Editing Drive-in theater

{{short description|Cinema format}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2024}}
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[[File:Autokino.jpg|thumb|right|A drive-in with an [[inflatable movie screen]] in [[Brussels]], Belgium]]
[[File:Bass Hill Drive-in Cinema.JPG|thumb|right|[[Bass Hill, New South Wales|Bass Hill]] drive-in cinema, [[Sydney]], Australia]]
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A '''drive-in theater/theatre''' or '''drive-in cinema''' is a form of [[movie theater|cinema]] structure consisting of a large outdoor [[movie screen]], a [[projection booth]], a [[concession stand]], and a large parking area for [[automobile]]s. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movies from the privacy and comfort of their cars. Some drive-ins have small [[playgrounds]] for children and a few picnic tables or benches.

The screen can be as simple as a painted white wall, or it can be a steel [[truss|truss structure]] with a complex finish. Originally, the movie's [[Sound recording and reproduction|sound]] was provided by [[Loudspeaker|speakers]] on the screen and later by individual speakers hung from the window of each car, which was attached to a small pole by a wire. These speaker systems were superseded by the more practical method of [[microbroadcasting]] the soundtrack to car radios. This also has two advantages: 1. the film soundtrack to be heard in [[stereophonic sound|stereo]] on car stereo systems, which are typically of much higher quality and fidelity than the basic small mono speakers used in the old systems; and 2. it prevents the driver from forgetting the speaker is attached to their window, and driving off, which  breaks: the cord connecting the speaker to the sound system, the driver's side window, or both.

== History ==

=== Early drive-ins (before WWII) ===
A partial drive-in theater—Theatre de Guadalupe—was opened in [[Las Cruces, New Mexico|Las Cruces]], New Mexico on April 23, 1915:
<blockquote>Seven hundred people may be comfortably seated in the auditorium. Automobile entrances and places for 40 or more cars within the theater grounds and in-line position to see the pictures and witness all performances on the stage is a feature of the place that will please car owners.<ref name=RGR2>{{Cite news|title = A New Comer To Las Cruces| newspaper = The Rio Grande Republican| pages = 1| date = 16 April 1915}}</ref></blockquote>

The first movie shown by the Theatre de Guadalupe was ''Bags of Gold'', produced by [[Siegmund Lubin]]. Theatre de Guadalupe was soon renamed ''De Lux Theater'' before closing in July 1916.<ref name=Screen1>{{cite book|first=David G.|last=Thomas|year=2015|title=Screen With A Voice – A History of Moving Pictures in Las Cruces, New Mexico|pages = 43–44, 168 |publisher=Doc45 Publications|asin=B018CYWZ4O }}</ref>
[[Image:First drive-in theater Camden NJ 1933.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|First drive-in theater, [[Pennsauken, New Jersey| Pennsauken]], New Jersey, 1933]]

In 1921, a drive-in was opened by Claude V. Caver in Comanche, Texas. Caver obtained a permit from the city to project films downtown. With cars parked bumper-to-bumper, patrons witnessed the screening of [[silent film]]s from their vehicles.<ref>{{cite news |title=Claude Caver Dies at Home |work=  Dallas Morning News |date=1959-02-20 |page=5}}</ref> In the 1920s "[[outdoor movies]]" became a popular summer entertainment, but relatively few "drive-in" experiments were made due to logistical difficulties.

The drive-in theater was patented in [[Camden, New Jersey]], by chemical company magnate [[Richard Hollingshead|Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr.]],<ref name="Electronics">{{cite journal |title=The "Drive-in" Movie |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Electronics/30s/Electronics-1933-08.pdf |url-status=live |journal=Electronics |publisher=McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. |location=New York |volume=6 |issue=8 |pages=209 |date=August 1933 |access-date=October 25, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240503070942/http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Electronics/30s/Electronics-1933-08.pdf |archive-date=May 3, 2024}}</ref> whose family owned and operated the R.M. Hollingshead Corporation chemical plant in Camden. In 1932, Hollingshead conducted outdoor theater tests in his driveway at 212 Thomas Avenue in Riverton. After nailing a screen to trees in his backyard, he set a 1928 [[Eastman Kodak|Kodak]] projector on the hood of his car and put a radio behind the screen, testing different sound levels with his car windows down and up. Blocks under vehicles in the driveway enabled him to determine the size and spacing of ramps so all automobiles could view the screen. Hollingshead applied for a patent of his invention on August 6, 1932, and he was given {{US patent|1909537}} on May 16, 1933.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa980121.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709034414/http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa980121.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 9, 2012|title=Richard Hollingshead and the First Drive-In Theater|website=About.com|access-date=October 16, 2017}}</ref>

