Blog: tracker's place

Prompt Drive in Movie BCOF 6/6/2024

Thursday
June 6, 2024
2:35 am WdC time




Prompt: What do you know about Park in Theaters aka drive-ins? Have you ever watched a movie at a drive-in? We'd love to hear your stories.

When I was thirty, my husband and I decided to return to college to earn our degrees. The college we chose was California State University Humboldt. The town abuts an inlet of the Pacific Ocean. We found a huge two-story house to rent. It was normally rented by four to six students.

Other than a kind of misty rain frequently falling in the mornings, the weather was ideal. Not cold, not hot with a cool afternoon ocean breeze, and without the need for central air conditioning. We heard there was a drive-in movie theatre a few miles down the highway. It was late June when the movie Grease was released. Early in July, we decided to go to the drive-in one Friday night, as it was not a school night, to see the popular movie "Grease." We anticipated our two children would fall asleep. They were in their pajamas and had their pillows, favorite blankets, and teddy bears. That was one of the huge advantages of the drive-in.

We found a parking spot near the center, pulled the speaker off its stand, and attached it to the driver's side window. We had fixed popcorn at home, placing it in brown sandwich bags. The smell and taste of buttered popcorn were practically gone when the movie started. We leaned back on our comfortable car's front seats for the show.

We saw Sandy and Danny meet on the beach and kiss. The fog caused by the ocean rolled in at that point, and made it impossible to see the screen. No one warned us this was commonplace. It was the first time we noticed it. It wasn't the first time for the outside theatre. Cars began to leave. We followed and were surprised when a couple of people stood near the exit issuing "fog tickets" allowing us to go again another night.

The outdoor theatre had a number of advantages. You could wear your pajamas if you'd like. I saw adults in pj's and robes walking to the concession stand. The kids slept with their treasured possessions from the time we parked to the time we got home. And, you can bring your own food which would save you a lot of money compared to buying food at the stand.

There is a drive in theatre in a town near ours. The kids and grandkids went to see the recently released children's movie "If." They will go again in about ten days when the sequel to "In and Out" is released. The cost is $20.00.