The beloved institution of the drive-in theater celebrates its 90th anniversary on National Drive-In Day, Tuesday, June 6, the exact day in 1933 when Richard Hollingshead invented the format in Camden, New Jersey. The popularity of drive-ins grew, and by the mid-1950s, there were more than 4,000 drive-ins in the United States. Although the enthusiasm for the outdoor screening experience tapered off in popularity as more modern, state-of-the-art projection and sound technology in multiplexes became the norm, drive-in theaters found themselves booming in recent years, during the many months of the COVID-19 pandemic, when indoor gatherings of any type were forbidden or limited in terms of seating capacity.
With about 300 drive-in theaters across the country (including about a dozen in Illinois), the format still provides a full evening’s worth of entertainment with far better projection and sound than ever before.
To celebrate the 90th anniversary of drive-in theaters, the United Drive-in Theatre Owners Association (UDITOA) has created the new Authentic Drive-In Theatre website, which directs visitors to the drive-in theater nearest them, with showtimes, advance ticket purchasing, and the latest in drive-in theater news, history, and listings of drive-ins for sale.
Mike and Mia Kerz, owners of the Midway Drive-In, located between Dixon and Sterling, Illinois, are on the UNITOA’s board of directors. They’re co-founders of the long-running annual Flashback Weekend Chicago Horror Con that takes place in Rosemont, including this August 4-6 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago. The couple have taken a very active role in the association and even had a hand in getting drive-in movie critic and horror movie host Joe Bob Briggs and co-host Darcy the Mail Girl to film a special PSA celebrating the 90th Anniversary of the Drive-in Theatre and National Drive-In Day. Briggs and Darcy will be appearing at this year’s Flashback Weekend Con, undoubtedly touting the greatness of the drive-in as a national institution.
On the appeal and impact of the drive-in theater experience, Joe Bob said, “Drive-Ins have changed a lot since 1933—many of them now show first-run blockbusters to huge summer crowds—but each new generation has discovered something to love about the ultimate American movie-going experience. As Darcy and I always say on our weekly show, ‘The drive-in will never die!’”
In addition, studios such as Universal and Focus Features have created special trailers for Fast X and the upcoming Asteroid City, respectively, congratulating drive-ins on their 90th anniversary.
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