Hollingshead's drive-in opened in New Jersey on June 6, 1933, at 2901 [[U.S. Route 30 in New Jersey|Admiral Wilson Boulevard]] in [[Pennsauken Township, New Jersey|Pennsauken Township]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2015/06/82_years_ago_first_drive-in_theatre_opened_in_nj.html |title=82 years ago today, first U.S. drive-in theater opened in N.J. |date=June 2015 |website=NJ.com |access-date=October 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/8589/photos/407922 |title=Camden Drive-In in Pennsauken, NJ - Cinema Treasures}}</ref> a short distance from Cooper River Park where the first commercial airport to serve Philadelphia was located – Central Airport. Rosemont Avenue now runs through where the theater was and is currently the site of Zinman Furs.<ref>{{cite web |last=Strauss |first=Robert |title=The Drive-In Theater Tries a Comeback; Looking for a Few Hundred Adventurous Moviegoers |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE0DC163DF930A15754C0A9629C8B63 |url-status=live |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 23, 2004 |access-date=March 26, 2008 |quote=The nation's first drive-in theater was built by the Hollingshead family along the tawdry Admiral Wilson Boulevard in Pennsauken, N.J., in 1933. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080327005142/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE0DC163DF930A15754C0A9629C8B63 |archive-date=March 27, 2008}}</ref><ref name="PopularScience">{{cite periodical | title = Movie theater lets cars drive right in | journal = Popular Science | volume = 123 | issue = 2 | pages = 19 | publisher = Popular Science Publishing Co. | location = New York | date = August 1933 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-ycDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA19 | access-date = October 25, 2014}}</ref>  It offered 400 slots<ref name="PopularScience" /> and a {{convert|40|by|50|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} screen.<ref name="LewisC&D">{{cite journal | last=Lewis | first=Mary Beth | title=Ten Best First Facts | journal=[[Car and Driver]] | issue=1/88<!-- January 1988?? --> | page=92}}</ref><ref>{{cite periodical | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=EeIDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA326 | title = Drive-In Movie Holds Four Hundred Cars | magazine = Popular Mechanics | date = September 1933 | volume=60 | issue= 3 | page=326 | archive-date = 2024-05-03 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240503070945/https://books.google.com/books?id=EeIDAAAAMBAJ&q=Popular+Science+1933+plane+%22Popular+Mechanics%22&pg=PA326#v=onepage&q=Popular%20Science%201933%20plane%20%22Popular%20Mechanics%22&f=false | url-status = live }}</ref> He advertised his drive-in theater with the slogan, "The whole family is welcome, regardless of how noisy the children are."<ref>{{cite journal | title=This Month in History | journal=[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]] | date=June 2003}}</ref> The first film shown was the [[Adolphe Menjou]] film ''[[Two White Arms|Wives Beware]]''.<ref name="LewisC&D"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2014/06/celebrating_the_first_drive-in_theater_a_nj_first.html|title=Photos: Happy birthday, drive-in movies, a N.J. invention|date=June 2014|website=NJ.com|access-date=October 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=861&dat=20030813&id=-nlTAAAAIBAJ&pg=5641,3424411|title=The Victoria Advocate|via=Google News Archive Search|website=news.Google.com|access-date=October 16, 2017|archive-date=February 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224161230/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=861&dat=20030813&id=-nlTAAAAIBAJ&pg=5641,3424411|url-status=live}}</ref> Failing to make a profit, Hollingshead sold the theater after three years to a [[Union Township, Union County, New Jersey|Union, New Jersey]], theater owner who moved the infrastructure to that city, but the concept caught on nationwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/archive/admiral-wilson-boulevard/|title=Admiral Wilson Boulevard – Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia|website=PhiladelphiaEncyclopedia.org|access-date=October 16, 2017|archive-date=December 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229101530/http://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/archive/admiral-wilson-boulevard/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The April 15, 1934, opening of [[Shankweiler's Drive-In Theatre|Shankweiler's]] Auto Park in [[Orefield, Pennsylvania]], was followed by [[Galveston]]'s Drive-In Short Reel Theater (July 5, 1934), the Pico Drive-In Theater at Pico and Westwood boulevards in Los Angeles<ref name="LJN">{{cite news| last = Nelson | first = Laura J. | date = 2013-01-19 | title = Digital projection has drive-in theaters reeling | work = [[Los Angeles Times]] | access-date = 2013-01-19 | url = http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-drive-ins-digital-20130120,0,5280624,full.story| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130126095805/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-drive-ins-digital-20130120,0,5280624,full.story| url-status = dead| archive-date = 2013-01-26}}</ref> (September 9, 1934) and the Weymouth Drive-In Theatre in [[Weymouth, Massachusetts]] (May 6, 1936). In 1937, three more opened in Ohio, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with another 12 during 1938 and 1939 in California, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Texas and Virginia.

Early drive-in theaters had to deal with sound issues. The original Hollingshead drive-in had speakers installed on the tower itself, which caused a sound delay affecting patrons at the rear of the drive-in's field.  In 1935, the Pico Drive-in Theater attempted to solve this problem by having a row of speakers in front of the cars.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_wN8DAAAAMBAJ|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_wN8DAAAAMBAJ/page/n105 528] |title=Popular Mechanics|publisher=Hearst Magazines|date=October 1935}}</ref> In 1941, [[RCA]] introduced in-car speakers with individual volume controls which solved the noise pollution issue and provided satisfactory sound to drive-in patrons.<ref>{{Cite book | last=Fielding | first=Raymond | title=Technological History of Motion Pictures and Television | publisher=[[University of California Press]] | year=1968 | isbn=978-0-520-00411-5 | page=215 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qn6_5XqRXVsC&q=%22drive+in+theater%22+%2B+%22in+car+speakers%22+%2B+rca+%2B+1941&pg=PA215 | access-date=2020-10-17 | archive-date=2024-05-03 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240503071025/https://books.google.com/books?id=qn6_5XqRXVsC&q=%22drive+in+theater%22+%2B+%22in+car+speakers%22+%2B+rca+%2B+1941&pg=PA215#v=snippet&q=%22drive%20in%20theater%22%20%2B%20%22in%20car%20speakers%22%20%2B%20rca%20%2B%201941&f=false | url-status=live }}</ref> Just before [[World War II]], 9 of the 15 drive-in movie theaters open in the United States were operated by [[Philip Smith (theater owner)|Philip Smith]], who promoted a family-friendly environment by allowing children to enter free and built playgrounds.<ref name=LATHandsome>{{cite news | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-08-11-fi-2994-story.html | work = Los Angeles Times | title = General Cinema More Wall St. Than Hollywood: Investments Pay Off Handsomely for Bottler and Theater-Chain Operator | first = Kathryn | last = Harris | date = 1985-08-11 | access-date = 2017-09-24 | archive-date = 2017-01-15 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170115131748/http://articles.latimes.com/1985-08-11/business/fi-2994_1_general-cinema/3 | url-status = live }}</ref>

=== Peak (late 1940s–1960s) ===
[[File:Elm Road Drive-In Theatre.jpg|thumb|right|Classic [[googie architecture]] at this Ohio drive-in]]
[[File:Sandelldrivein.JPG|thumb|right|The Sandell Theater (2000 photograph) off [[Texas State Highway 70]], was a reminder of by-gone days, having closed in 1984. The theater reopened in 2002 in [[Clarendon, Texas]].]]

After 1945, rising car ownership and suburban and rural population led to a boom in drive-in theaters, with hundreds being opened each year. More couples were reunited and having children, resulting in the [[Baby boom|Baby Boom]], and more cars were being purchased following the end of wartime fuel rationing. By 1951, the number of drive-in movie theaters in the United States had increased from its 1947 total of 155 to 4,151.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|title=Drive-in Theaters, Technology, and Cultural Cha|last=Fox|first=Mark A.|date=June 1, 2018|work=Gale Academic Onefile}}</ref>

[[File:Baseline Drive-in Ad - 2 August 1957, Highland, CA.jpg|thumb|right|Drive-in advertisement from 1957 for a double feature of ''[[I Was a Teenage Werewolf]]'' and ''[[Invasion of the Saucer Men]]''. [[Horror film|Horror]] and [[Science fiction film|sci-fi]] were popular on the drive-in circuit, and specifically aimed at teens.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gibson|first=Bryce|title=[Teen Terrors] How 1957's I Was a Teenage Werewolf Changed the Horror Genre|url=https://nofspodcast.com/teen-terrors-how-1957s-i-was-a-teenage-werewolf-changed-the-horror-genre| website=Nightmare On Film Street|date=28 January 2020 |access-date=March 3, 2023}}</ref>]]

