On June 6, 1933, the first drive-in movie theater opened in Camden, New Jersey, United States. The concept was the brainchild of Richard Hollingshead, a young sales manager at his father's auto parts company. Hollingshead came up with the idea after his mother complained about the discomfort of sitting in traditional movie theater seats.
Hollingshead experimented in his driveway, mounting a projector on the hood of his car and using a screen nailed to trees. He used a radio behind the screen for sound. After working out the kinks, he patented his idea in May 1933 and opened the first drive-in theater just a month later.
On opening night, the price of admission was 25 cents per car and 25 cents per person, with a maximum charge of one dollar. The featured film was "Wives Beware," a comedy starring Adolphe Menjou. Around 600 people attended the screening in approximately 400 cars, making it a resounding success.
The drive-in concept quickly caught on, and by the 1950s, there were over 4,000 drive-in theaters across the United States. They became a cultural icon, symbolizing the American love affair with the automobile and serving as a popular date spot for young couples.
While drive-in theaters faced a decline in the 1970s and 1980s due to the advent of home video and increasing land values, they have experienced a resurgence in recent years. Many people enjoy the nostalgic experience and the opportunity to watch movies under the stars. Today, there are still around 300 drive-in theaters operating in the United States, keeping the spirit of this unique piece of cinema history alive.
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
