VINTAGE DRIVE-IN MOVIE T-SHIRT RETRO 50s

When my other half and I were dating back in the stone ages, when the earth was still cooling and dinosaurs still roamed the earth, we got “hot and heavy” at drive-ins. I had never been to one before we started going out. It wasn’t long before I could see the appeal!

I learned quickly that the first movie was the one you were actually supposed to watch, but the second one was for background noise. The snack bar was like a working display for the Smithsonian Institute with sticky counters, out-of-date arcade games and bad food. But I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

I could literally feel the history and hear the laughter of the people who came before us in decades past. The cars were different, the fashions were different but the essence was the same. There were hormonal teens, friends who hid each other for cheaper entry and couples with noisy kids.

With the intrusion of urban sprawl and too much light pollution, drive-ins have slowly but surely disappeared. The one we used to go to is now the site of a mega mall. Yawn. Now the closest drive-in is an hour’s drive north. And even that one is located too close to a major highway. It’s not just their physical demise, but the mindsets of people seem to have changed a lot. Along with giant indoor shopping centres, they also want the cinema equivalent, which feels so impersonal and full of other distractions. People aren’t concerned about that community feel anymore. Even small, independently owned movie theatres are in jeopardy these days as the conglomerates have all but swallowed up the little man.

The next time you hear about or pass by a drive-in, go for a movie, even if it’s a bad one. The experience will be well worth it!

Here are some drive-in memorabilia items available now