The drive-in's peak popularity came in the late 1950s and early 1960s, particularly in rural areas, with over 4,000 drive-ins spread across the United States in 1958.<ref name="LJN" /> They were a cheaper alternative to in-door cinema theaters because not only did they save the gas of driving out to the city and then back home, but the cost of building and maintaining a drive-in theater was cheaper than that of an indoor theater, resulting in the lower overall cost of attendance.<ref name=":0" /> Among its advantages was the fact that older adults with children could take care of their infant while watching a movie. At the same time, youth found drive-ins ideal for a first date. Unlike indoor cinema theaters, there was an air of informality that was appealing to people of all ages, but specifically to families. The drive-in's success was rooted in its reputation of being a family-friendly place. Parents were able to bring their children to the theater, often in pajamas, without worrying about bothering other movie-goers and were also able to spend time together without paying the expenses of babysitters. Drive-ins catered to their known audience, offering luxuries such as bottle warmers and diaper vending machines, and later miniature golf courses, swimming pools, and even motels on the land with windows facing the screens so that viewers could watch the films from their beds.<ref name=":0" /> During the 1950s, the greater privacy afforded to patrons gave drive-ins a reputation as immoral, and they were labeled "passion pits" in the media. The 1978 movie ''[[Grease (film)|Grease]]'' portrays the local drive-in as a preferred spot for trysts. This indicates that the drive-in theater experience was a part of North American [[pop culture]] during this time, coupled with people's love for cars and movies. It was also popular among young people to meet up and have sex, smoke marijuana and drink alcohol. It was appealing to young people as it allowed them to express freedom and liberty they would otherwise lack at home.<ref name="encyclopedia.com">{{Cite web |title=Drive-In Theater {{!}} Encyclopedia.com |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/media/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/drive-theater |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=www.encyclopedia.com |archive-date=2022-11-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221116050421/https://www.encyclopedia.com/media/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/drive-theater |url-status=live }}</ref>

At their height, some drive-ins used attention-grabbing gimmicks to boost attendance. They ranged from drawings for prizes and free admission, small airplane runways,  helicopter or [[hot air balloon]] rides,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://driveinadventures.wordpress.com/tag/farmingdale-drive-in/|title=farmingdale drive-in – Drive-In Theater Adventures|website=DriveInAdventures.Wordpress.com|date=22 November 2014|access-date=October 16, 2017|archive-date=19 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170819023403/https://driveinadventures.wordpress.com/tag/farmingdale-drive-in/|url-status=live}}</ref> unusual attractions such as a small petting zoo or cage of monkeys, personal appearances by actors to open their movies, or musical groups to play before the show. Some drive-ins held Sunday religious services or charged a flat price per car on slow nights like Wednesdays or Sundays. On "buck" or "bargain" nights during the 1950s and 1960s, the admission price was one dollar per car; during the 1970s and '80s, bargain night admission was generally five dollars.

As revenue was more limited than regular theaters since showings could only begin at twilight, there were abortive attempts to create suitable conditions for daylight viewing, such as large tent structures, but nothing viable was developed.

[[File:SnackBarAd.jpg|thumb|right|A snack bar ad shown at a drive-in]]
One of the largest drive-in theaters was the Johnny All-Weather Drive-In in [[Copiague, New York]]. Covering over 29 acres, it could park 2,500 vehicles. It had a full-service restaurant with seating on the roof and a trolley system to take children and adults to a playground and a large indoor theater for bad weather or for those who wanted to watch in air-conditioned comfort.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Ci0DAAAAMBAJ&q=popular+science+1930&pg=PA119 | title = Million-Dollar Drive-In Offers Films, Fun and Food | work = Popular Science | date = September 1957 | pages = 119–121 | access-date = 2020-10-17 | archive-date = 2024-05-03 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240503071545/https://books.google.com/books?id=Ci0DAAAAMBAJ&q=popular+science+1930&pg=PA119#v=snippet&q=popular%20science%201930&f=false | url-status = live }}</ref> The largest in the world was [[Loew's]] Open Air in [[Lynn, Massachusetts]] which could hold 5,000 cars.<ref>{{cite book|title=Guinness Book of Records 1982|last1=McWhiter|first1=Norris|author-link=Norris McWhirter|publisher=Guinness Superlatives Ltd|year=1981|isbn=0-85112-232-9|page=110}}</ref>

=== Decline (1970s–1990s) ===
Several factors contributed to the decline of the drive-in movie industry. Beginning in the late 1960s, drive-in attendance began to decline as the result of improvements and changes to home entertainment, from [[color television]] and [[cable TV]] to  [[VCR]]s and [[video rental]] in the early 1980s. Additionally, the [[1970s energy crisis]] led to the widespread adoption of [[daylight saving time]] (which caused drive-in movies to start an hour later) and lower use of automobiles, making it increasingly difficult for drive-ins to remain profitable.

Mainly following the advent of cable television and video cassette recorder (VCR), then with the arrival of DVD and streaming systems, families were able to enjoy movies in the comfort of their homes. The new entertainment technology increased the options and the movie watching experience.<ref name="encyclopedia.com"/>

While [[exploitation film]]s had been a drive-in staple since the 1950s, helped by relatively limited oversight compared to downtown theaters, by the 1970s, several venues switched from showing family-friendly fare to R-rated and X-rated films as a way to offset declining patronage and revenue, while other venues that still catered to families, began to show R-rated or pornographic movies in late-night time slots to bring in extra income.{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}}  This allowed censored materials to be viewed by a wider audience, including those for whom viewing was still illegal in some states, and it was also reliant upon varying local ordinances controlling such material. It also required a relatively remote location away from the heavier populated areas of towns and cities.

By the late 1970s, many drive-in theaters were showing mainly [[B movies]], older second-run films and low-rated films from the movie industry. While movie rental fees were increasing, the film industry was also expecting drive-in theaters to maintain prolonged time to run the shows. A combination of these factors was creating difficulties for the drive-ins to compete with the growing indoor cinemas.<ref name="encyclopedia.com"/>

The [[Stagflation|runaway inflation]] and real estate interest rate hikes in the [[Early 1980s recession in the United States|late 1970s and early 1980s]] made the large tracts of land used by drive-ins increasingly expensive and thus far too valuable for continued use as drive-ins. Many drive-ins operated solely on weekends, while some were open only during the spring and summer months; drive-ins were also frequently subject to poor attendance or cancellations due to adverse weather. By the late 1980s, the total number of drive-ins still operating in the United States and Canada fell to less than two hundred.

