DRIVE-IN MOVIES
A SPECIAL POEM FROM A WWII VETERAN
I remember going to the drive in as a kid
in the 70's and always remembered those family nights out so fondly. Fighting for the
swing, getting sick on the merry go round and watching the intermission commercials with
the hot dog and bun.....and the hot dog jumps into the bun. Now that I have children of my
own I will tell you what my children say to all there friends when they talk about their
drive in memories. "Remember the night two months ago when mom went to the playground
with us and decided to go on the swing? "Remember when she went to high and flipped
off the back of the swing and we had to run and pick her up, pick the leaves out of her
hair, make sure she knew who we were and then go get our dad to help mom stand up? I do,
that was so cool they say........I am happy to say I survived the night and went back
again (not on the swings of course) but what I am most happy about is my children have
that memory of the drive in and the many nights after laughing about it. We have now moved
away to a place that doesn't have a drive in and my children, I am sure, will be missing
those experiences since we went every Sunday - 10 dollar car load night you know....
Back in the 60's my hubby and I and little Bobby,
~Taylor's Trails......n' Tator Tot~
I remember the drive in's very well. I went to the when I was just a
tike and even sneaked in a time or two. LOL. I remember going to the
drive-in on a date and the windows getting all steamy. ~~Margie~~
When my kids were growing up....our drive-in charged by the person..for adults...we therefore would take two cars...park right next to each other...my 12 year old then would sit behind the wheel, with her 6 year old brother...and then my husband and I had peace!!! Then when it was time to go home, I would get in and drive the other car home....when I would tell others, they initially thought it was awful...UNTIL THEY TRIED it and they all thought it was wonderful. ~~MaryinSM~~ I remember going to the Drive Inn Movie in Cleveland, Oh where my first husband and I were visiting. Well we decided to see "The Exorcist" and right at the scariest moment someone came by our car window and taped it and the popcorn went every where. I never did see that movie again. I always remember that tap and how my decesed husband could not stop laughing at me.........I did like going to the Drive inn I always felt freer and enjoyed going in big groups......just having good clean fun......... ~~Mrs. Krump~~
I REMEMBER GOING TO THE DRIVE IN IN MY FRIENDS 1949 MERCURY, IF IT WASEN'T DOLLAR NIGHT, WE WOULD FILL THE TRUNK, AND IT WAS A BIG ONE. SOMETIMES WE WOULD LAY ON THE FLOOR IN THE BACK SEAT, SO WE WOULDN,T BE DISCOVERED.THIS WAS IN WARREN OHIO. I CAN STILL SMELL THE POPCORN AND DELIGHT IN THINKING ABOUT THE OTHER GOODIES WE HAD. WE USED TO CALL IT THE PASSION PIT, OF COURSE THAT IS WHEN YOU HAD A GIRL WITH YOU. MAKING OUT WAS THE ORDER OF THE DAY, BUT THAT WAS FINE WITH ME , I WAS YOUNG AND STILL HAD PLENTY OF TIME. I MOVED TO NYC , GOT MARRIED AND REMEMBER TAKING MY TWO SONS TO THE DRIVE IN. THEY WOULD BE IN THEIR PJ'S , SO THAT WHEN WE GOT HOME WE COULD CARRY THEM RIGHT INTO BED. THAT MOVIE IS GONE NOW , IT WAS REPLACED BY A 14 PLEX , ITS A DARN SHAME . WARREN OHIO STILL HAS A FEW , MAYBE I WILL GO BACK SOMEDAY AND VISIT ONE FOR OLD TIMES SAKE. ~HERB NOSS / NYC & WARREN OHIO~
I always remember going to the Drive-In with my Mom and Dad. We also took along the dog. Now that I have kids of my own I too take them to the Drive-In. We have one here where I live (Ft. Lauderdale) at the Swap Swap. It's the only one I know of that's still around, and it's alot cheaper than the inside movies. That's for the memories.. ~Emily~ I remember taking my kids to the drive in when they were little. We always took hamburgers, popcorn and kool aid for the kids.
