As an institution, the drive-in's heyday was in the 1950s, when more than 4,000 screens dotted the American landscape.

How many drive-in theaters were there in the 1950s?

Drive-ins gained immense popularity 20 years later during the 1950s and '60s with the Baby Boomer generation. There were over 4,000 drive-ins throughout the U.S., and most were in rural areas.

How many drive-in movie theaters were there in 1958?

By 1958, the number of drive-ins peaked at 4,063. "Drive-ins started to really take off in the '50s," Kopp said. "They offered family entertainment. People could sit in their cars, they could bring their babies, they could smoke.

How many drive-in theaters were there in 1960?

Drive-ins — or, in old trade press lingo, “ozoners” — never really went away, but the venues first proliferated in the 1950s and peaked in the 1960s when the postwar baby boom and motorized suburbs nurtured the open-air alternative to the traditional “hardtops.” In 1960, around 5,000 drive-ins operated in America, ...

What was the peak era of drive-in theaters?

The drive-in's peak popularity came in the late 1950s and early 1960s, particularly in rural areas, with over 4,000 drive-ins spread across the United States in 1958.

Drive-In Movie Theaters - Life in America

What was the drive-in cinema in the 50s?

Often associated with teenagers interested in the drive-in as a 'passion pit' or a venue for exploitation films, accounts of the 1950s American drive-in tend to emphasise their popularity with families with young children, downplaying the importance of a film programme apparently limited to old, low-budget or ...

In what state was the biggest theatre drive-in?

The largest drive-in cinemas by car capacity were the Troy Drive-In, Detroit, Michigan, USA and the Panther Drive-In, Lufkin, Texas, USA.

How many drive-ins were throughout the US in the 1950's and 1960's?

The idea quickly caught on, and by the 1950s, there were more than 4,000 drive-in theaters across the United States. One of the main advantages of drive-ins is the convenience they offer. Unlike traditional movie theaters, drive-ins allow people to watch movies from the comfort of their own car.

What was the largest drive-in theater?

The Algiers Drive-in in Detroit, Michigan, USA had a screen that measured 65.8 m (216 ft) wide and covered 445.9 m² (4,800 ft²) when it first opened on 15 August 1956 to show the western The Searchers (USA 1956) starring John Wayne.

When did people stop going to drive-in movies?

Drive-in theaters flourished in Los Angeles from the late 1940s to the late 1970s. Changing tastes and the reputation of drive-ins as teenage "passion pits" meant that by the 1980s, they had become a rarity. In the 1950s, the greater Los Angeles area had approximately 70 drive-ins.

How many drive-in theaters still exist across the United States?

The number of drive-in cinema sites in the United States remained at 321 in 2020, the same as in the previous years. The figure tends to remain the same for years at a time, and is always far lower than the number of indoor sites, which make up the vast majority of cinemas in the country.

What is the oldest drive-in movie?

OREFIELD, Pennsylvania -- Shankweiler's Theatre is the oldest drive-in movie theater in the world, bringing a unique experience to customers for nearly a century. Founded in 1934, the theater has survived the Great Depression, two World Wars and 16 United States Presidents.

Were there drive-ins in the 60s?

Invented in the US, drive-in theaters reached their peak popularity right after World War II during the '50s and '60s, allowing guests to enjoy B movies in a giant parking lot, under the stars and in the comfort of their cars.

How much did drive-in movies cost in the 1950s?

Prices. The drive-in movie lots could hold anywhere from 100-400 cars at a time. The cost to view the movie was 25 cents per car and an additional 25 cents per each person in the cars.

Why did drive-ins go away?

"The decline of the drive-in was directly related to the movement away from Main Street America and towards the mall society, where convenience, times, weather and the idea of 'all-inclusive' became the popular way to enjoy a night out, pushing away the classic night out at the drive-in," Stefanopoulos elaborated.

What is the oldest drive-in in the United States?

Located in Orefield, PA, Shankweiler's Drive-In Theatre has held the distinction of being America's oldest operating drive-in for most of its history—stretching back to well before the drive-in heyday.

What was the first movie played in a drive-in theater?

The first film ever screened at a drive-in movie theater was British. On June 6, 1933, just outside Camden, New Jersey drivers paid 25 cents per car, plus an additional 25 cents per person to watch the English comedy Wives Beware at this quintessentially American institution in the open air.

What was the largest drive-in the United States?

The longest drive between any two cities in the contiguous United States stretches more than 3,600 miles from Cape Flattery, Washington, to Key West, Florida. That's according to the research team at World Geography website StudyCountry.com, which took this curiosity a step further.

Were drive-ins popular in the 40s?

The drive-in theatre experience first came to light on June 6, 1933. That was the day Mr. Richard Hollingshead, opened the first drive-in theater in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey. A few others quickly followed but the trend only truly took off with the advent of in-car speakers in the 1940s.

Were drive-ins popular in the 50s?

Throughout the fifties, drive-ins were a popular commodity. They attracted many people because of their uniqueness and just the very idea of being able to be served in your car; however, that attraction began to wear out with the introduction of fast food restaurants like McDonalds.

How many drive-in movie theaters are still around?

But the drive-ins of yesteryear have staged a recent comeback, driven by a sense of nostalgia and aided by the need for COVID-safe entertainment options. There are now 16 drive-in theaters regularly operating throughout California (and more than 300 nationwide), plus seasonal and pop-up drive-ins in various locales.

Why were drive-ins so popular in the 1960s?

Either way, it was an entertainment bargain. Teenagers, many of whom now had their own cars as well as access to the family sedan, could go on a pretty cheap date and remain at decent, respectable distances—or not. By the late 50s through the 60s, there were quite a few films made primarily for drive-in release.

Which US city has the most theatres?

It's no surprise that New York City holds the crown as the theatrical capital of the world. Boasting an astonishing number of over 10,500 theater shows each year, the city's vibrant theater district is alive with a mix of timeless Broadway hits and boundary-pushing new works.

Did drive-in movies have heaters?

Drive-In Movie Display

While the speakers and heads are common what isn't is a pair of Eprad 750 watt heaters. Anyone who went to drive ins up north knows about these but you would be suprised that a lot of people don't.

What is the theatre capital of the United States?

There are more than 250 theatre companies in Chicago, the city hailed by London's The Guardian as “the theatre capital of America.” That includes some of the famous stages downtown, plus dozens more scattered throughout Chicago's neighborhoods.