In addition to the large amount of land drive-in theaters occupy, older drive-ins were now showing their age and many required improvements or replacement of their [[infrastructure]]; many owners were not willing to make further investment in repairs and improvements and growing land prices were also making it difficult to invest in and maintain the expense of operating a drive-in theater business.<ref name="encyclopedia.com"/> As many of the drive-in theaters were set up in the outskirts, the expansion of towns was making the maintenance of large property more difficult and costly.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Randal Rust |title=Drive-In Movie Theaters |url=https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/drive-in-movie-theaters/ |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=Tennessee Encyclopedia |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-11-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221116235844/https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/drive-in-movie-theaters/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Many former drive-in movie sites remain, with several re-purposed as storage or [[flea market]] sites, often after residential housing or other higher-value uses came to rural or sparsely populated areas where the drive-ins were located. In Michigan, former drive-in properties have become industrial parks, shopping centers, indoor theaters, and even churches (as with the Former Woodland Drive-In in Grand Rapids, MI). In Philadelphia, the South City Drive-In became the location of the original Spectrum in the late 1960s, with a small portion of its old property line extending into what would become the (now-demolished) Veterans Stadium complex. (Today, that small portion, combined with the original Spectrum location, is part of [[Xfinity Live! Philadelphia]]). Another example of a drive in-turned-flea market is Spotlight 88 in [[North Sewickley Township, Pennsylvania]], which ended business as a drive-in after an F3 tornado destroyed much of the property on [[1985 United States–Canada tornado outbreak|May 31, 1985]]. As a joke, after the tornado hit, the owners put up the "now-showing" sign ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]]''. It was most likely copied from a [[Taylor, Michigan]] Drive in called Ecorse Drive-In. On July 16, 1980, a freak [[derecho]] storm with 150&nbsp;mph straight-line winds <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dtx/stories/1980derecho.php|title=NWS Detroit/Pontiac –July 16th, 1980, Derecho|work=noaa.gov|access-date=2012-11-16|archive-date=2006-07-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060702004155/http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dtx/stories/1980derecho.php|url-status=live}}</ref> swept the Drive-In away leaving only the "now-showing" sign with the letters "Now Playing Gone with the Wind". The screen was rebuilt, but the business never recovered; by 1989, it was sold and now is the site of a [[Kroger]] grocery store.

=== Revival and new drive-in formats (late 1990s–2000s) ===
[[File:SuperiorDriveIn.JPG|thumb|right|A newly built drive-in screen near [[Superior, Iowa]], 2009]]
[[Image:Stars and Stripes Drive-In, Lubbock, TX IMG 4752.JPG|thumb|right|Stars & Stripes Drive-in at 5101 Highway 84 West in [[Lubbock, Texas]], 2010]]
Beginning in the late 1970s and extending through the mid-1990s, those drive-ins still operating acquired a quasi-novelty status, catering to the wave of "boomer [[nostalgia]]" and loyal patrons. This "retro" appeal eventually led to a revival of sorts by the end of the 1990s.

This resurgence of the drive-in industry led to the inception of the "do-it-yourself" drive-in beginning in 2001, which used contemporary tools such as LCD projectors and micro radio transmitters. The first was the Liberation Drive-In in [[Oakland, California]], which sought to reclaim under-used urban spaces such as vacant parking lots in the downtown area. The following years have had a rise of the "guerrilla drive-in" movement, in which groups of dedicated individuals orchestrate similar outdoor film and video screenings. Showings are often organized online, and participants meet at specified locations to watch films projected on bridge pillars or warehouses. The content featured at these screenings has frequently been independent or experimental films, cult movies, or otherwise alternative programming. Aside from Oakland's Liberation, the best-known "guerrilla" drive-ins include the Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In in [[Santa Cruz, California]], North Bay Mobile Drive-In in [[Novato, California]], [[Mobmov|MobMov]] in [[San Francisco, California]] and [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]], and more recently the Guerilla Drive-In Victoria in [[Victoria, British Columbia]].

A similar, more recent concept is the "boutique" drive-in, which caters to a smaller audience, generally 30 to 50 vehicles (with some also offering seats in front of the screen). At the same time, food trucks are often used as concession stands. However, unlike the "guerrilla" format, this type of drive-in also generally presents mainstream fare, current releases, and popular classics. A key feature of this format is the focus on the "vintage" aesthetics of the drive-in.

Faced with the closure of Hull's Drive-In in [[Lexington, Virginia]] in 1999, the nonprofit group Hull's Angels formed to raise funds, buy the property, and operate the theater as a nonprofit venture specializing in family-friendly films. Hull's continues to be the nation's only nonprofit drive-in.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/56467701.html?dids=56467701:56467701&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140127203006/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/56467701.html?dids=56467701:56467701&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 27, 2014|title=The Best Picture Show; Drive-In Movie Fans Band Together To Keep a Screen From Going Dark|last=Philp|first=Rowan|date=17 July 2000|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=November 2, 2010}}</ref>

By 2006, around 500 drive-in theaters were open in the United States, counting regularly operating venues (about 400) and those that held showings sporadically, usually during summertime, the highest number since the mid-1970s. The industry also rebounded in Canada and Australia during the early 2000s.

=== Present and digital conversion (late 2000s onwards) ===
In the second half of the 2000s, drive-ins had another decline because of the oil crisis and a worsening economy. Reduced use of automobiles and more people moving out of suburban and rural areas during the 2010s have also put the drive-in's future at risk, with numbers again on the decline. By 2013, drive-ins comprised only 1.5% of total movie screens in the United States, with 389 theaters in operation nationwide, mostly located in the South and the West Coast (at the industry's height, about 25% of the nation's movie screens were at drive-ins).<ref name="LJN" /> A figure of 348 operating drive-ins was published for the United States in March 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theawl.com/2013/06/drive-in-theaters-in-america|title=There Are Now Just 357 American Drive-In Theaters - the Awl|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204000049/http://www.theawl.com/2013/06/drive-in-theaters-in-america|archive-date=2013-12-04|access-date=2013-12-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://qz.com/235155/there-are-barely-any-drive-in-movie-theaters-left-unless-you-live-in-south-dakota/|title=There are barely any drive-in movie theaters left in the US|last=Epstein|first=Adam|website=QZ.com|date=16 July 2014|access-date=October 16, 2017|archive-date=16 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016225954/https://qz.com/235155/there-are-barely-any-drive-in-movie-theaters-left-unless-you-live-in-south-dakota/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2010, the Galaxy Drive-In Movie Theater in [[Ennis, Texas]] became the worlds first drive-in theater to show [[3-D film|3-D films]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://medium.com/@experttexan/the-worlds-first-3d-drive-in-movie-theater-isn-t-where-you-think-it-is-51a0357470eb | title=The World's First 3D Drive-In Movie Theater Isn't Where You Think It is | date=28 December 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://gov.texas.gov/film/trail/texas-drive-ins-film-trail | title=Texas Drive-Ins Film Trail }}</ref>

In the fall of 2014, retro-themed burger chain [[Johnny Rockets]] announced that it would team up with USA Drive-Ins to open 200 drive-ins by 2018, serving Johnny Rocket's food at the concession stands,<ref>{{cite news |last=Wong |first=Vanessa | date=October 1, 2014 | title=At Johnny Rockets, the Future of Retro is Drive In Movies |url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-10-01/at-johnny-rockets-the-future-of-retro-is-drive-in-movies  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141002021514/http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-10-01/at-johnny-rockets-the-future-of-retro-is-drive-in-movies  |url-status=dead  |archive-date=October 2, 2014  |magazine=[[Business Week]] }}</ref> but the plan never came to fruition, as did a proposed "Project Drive-In" scheme by Honda, which would have donated digital projectors. By 2018, less than 300 drive-in theaters were reported to operate worldwide, with only a handful outside North America.