~Nancy - Oklahoma~ Being a teenager in the 50's was
something I'll always be grateful for and my memories of the Northwest Highway
Drive In in Dallas is one of the best. What fun we had. ~Ann - Texas~ I grew up in the late 50's and the 60's and going to drive-in theaters was a very big part of my life. Our local drive-in, Skyway, in Malvern, Ohio, held a special on Tuesday nights, $1.00 per car load, and we use to jam into a car, filling the seats and the trunk and usually only paying about 10 cents per person to get in. I started going to the drive-in's as a small child with my parents, wearing my pajama's and falling asleep in the back seat.
Then came my teenage days....never saw too many movies but always had a great time! LOL
Later, as the wife of a Marine and living a small budget, we spent almost every Saturday night going to the drive-in as our entertainment. Then along came our 2 sons and we took them as small children and then later allowing the older son to drive the younger son to the drive in. There were times my hubby and I sat in a front row and our sons sat in another car in the back rows on the same night.
Time past, theaters were torn down and 6 grandchildren entered our family. 2 years ago I decided that with more and more theaters being destroyed that my grandchildren needed to experience going to a drive-in, so, off we went in my Blazer with a hatch back door, the back padded with sleeping bags, a cooler full of pop and snacks and lawn chairs.
They were so excited...so was I !!!
They had a blast, the 3 boys choosing to sit on the lawn chairs by the back of the car and the girls and I laying on the sleeping bags. Of course, I don't remember my bones aching so bad in the early days! LOL But, it's been 2 years and the kids still talk about it to this day and a memory I'll always cherish sharing with them. ~Sandy - Ohio~ My school buddy's sister was friends wih the owner of the Buckhorn Drive in theater in Mission, Texas and he used to hook us up with passes. That was in 1963-1967.
I really enjoyed the talent shows...the stage was the top of the concession stand and to this day we remember and laugh at the fun we had. All the honking when the reel would break and the pachucos combing their hair readying themselves to sing live......thanks for the memories!
~BY CHEYANNE~
WHEN I WAS JUST A LITTLE GIRL
BEFORE WE HAD TV
WE USED TO LISTEN TO RADIO
BUT THERE WAS NOTHING TO SEE
SO ONCE A WEEK ON DOLLAR NIGHT
MOM WOULD MAKE POP-CORN
WITH TUNA SANDWICHES, OFF WE'D GO
OUT TO THE BUCKHORN
US KIDS LOVED TO GO "UP FRONT"
ANIMALS GALORE TO SEE
I CAN'T REMEMBER JUST WHAT THEY WERE
BUT THERE WAS NO EXTRA FEE
WE'D RUN AND PLAY TILL IT GOT DARK
AND THEN WE'D HEAD FOR THE CAR
WE'D EAT AND WATCH THE MOVIE
JOHN WAYNE WAS USUALLY THE STAR
THE PALMS WAS IN MCALLEN
THE BUCKHORN WAS IN MISSION
SOMETIMES WE'D GO ALONE
WHEN DADDY WAS OUT FISHIN'
THAT'S WHEN WE'D SEE THE LOVE STUFF
THAT MAMA LIKED TO SEE
THAT DAD REFUSED TO WATCH
THAT LEFT KENNY AND ME
THEN I DISCOVERED THE CACTUS
I WAS MUCH OLDER THEN
THERE WERE TEEN-AGE BOYS AROUND
DO I REMEMBER WHEN!
I SMOKED MY FIRST PELL-MELL OUT THERE
AS SOON AS THEY TURNED OFF THE LIGHT
THOSE THINGS DID NOT HAVE FILTERS
WE'D SPIT TOBACCO HALF THE NIGHT
YOU LEARNED HOW TO STEAM UP THE WINDOWS
YOU LEARNED TO KISS AND PET
THE GIRLS KNEW WHEN TO SAY, "STOP,
THAT'S AS FAR AS YOU'RE GOING TO GET!"
