Fun Holiday – Drive-In Movie Day

The unofficial holiday celebrates the anniversary of the day in 1933 when the first drive-in theater was opened in Camden, New Jersey by Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr.

A drive-in theater screens movies on a large projector outdoors. Patrons drive on to the grounds in their cars and usually sit in them to watch the movie. Sound is provided either through large loudspeakers or through individual speakers attached to the car.

Rise, Fall, and Rise of Drive-Ins

Drive-in theaters became popular in the United States and in many other parts of the world in the 1950s and 1960s. They capitalized on the fact that they were convenient for families and romantic for couples. By the 1970s, the rise of conventional movie theaters led to a decline in drive-in movie theaters.

In recent years, the improvement in movie screening technologies has led to a resurgence of drive-in theaters in many cities in the US.

How to Celebrate?

• If you have a drive-in theater close to your home, go to one and watch a movie. Take a picnic basket with you to make it more enjoyable.
• If you don’t have one, what about hosting a backyard movie night? Of course, your guests probably can't drive up to the projector, but they will still get the same experience of watching a movie in the outdoors.

Did You Know…

…that the first movie ever seen on a drive-in theater screen was the British comedy, Wives Beware?