in too. They shut it down completely.

ETA - I just looked it up - the Captain Kidd was the first in the area to have the ability to listen to the movie through your car speakers.

Greater Dayton Drive-In Movie Theaters

FIND BOOKS ON DAYTON, OH HISTORY FREE ONLINE

www.daytonhistorybooks.com

 

[Cachoo]

I hate to admit this but when I was a tot I managed to accidentally get a cracker jack kernel stuck up my nostril. My folks liked westerns and I saw plenty of them at the drive-in when I was a kid. I still hear John Wayne's "Howdy Pilgrim" or some such. I remember having a very early crush on a football player named Roman Gabriel who played John Wayne's adopted son in one of the films.