The ongoing conversion of film distribution from celluloid to digital also puts additional pressure on drive-in theaters.  Most small drive-ins lack the finances (beginning at $70,000 per screen) needed to convert to digital projection.<ref name="LJN" />  The low volume of ticket sales from the lack of multiple showings also makes  justifying the cost of installing digital projection hard for many drive-ins. Conversion of the projection booth to digital is more complex for drive-in theaters. The projector needs a more powerful bulb due to increased screen size and light pollution. In addition, digital projection equipment may require an Internet connection, and the booth must be retrofitted with special glass, more vents, and stronger air conditioning, as well as heat in northern climates.<ref name="LJN" />

With installation of [[Jumbotron]]s<ref>{{cite web|title=Old Linton Drive-In To Be Resurrected And Open By August [2012]|url=http://www.wbiw.com/local/archive/2012/07/old-linton-drivein-to-be-resur.php|publisher=WBIW|access-date=2013-09-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905101740/http://www.wbiw.com/local/archive/2012/07/old-linton-drivein-to-be-resur.php|archive-date=2015-09-05|url-status=dead}}</ref> or similar digital display equipment in drive-in theatres, restrictions of the projector booth can be avoided; that is, no projector is needed.

The move to digital conversion took its toll on the industry; by October 2019, figures for operating drive-in theaters rose to 305 because of increased numbers of smaller 'boutique' operations that had never used traditional projectors, while several older drive-ins have closed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://magazine.northeast.aaa.com/daily/life/drive-in-movie-theaters-northeast/|title=Headlights, Camera, Action: Drive-In Movie Theaters in the Northeast|date=2019-11-28|website=Your AAA Network|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-26|archive-date=2020-02-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226170302/https://magazine.northeast.aaa.com/daily/life/drive-in-movie-theaters-northeast/|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Drive-in theater Boeblingen Flugfeld 2020 IMG 2933.jpg|thumb|Temporary drive-in cinema in [[Böblingen]], [[Germany]]]]
During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], drive-in theaters reported an unexpected surge in attendance in several U.S. states, as unlike with indoor theaters unable to operate because of [[Stay-at-home order|bans on mass gatherings]], these were allowed to operate, with such events as graduations, because people are automatically separated from each other by their cars, and usually enough space remains to walk around and still practice proper [[physical distancing]].<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/oLF3vO8vciM Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20200608202719/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLF3vO8vciM Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Cite web|last=Wright|first=David|date=15 May 2020|title=Rebirth of drive-in movie theaters|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLF3vO8vciM|access-date=29 July 2020|website=YouTube.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/yZkzI20AFTo Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20200324154107/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZkzI20AFTo Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Cite web|date=21 March 2020|title=The drive-in theater thrives, for a time (Associated Press)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZkzI20AFTo|access-date=29 July 2020|website=YouTube.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Hoeller|first=Sophie-Claire|date=2020-04-05|title=Drive-in movie theaters around the world are having a renaissance amid the coronavirus pandemic|url=https://www.businessinsider.nl/drive-in-movies-thriving-coronavirus-2020-4/|access-date=2020-07-29|website=Business Insider Nederland|language=nl|archive-date=2021-01-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115143329/https://www.businessinsider.nl/drive-in-movies-thriving-coronavirus-2020-4/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The largest drive-in theater in the world, the [[Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop]] (opened 1963), doubles as the world's largest daily flea market.

=== Current drive-in theater experience (since 2020) ===
There is a renewed interest in drive-in theaters among North American moviegoers. This trend was more apparent in 2020 through 2022. In 2020 Drive-in theaters in North America accounted for 85 to 95 percent of the box office revenue according to a 2021 article from [[CNN]]. The article also claims that the new experience in drive-in cinemas is gaining popularity not just in North America but in other countries as well.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wallace |first=Alicia |date=2021-08-13 |title=Drive-in theaters fueled Hollywood's box office last year. They could be here to stay {{!}} CNN Business |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/13/business/drive-ins-here-to-stay-pandemic/index.html |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=2022-11-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221116031934/https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/13/business/drive-ins-here-to-stay-pandemic/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>  After decades of inactivity drive-in theaters are slowly becoming part of the outdoor movie experience. One of the countries where drive-in theaters is returning is the [[United Kingdom]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramachandran |first=Naman |date=2020-07-21 |title=U.K. Drive-Ins Boom in Pandemic Era With 40 New Cinemas |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/uk-drive-in-cinemas-boom-40-venues-comscore-1234712174/ |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=Variety |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-11-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221117010513/https://variety.com/2020/film/news/uk-drive-in-cinemas-boom-40-venues-comscore-1234712174/ |url-status=live }}</ref> There are also new drive-in theaters that have opened recently in North America that intend on staying in business and expanding. Some of the owners believe that the drive-in theatre will renew the outdoor experience in the long run.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Pia |title=Black-owned drive-in movie theater born of the Covid pandemic has plans to stick around |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/04/black-owned-drive-in-movie-theater-born-of-the-covid-pandemic-has-plans-to-stick-around.html |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=CNBC |date=5 August 2021 |language=en |archive-date=2022-11-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221117010512/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/04/black-owned-drive-in-movie-theater-born-of-the-covid-pandemic-has-plans-to-stick-around.html |url-status=live }}</ref>  Some are also projected to open in the coming years with newer designs using electronic screen system to stream the film, improving the set up, as well as concession and public facilities. In the past drive-in theaters were operating in the evening to provide clear picture. But with the new design, moviegoers can go to drive-in theaters at anytime. Just like the TV at home, the new drive-in theater does not have to depend on darkness. One of such newly designed drive-in theaters is LoCo Drive-In by Whitener Company and London Entertainment LLC. The drive-in will also be used for other social activities including car shows and other events.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yoder |first=Jake |title=Grab your popcorn! Drive-in movie theater opening in Loudon this summer |url=https://www.knoxnews.com/story/entertainment/2021/05/20/loco-drive-in-movie-theater-coming-loudon-summer/5181559001/ |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=Knoxville News Sentinel |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-11-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221117010514/https://www.knoxnews.com/story/entertainment/2021/05/20/loco-drive-in-movie-theater-coming-loudon-summer/5181559001/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Another example of modern-day drive-in theater is the Drive-In Experience Ottawa that opened in 2020.  Currently, the company has two locations in the [[Ottawa]] area.  Apart from movie-nights, the drive-in also hosts live entertainment such as “comedy nights” and concerts as well events including graduations and weddings through site rental.  It provides screen, wireless in-car FM transmission and stage facilities for the events. According to the company, such a community approach will keep the drive-in experience into the future.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Drive-In Experience Ottawa |url=https://www.thedriveinottawa.ca/ |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=The Drive-In Experience Ottawa |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-11-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221117235020/https://www.thedriveinottawa.ca/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Ottawa Business Journal also wrote that local business communities and organizations can host their own private movie nights or shows. The drive-in can also be utilized for yoga activities and fitness training.  The director of the company claims that the Drive-In Experience Ottawa’s goal is to provide opportunities for communities to reconnect while striving to host large weekly events and entertainment programs for the Ottawa residents.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Host your next business event at the Drive-In Experience |url=https://obj.ca/index.php/article/DNA-Live-sponsored-host-your-next-business-event-drive-experience |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=Ottawa Business Journal |language=en |archive-date=2022-11-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118000207/https://obj.ca/index.php/article/DNA-Live-sponsored-host-your-next-business-event-drive-experience |url-status=live }}</ref> This new drive-in image is not just in Ottawa. According to CTV, there are also drive-ins in Ontario and other provinces that are expanding their entertainment hosting activities including live concerts while keeping the main core, i.e., to keep family movie experience. In Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, some of the drive-ins host community activities that also include religious events.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-16 |title=Drive-in movies are making a comeback in the era of physical distancing |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/drive-in-movies-are-making-a-comeback-in-the-era-of-physical-distancing-1.4942986 |access-date=2022-11-18 |website=Coronavirus |language=en |archive-date=2022-11-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118000546/https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/drive-in-movies-are-making-a-comeback-in-the-era-of-physical-distancing-1.4942986 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Drive-in theaters around the world ==

