HISTORY OF NATIONAL DRIVE-IN MOVIE DAY

National Drive-In Movie Day marks the day when America’s first drive-in theater was opened in New Jersey by Richard M. Hollingshead Jr. The drive-in was created for seniors who found it hard to comfortably sit in indoor movie theaters. He made a small drive-in theater for his mom in his driveway and placed a big screen in his backyard with a Kodak projector on his car.

Later, in 1932, he used the same technique to open his first patented drive-in theatre. It had a parking space for 400 cars. The goal was to cater to the entire family in the open air. The first movie that was played in the theatre was the popular British Comedy “Wife Beware.”

Owing to American’s love for movies, more drive-ins were set up in the country. By the late ’50s, more than 3,000 drive-ins could be found in the U.S. New York had the biggest drive-in theater. It could accommodate up to 2,500 vehicles. This drive-in also had a restaurant and a playground for kids. An indoor seating arrangement was also available.

The drive-in industry capitalized on the fact that they were convenient for families and romantic for couples. When color television, cable TV, and VCRs became popular during the early ’90s, the trend of drive-in theatres began to decline.