MOM SAID "THEY WON'T RESPECT YOU,
YOU'LL GET A BAD REPUTATION
YOU WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE MARRIED
UNDER ANY SITUATION!"
THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY WAS SAFER THEN
WE NEVER HAD ANY FEARS
OF DRUGS OR GUNS IN THE FIFTIES
IT DIDN'T HAPPEN IN THOSE YEARS
OH WE HAD FUN AT THE DRIVE-IN
HARDLY EVER WATCHED THE SHOW
I WISH I COULD TURN BACK THE CLOCK
SO MY FOUR KIDS COULD KNOW
THE INNOCENCE OF LIFE BACK THEN
THE FIFTY-SEVEN CHEVYS
OF DRAGGING ON A LONELY ROAD
OR PARKING AT THE LEVEES
THEY WANT TO GO TO THE CACTUS
GET A BURGER AT JO AND ART'S
CHERRY COKE AT THE CITRIANA
ALL THOSE PIECES AND PARTS
THAT MADE UP OUR LIFE AS A YOUNGSTER
THOSE WERE THE GOOD OLD DAYS
AND THE DRIVE-INS WERE THE BEST OF IT
IN OH, SO MANY WAYS!
MEMORIES
~by
Elmer Ake~
Are memories the only thing ever meant to last
Can we never forget the long distant past?
Even as the passage oftime dims our eye's
We sit and remember about how time fly's
Yes we can remember a love done's cry's
And in our hearts we know why.
Can we ever forget the drive-in's silver screen
Nights under the stars in an old machine.
A girl we loved sitting by our side
We would hunch down in the seat and try to hide
When the manager walked by outside
Trying to hush up kids that cried.
We watched John Wayne in a western reel
While a little kiss we tried to steal.
Just when you thought your girl give in
And now you know your going to win.
And the people in the next car are watching with a grin.
Then the lights come on for intermission
The refreshment stand is really packed with folks
Filling up with candy popcorn and cokes.
Then the lights go out and people settle down
To watch James Cagney dance like a clown
The kids are quiet they don't make a sound
You don't even know their is any around.
With your arm around your girl a kiss you steal
And maybe even try to get a little feel.
Then the lights come on and horns start to blow
You hang up the speaker it's time to go.
You have just relived a drive-in show
And memories of times people now will never know.
~Butcher
(The Butcher Bunch)~
age 6-8 months, used to spend the weekends...
after payday at the drive-in in El Paso, TX...
(can't rememeber the name) but it was a fun way to entertain ourselves....
fixed up a flat plywood bed with blankets and pillows for lil' Bob....
so he could sleep if he got tired of watching the flickering screen...
momma and daddy had a grocery bag full of popped corn, we fixed at home....
our out soda pops, etc. and we'd just ste back and watch the movies...
no hassels, no noise from the cars parked next to us...
the windows were usually open, but you never saw anyone in the cars...
We usually got in for a dollar a car...
so the entertainment was cheap and good...
even when at the end of the movies when a car would drive off and still have the voice box hooked in his window...
then is when you see a little action....
Enjoyed the memories...just had to add a bit to your site...
They always wanted something to eat and we could never afford the concession stand, so I always made enough for all of us to eat supper there. LOL
Very seldom did we ever buy anything from the concession stand!
I guess my most vivid memories is the night that about 6 of us went and my best
friend, Melissa, and I hid in the trunk of the car in order to get in free.
It was such a thrill to have to be quiet and not giggle. We were holding
our noses and keeping our hands over our mouths to keep from laughing.
After we got in....and they opened the trunk....someone slammed the trunk and
caught Melissa's finger and smashed it. I remember it so well and how sick
it made me feel. She cried, but was so brave and didn't want to go home.
I loved her like a sister and still do. That night still gives me chills.
I have such wonderful memories of that drive in....I have a drive in speaker on
my wall in my "memorabilia room" on the back of my garage.
~Vince Lopez~