=== Australia ===

{{further|List of drive-in theatres in Australia}}
The drive-in theater also became popular in [[Australia]] during the 1950s and 1960s. The Hoyts Skyline in Melbourne was the country's first drive-in cinema<!--not a mistake-->, opening in 1954 with the film ''[[On the Riviera]]''.<ref name=remember>{{Cite web|url=https://maas.museum/inside-the-collection/2016/02/09/remembering-australias-drive-ins/|title=Remembering Australia's Drive-ins|website=Inside the Collection|date=9 February 2016|language=en-AU|access-date=2019-12-04|archive-date=2019-12-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204021143/https://maas.museum/inside-the-collection/2016/02/09/remembering-australias-drive-ins/|url-status=live}}</ref> The drive-in was successful, and four more opened within the year,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Goldsmith|first=Ben|title=The Comfort Lies in All the Things You Can Do': The Australian Drive-in--Cinema of Distraction.|journal=Journal of Popular Culture |volume=33 |issue=1| pages=153–164 |doi=10.1111/j.0022-3840.1999.3301_153.x| year=1999}}</ref> including Mainline Drive-In in [[Gepps Cross, South Australia]].<ref name=drivein/> The number of drive-ins increased across the country in the ensuing years. As these drive-ins were based on the American trend, many served American-style food at snack bars. At the height of their popularity in the mid-1960s, around 330 drive-in theaters were operating in Australia before quickly dropping off.<ref name=remember/> {{as of|May 2023}}, there were only 12 drive-ins in regular operation, with three more which sometimes opened for film screenings. Gepps Cross Drive-In closed at the end of February 2022, with the lengthy [[COVID-19 pandemic in South Australia|COVID-19 pandemic]] finally putting an end to its viability.<ref name=drivein>{{cite web| title=Adelaide's last suburban drive-in cinema, the Mainline, to close after more than 65 years| website=ABC News| publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]| date=22 November 2021| url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-22/adelaide-last-drive-in-cinema-at-gepps-cross-to-close/100640132| access-date=29 December 2021| archive-date=22 November 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211122060735/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-22/adelaide-last-drive-in-cinema-at-gepps-cross-to-close/100640132| url-status=live}}</ref> {{as of|May 2023}}, only 12 drive-in cinemas operate regularly, while an additional three sometimes open to screen films.<ref name=sulda2023>{{cite web | last=Sulda | first=Dixie | title=Australia's drive-in culture fading to black as outdoor cinema numbers drop from 330 to just 15 venues | website=[[ ABC News (Australia)]] | date=21 May 2023 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-21/drive-ins-decline-in-australia-due-to-land-value-and-video/102363192 | access-date=22 May 2023 | archive-date=22 May 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230522035929/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-21/drive-ins-decline-in-australia-due-to-land-value-and-video/102363192 | url-status=live }}</ref>  [[Melbourne]]'s largest drive-in, the [[Lunar Drive-in Theatre|Lunar]] in [[Dandenong South]], is set to close in the second half of 2023.<ref name=sulda2023/>

The world's most remote drive-in may be at [[Coober Pedy]], South Australia. It opened in 1965, but became less popular after 1980 with the arrival of television in the town, and ceased regular operation in 1984. It was reopened in 1996, and has been operated by volunteers since 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cooberpedydrivein.org.au/history.html|title=History of the Coober Pedy Drive-in|access-date=7 April 2019|archive-date=1 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001183916/http://www.cooberpedydrivein.org.au/history.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-07/coober-pedy-opal-town-remote-drive-in-cinema/10917084|title=Coober Pedy's desert drive-in cinema a feast for the eyes — and not just on-screen|author=Patrick Martin|date=7 April 2019|access-date=7 April 2019|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|archive-date=19 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819122919/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-07/coober-pedy-opal-town-remote-drive-in-cinema/10917084|url-status=live}}</ref> It is still in operation {{as of|lc=yes|May 2023}},<ref name=sulda2023/><ref>{{cite web | title=Home page | website=Coober Pedy Drive-In Theatre | url=http://www.cooberpedydrivein.org.au/ | access-date=22 May 2023 | archive-date=3 June 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603033030/http://www.cooberpedydrivein.org.au/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and is the last drive-in theater in the state of [[South Australia]] (since February 2022).<ref>{{cite web | title=About Us | website=Coober Pedy Drive-In Theatre | url=http://www.cooberpedydrivein.org.au/about-us.html | access-date=29 December 2021 | archive-date=29 December 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211229005220/http://www.cooberpedydrivein.org.au/about-us.html | url-status=live }}</ref> Due to the opal miners often carrying explosives in their vehicles, the drive-in has a ban on bringing explosives onto the site.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=http://www.cooberpedydrivein.org.au/history.html |access-date=3 May 2024 |website=Coober Pedy Drive-In Theatre |archive-date=1 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001183916/http://www.cooberpedydrivein.org.au/history.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On 15 November 2023,  winds reaching almost {{Convert|120|km/h}} destroyed the screen, resulting in the drive-in's closure, but local volunteers hope they will be able to rebuild the screen and re-open the drive-in.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Amanda Lee |date=2023-11-25 |title='We are heartbroken': Coober Pedy loses its famous drive-in – but the opal town has plans for take two |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/nov/26/south-australia-drive-in-cinema-coober-pedy-closed-down-reopening-plans |access-date=2024-05-03 |work=The Guardian |archive-date=2023-12-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230074436/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/nov/26/south-australia-drive-in-cinema-coober-pedy-closed-down-reopening-plans |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Coober Pedy Drive-In Theatre |url=http://www.cooberpedydrivein.org.au/ |access-date=3 May 2024 |website=Coober Pedy Drive-In Theatre |archive-date=3 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603033030/http://www.cooberpedydrivein.org.au/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Google Maps|url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Coober+Pedy+Drive+In/@-29.0065669,134.757314,3a,75y,323.15h,99.5t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sGCc4gSHTJW17z2CqfULJ9Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m7!3m6!1s0x2accdf5e03a87259:0x9bd12dd77e6dfebb!8m2!3d-29.0060228!4d134.756823!10e5!16s%2Fg%2F11b6gqx42k?entry=ttu|title=Coober Pedy Drive-In Theatre|date=February 2024|access-date=3 May 2024}}</ref>

