Create a Drive-In

Drive-in theaters allow customers to view movies from the privacy and comfort of their cars by setting up the theater outdoors. The first drive-in theaters were the invention of New Jersey businessman Richard M. Hollingshead. In 1932, Hollingshead began experimenting with outdoor projection by nailing a screen to trees on his property and screening movies from a projector. In 1933 Hollingshead was granted U.S. Patent 1,909,537 for his drive-in system. His first drive-in was opened in New Jersey on June 6, 1933. Throughout the 1930s, the concept caught on and many states opened their own drive-in theaters.

The concept of the drive-in caught on for many reasons. Many families loved the concept because it allowed the family to go out and enjoy a movie without paying for a babysitter and without worrying that the children would disrupt the movie. At the same time, each audience member could be assured that other families or other people’s children would not disrupt their own movie watching. Many couples enjoyed the privacy that cars offered.

Following World War II, the drive-in theater became even more popular across the country, although it was not until the late 1950s and early 1960s that drive-ins really became all the rage. During this time, there were about 4000 drive-ins across the country. Eventually, however, the popularity of the drive-in waned. The theaters required a fair amount of space, and as real estate increased in value few theaters were able to keep up. Daylight saving time reduced outdoor evening viewing time by a full hour and many patrons were frustrated by the fact that movies could only be seen after twilight. New technologies – such as TV and the VCR – allowed families and couples to enjoy many of the same benefits as the drive-in, but without some of the inconveniences.

In 2001, though, a new wave of drive-in uses began to sweep the country. A number of cities in the US and Canada established drive-ins or even bicycle-ins for special events. Some film festivals chose to screen their showings outdoors, on giant screens. Better technology made audio and video quality more dependable and many event organizers saw that the occasional drive-in generated great revenue.

Today, drive-in technology is available to almost anyone. Whether you want to set up your own film festival, screen your own movie, develop a fundraiser or raise some extra money for your business, you will be amazed at how affordable and convenient setting up a drive-in theater is. Just contact Hollywood Outdoor Movies to find out all the details. Hollywood Outdoor Movies can literally take care of all the details – from set up to technical details to dismantling the screens when you are done.