There are still a few of them around the country, but most disappeared a long time ago. They were one of the symbols of the new, upscale, mobile lifestyle that seemed to sweep the country after WW II. We were in love with our cars. They were bigger, quieter and flashier than ever. Interstate highways were popping up everywhere, allowing Americans to ride their shiny new machines farther than they had ever gone before. Suburbs became possible, because we no longer had to ride public transportation or walk to work. Motel chains, Kampgrounds, drive-in restaurants and a plethora of other businesses were created to take advantage of our love affair with the automobile. None of them were more iconic than the drive-in movie theater.Families, nervous kids on their first dates, and veteran neckers alike all found their spots at the drive-in back in the day. These were theaters that showed first run movies, normally as double features. And they had all the amenities: concession stands, playgrounds for the kids and picnic tables to let you enjoy a feast as you ogled Hollywood's best. Eventually, people got tired of the lousy sound that came through that metal speaker, temperamental weather conditions and screaming kids in the back seat. Bit by bit, the quality of the movies fell off, and soon there weren't enough couples left looking for a cheap place to park to support most drive ins. So, as the 70's wore on, most of them faded away.
Like traditional theaters, a few of them were sold to those who found that they could still turn an easy profit showing porn. One such theater was just outside Spartanburg, South Carolina. I spent a few summers in the 70's as a young man in the sweltering sauna of the Palmetto State. My grandparents lived there, squeezing the last few dollars of profit out of a family farm. I worked during the day, and then worked hard trying to figure out how to stay out of their "parlor" on weeknights, and out of their church on the weekend. At some point, I stumbled over the drive in. It took half the summer before I worked up the nerve to pull in. Fortunately, they weren't overly diligent in checking IDs. As long as I had some pictures of Lincoln and Washington, they were more than happy to let me enjoy the show.