===Finland===
There have been a few drive-in theaters in Finland, one of the first at the [[Keimola Motor Stadium]] in the late 1960s,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://yle.fi/a/3-9587962|title=Elokuvateatteri Amerikan malliin – drive-in-elokuvien sesonki kestää vain hetken|work=[[Yle]]|date=28 April 2017|access-date=7 August 2024|language=fi}}</ref> while the latest in [[Kaarina]] in 2017, and in [[Turku]] and [[Vantaa]] in 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://respawn.fi/turussa-voi-nyt-katsella-drive-in-elokuvia-minkalainen-kokemus-on-istua-autossa-ja-katsoa-leffaa/|title=Turussa voi nyt katsella Drive-in-elokuvia – minkälainen kokemus on istua autossa ja katsoa leffaa?|first=Juhani|last=Kakko|website=Respawn.fi|date=15 June 2020|access-date=7 August 2024|language=fi}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://yle.fi/a/3-11379019|title=Tältä näyttää, kun kymmenet autoilijat saapuvat yömyöhällä katsomaan elokuvaa lentokentän kupeeseen – Vantaalla keksittiin idea, jonka suosio yllätti|work=[[Yle]]|date=2 June 2020|access-date=7 August 2024|language=fi}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/amerikkalainen-elokuvakulttuuri-rantautui-vantaalle-mtv-kavi-kurkistamassa-drive-in-leffateatterin-tunnelmaa/7836374|title=Amerikkalainen elokuvakulttuuri rantautui Vantaalle: MTV kävi kurkistamassa drive-in-leffateatterin tunnelmaa|work=[[MTV Uutiset]]|date=2 June 2020|access-date=7 August 2024|language=fi}}</ref>

===Germany===
Germany's first drive-in theater, the Gravenbruch, opened in April 1960 in a suburb of [[Frankfurt]] with a screening of ''[[The King and I (1956 film)|The King and I]]''. The only other drive-ins in Europe at the time were in Rome, Italy and [[Madrid]], Spain.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=May 11, 1960|title=Germany's First Ozoner Launched|page=13|url=https://archive.org/stream/variety218-1960-05#page/n76/mode/1up|access-date=February 6, 2021|via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref>

===Greece===
In 1919, Athens, Greece opened their first outdoor theater that eventually led to the popularity of drive-in theaters in the 1970s. Three years before then, two men displayed a short silent film on a wall of the city. <ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Babak |first=Dehghanpisheh |date=20 August 2001 |title=Movies under the moon; grab a chair and some calamari, and enjoy the show: [atlantic edition]. |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/214022422 |website=ProQuest |id={{ProQuest|214022422}} |access-date=14 December 2022 |archive-date=3 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240503071602/https://www.proquest.com/docview/214022422 |url-status=live }}</ref> Greece's first drive-in theater began construction in 1960 near [[Varibobi]], a suburb of [[Athens]], and was planned to open in August 1961.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=Greek's First Drive-In|date=July 6, 1960|page=19|url=https://archive.org/stream/variety219-1960-07#page/n18/mode/1up|access-date=February 6, 2021|via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref> Viewers today have the option to eat classic movie refreshments such as popcorn, or even native Greek snacks such as grilled [[Squid as food|calamari]] and [[souvlaki]]. <ref name=":1" />

=== Iran ===
In 2020, Iran showed its first drive-in film, ''[[Exodus (2020 film)|Exodus]]'', during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Iran|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Iran's First Drive-in Cinema Launched amid COVID-19 Pandemic |url=https://ifpnews.com/irans-first-drive-in-cinema-launched-amid-covid-19-pandemic |website=Iran Front Page |date=29 April 2020 |access-date=29 April 2020 |archive-date=2 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502005750/https://ifpnews.com/irans-first-drive-in-cinema-launched-amid-covid-19-pandemic |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Iran to try first post-revolution drive-in theater with ''Exodus'' |journal=[[Tehran Times]] |date=30 April 2020 |issue=13653 |pages=12 |url=https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/447330/}}</ref> However the country previously operated one before 1979.

===Italy===
The first drive-in theatre in Europe opened in [[Rome]] in 1954.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=June 2, 1954|title=Europe's 1st Drive-In At Rome|page=2|url=https://archive.org/stream/variety194-1954-06#page/n1/mode/1up|via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref>

=== Philippines ===
The Philippines' [[shopping mall]] chain [[SM Supermalls]]  opened the country's first drive-in theater near [[SM City Pampanga]] on July 31, 2020.<ref>{{cite news|author=Charlene A. Cayabyab|url=https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1865439/Pampanga/Local-News/Drive-in-cinema-at-SM-City-Pampanga-now-open|title=Drive-in cinema at SM City Pampanga now open|newspaper=[[SunStar|SunStar Pampanga]]|date=July 31, 2020|access-date=August 1, 2020|archive-date=August 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802035831/https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1865439/Pampanga/Local-News/Drive-in-cinema-at-SM-City-Pampanga-now-open|url-status=live}}</ref> It also opened a temporary drive-in cinema at the [[SM Mall of Asia]] concert grounds on September 9, 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/09/02/20/sm-mall-of-asia-turns-concert-grounds-into-drive-in-theater|title=SM Mall of Asia turns concert grounds into drive-in theater|publisher=[[ABS-CBN News]]|access-date=2020-09-12|archive-date=2020-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200912135129/https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/09/02/20/sm-mall-of-asia-turns-concert-grounds-into-drive-in-theater|url-status=live}}</ref>  Currently there are two locations for SM Supermalls drive-in theaters. Movies by the Bay Drive-In Cinema is located at the SM Mall of Asia, Seaside Blvd, [[Pasay|Pasay City]] in the National Capital Region, [[Metro Manila]]. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Drive-In Cinema |url=https://www.smcinema.com/Browsing/EventsAndExperiences/ExperienceDetails/Drive-in |access-date=2022-12-14 |website=SM Cinema |archive-date=2022-12-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214031619/https://www.smcinema.com/Browsing/EventsAndExperiences/ExperienceDetails/Drive-in |url-status=live }}</ref>
===Spain===
The first drive-in theatre in Spain opened in Madrid opposite [[Madrid–Barajas Airport|Barajas Airport]] in 1958 called Motercine.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=September 24, 1958|title=Modern Touch Marks Spain's 1st Drive-In|page=11|url=https://archive.org/details/variety212-1958-09/page/n317/mode/1up?view=theater|via=[[Archive.org]]|access-date=May 29, 2023}}</ref>

