"Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one. "
~John Lennon


Sunday, July 22, 2012

Those Were The Days

When we had only two little kids we would pile into the car and head to the drive in movie. The kids and I would wear our pajamas. We never could stay up very late, so in order for us to be together as a family, we would start out watching the movies and one by one fall asleep in the car. I would end up with my head on my husband's lap and he would have his snacks and soda while he watched his James Bond movie or a fright movie that the kids and I did not want to see. When we got home he would carry each kid inside and put into bed, and wake me enough to get me to bed and we all felt like we had a great night out. That was our family night in San Diego.

I am interested in other people's memories of the drive in movie.


17 comments:

Ms. A said...

I remember the things we used to light to keep the skeeters away. Popcorn, sodas, milk duds, being hot and sweaty, speakers with static and trying to find one that didn't have it. We had a 1961 Ford Econoline van and Dad would pull in backward and open the back doors. Good times!

R. J. said...

Interesting topic. I remember drive-in theaters very well. I have three vivid memories of them and I can't tell you about any of them!

DJan said...

You mean they also had movies at the drive-in? I thought it was just a place to make out! :-)

Jeanie said...

Drive-in theaters were a very different experience when I was taking my own kids than when I went as a teenager....but both fun and good memories.

Shammickite said...

There's a drive-in not far from OlderSon's house. He often piles the family in the car, parks with the car facing away from the screen, opens the trunk and they sit in chairs at the back of the car. Good view of the screen and they can hear the sound from the radio. And they take blankets, bug spray and lots of snacks. Next time, I'm going with them!

Abby said...

Loved he drive-in while growing up! In fact, my very first real date was to the drive-in. He was a nice boy too, just held my hand during the awful movie.

In high school, I drove a pickup truck. Sometimes friends and I would go to the drive in and sit in the bed. Pretty soon my truck would have half the lot sitting somewhere on or in it. Great times!

CiCi said...

Ms A, Speakers with static is a good memory, getting there early and pulling next to each speaker to find one that was clear enough. Sounds like you have some good drive in memories too.

R.J., at least your memories are still vivid. Double dating at the drive in was always much safer.

DJan, yes it was a place to make out and sorta watch the movies.

Jeanie, yes, different experiences, and both lots of fun. I will never forget watching Bambi and my daughter who was about 5 getting so upset about Bambi's mom and the fire in the forest.

Shammickite, I want to go with you too.

Abby, I hope young people get to have the fun times that we did. We would all pile into a car or truck and have such a good time with the snacks and being able to talk during the movies.

Stickup Artist said...

I have only been to a drive-in once. I went to the snack bar and got lost. I missed practically the whole movie roaming around looking for the car!

Debby@Just Breathe said...

I remember the drive in. Of course not with those model cars! I remember going once with our son when he was a baby and it didn't turn out well, he was not a happy baby that night.

Debby@Just Breathe said...

Also....Didn't go much as a child because my dad was the manager of the Atlantic Theater in a Chicago so we spent tons of time at the indoor show but my dad has so many stories about the drive-in because he was involved with opening a few for his boss!

stephen Hayes said...

I remember wearing pajamas in the car to go see Ben Hur. I wanted to see the entire movie but it was sooooo long and I fell asleep. I didn't get to see the entire movie until twenty years later.

terri said...

We lived within walking distance of a drive in but our family could rarely afford to go. I remember going once as a family and I think it was to see Pinnochio! Us kids talked about that night forever! It was such a rare and special treat.

Jeni said...

Although there was and still is a drive-in theater near where I live, I only have a few memories of going to a drive-in. Once, when I was a kid, my Mom wanted to see the movie "Not As a Stranger" and it happened to be playing at the drive-in, so she took me along to see that -I was around 9 I think. (It inspired me to read the book then shortly thereafter -which was a huge book -and which I re-read at least 2 more times by the time I graduated h.s. and it's amazing how much more I understood with each reading. LOL With my kids, I only ever took them to the drive-in once and that was quite the occasion which, I do believe I shall have to do a post about that episode of my past life! Now, give me some inspiration as to what the heck to cook for supper tonight as I am kitchen braindead today!

CiCi said...

Stickup Artist, I remember going to a drive in when as a kid, some family friend took a car load of us kids to the drive in to see the early version of Titanic. It seemed a little scary to me and was maybe too mature a movie for kids to see. Were you a youngster when you were lost in the parking lot full of cars?

Debby, being in the movies with an unhappy baby is no fun. I remember being in walk in movies and other people bringing their babies and the crying bothering so many patrons. But at least in the drive in movie the patrons are not sitting next to each other. I would like to hear some of your father's stories about opening the drive ins.

Stephen, Ben Hur was indeed a long movie, but it seems like it is a good memory for you even if you were unable to remain awake for the entire movie.

Terri, How fun to have a Pinnochio drive in memory.
Maybe not going very often was part of the reason it was special when you did get to go to the drive in.
I never went to any movie with my parents when I was a kid.

Brian Miller said...

i saw star wars the first time at the drive in...i love the drive in...we still have 2 working drive ins within an hour of us!

Hilary said...

I have clearer memories of going to the drive in from when I was little than the few times I've been to them as an adult. It seems the place to see a drive-in movie was the small country town north of my native Montreal where we spent our summers. My dad would take us to see a double feature and I presume the first one was interesting to kids and the second one not so much. It was certainly an event we kids looked forward to. And one I remember fondly. I'm sure that if I thought about it I could come up with more titles but for some reason, the only movies I remember seeing at the drive-in as a child, was Walk, Don't Run and Up the Down Staircase.

Heidrun Khokhar, KleinsteMotte said...

The last drive in movie that I clearly recall goes back to the days of Star Wars. Buddy was an only child until 1982 so it was before that year that we took him to a local drive in mainly because we weren't sure if he would sit through a movie quietly enough in a regular theatre. Well he loved the movie and was very well behaved.The later ones were all watched at regular theatres. And he still loves the series. Very few drive ins are around now.