===Sweden===
In 2011, [[Stockholm International Film Festival]] organized its first drive-in theatre in the suburb of [[Ropsten|Ropsten,]] with a screening of [[The Greatest Movie Ever Sold]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peo |date=2011-08-16 |title=Drive in bio i Stockholm |url=https://bio.nu/drive-in-bio-i-stockholm/ |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=Bio.nu |language=sv-SE}}</ref> After a hiatus, the event was reintroduced during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 as a response to restrictions on public gatherings. Since then, it has become the largest drive-in theatre in the Nordic region and an annual five-day event held each June, featuring outdoor screenings on a large LED screen in [[Älvsjö]] and near the [[Solvalla]] race track.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-06-03 |title=Rulla in på Solvalla – och kläm en rulle |url=https://www.mitti.se/nyheter/rulla-in-pa-solvalla--och-klam-en-rulle-6.3.88818.4113fc52d7 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241008223733/https://www.mitti.se/nyheter/rulla-in-pa-solvalla--och-klam-en-rulle-6.3.88818.4113fc52d7 |archive-date=2024-10-08 |access-date=2025-05-22 |language=sv}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-07 |title=Nordens största drive in-bio återvänder till Solvalla |url=https://www.cafe.se/nordens-storsta-drive-in-bio-atervander-till-solvalla/ |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=Cafe.se |language=sv-SE}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Companies|Film}}
*[[Societal effects of cars]]
* [[List of drive-in theaters]]
* [[Outdoor cinema]]
* [[Inflatable movie screen]]

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite encyclopedia| title = Drive-in | date = 2001 | encyclopedia = The Film Encyclopedia | edition = 4th | editor = Ephraim Katz | publisher= HarperCollins | location = New York}}
* {{cite book| title = The American Drive-In Movie Theater | first1 = Don | last1 = Sanders | first2 = Susan | last2 = Sanders | date = October 2003 | publisher= Motorbooks International | isbn = 0-7603-1707-0}}
* {{cite book| title = Cinema Under the Stars: America's Love Affair With the Drive-In Movie Theater | first1 = Elizabeth | last1 = McKeon | first2 = Linda | last2 =Everett | first3 = Liz | last3 =McKeon | date = December 1998 | publisher= Cumberland House | isbn = 1-58182-002-X}}
* {{cite book| title = Drive-in Movie Memories | last1 = Sanders | first1 = Don and | last2 = Sanders | first2 = Susan | publisher= Middleton: Carriage House | date = 2000}}
* {{cite book| title = Drive-in Theaters: a History from Their Inception in 1933 | last = Segrave | first = Kerry | publisher= Jefferson: McFarland and Company, Inc. | date = 1992}}
* {{cite web | title = The Drive-in Theater History Page | url= http://www.driveintheater.com/history | work = Drive in Theater | date = 2007-04-20}}

== External links ==
{{Commons|Drive-in theaters}}
* {{cite web | url = http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2013/08/12/088631-honda-launches-project-drive-to-save-drive-ins-across-country.html | title = Honda Launches Project Drive-In to Save Drive-Ins Across the Country | access-date = 2019-09-05 | date = 2013-08-12}}
* {{cite web | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4332896.stm  | work = BBC  | title = Drive-in theatres refuse to fade away | access-date = 2019-09-05 | date = 2005-10-13 | first = Matthew | last = Davis}}
* {{cite magazine | url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1223368,00.html  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060819180836/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1223368,00.html  | url-status = dead  | archive-date = August 19, 2006  | magazine = [[Time (magazine)|Time]] | title = Movies that star the stars | access-date = 2019-09-05 | date =2006-08-07 | first = Lisa | last = Mclaughlin }}
* {{cite web | url = http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/30/DDAIR9BH32.DTL&hw=mobmov&sn=001&sc=1000  | work = San Francisco Chronicle | title = MobMov creates a new guerrilla theater while reviving drive-in culture| access-date = 2019-09-05 | date = 2007-07-30 | first = Karen | last = Solomon}}
* {{cite web | url = https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89813618 | title = For Drive-In Theaters, an Unexpected Revival | first = Nancy  | last = Mullane | work = [[All Things Considered]] | publisher = NPR | access-date = 2019-09-05 | date = 2008-04-21}}
* {{cite web | url = https://archive.org/details/DriveInMovieAds  | title = A freely downloadable collection of drive-in intermission advertisements}}
* {{cite journal | url = http://southernspaces.org/2008/starlit-screens-preserving-place-and-public-drive-theaters | title = Starlit Screens: Preserving Place and Public at Drive-In Theaters | first1 = Robin  | last1 = Conner | first2 = Paul   | last2 = Johnson | journal = Southern Spaces  | access-date = 2019-09-05 | date =  2008-10-10 | doi = 10.18737/M7B60Q | doi-access = free }}
* {{cite web | url = http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/09/11/drivein.theater/index.html  | title = Will the endangered American drive-in fade to black? | work = CNN  | access-date = 2009-09-14 | date = 2009-09-11 | first = David | last = Banks}}
* {{cite web | url = http://www.driveintheatre-ownersassociation.org | title = United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association | access-date = 2019-09-05 }}
* {{cite web | first = Richard | last = Kuipers | url =http://aso.gov.au/titles/collections/drive-ins | title = Australian Drive-In theatres | quote =  their depiction in Australian films | work = Australian Screen | publisher = National Film and Sound Archive of Australia | access-date = 2019-09-05 }}
* {{cite web | url = https://sites.google.com/site/jeffreylitton/garden-state-drive-in-chronology  | title = Garden State Drive In Chronology | access-date = 2019-09-05  | first = Jeffrey | last = Litton}}
* {{cite web | url = http://www.driveinmovie.com/mainmenu.htm  | work = DriveInMovie.com | title = lists all currently open drive-in theaters in the U.S., Canada and Australia. The site is constantly updated with openings and closures | access-date = 2019-09-05  }}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Drive-In Theater}}
[[Category:Drive-in theaters|*]]
[[Category:Cinemas and movie theaters]]
[[Category:Audiovisual introductions in 1932]]
[[Category:Cultural history of the United States]]
[[Category:Car culture]]
[[Category:American inventions]]