Chief Drive-In Theatre
Quanah, Texas
Don't know how long this one's been defunct, but it's mighty weedy and the screen complex is fairly delapidated. It was cool to see this sentinel standing its lonely watch on a country road outside town.
By the way, there's a functioning drive-in in Granbury and I think I saw one in Tyler recently. There should be more drive-in theaters around, IMHO.
Speaking of the glory days of cinema-- over at Anarchangel, Chris has a great post up about the heyday of great film actors and how today's lot compare. This is an entertaining post with mentions of some exceptional films.
15 comments:
The last time I went to a drive-in theater it was 1991, I was five months pregnant with Silver, and we saw Silence of the Lambs.
I was so creeped out, I almost peed myself rather than get out of the car and walk in the dark to the restrooms.
Haven't been back since.
I miss the drive-in theaters to. They were sure fun. You could control the volume, but nowadays you can't in a movie theater, which is why I never go anymore.
I know Flo and her KSA have a drive-in near them.Lucky gal!
christina - sheesh! No wonder Silver turned out to be such a rugged individualist!
lainy - Yeah - they were great, and I agree that volume control is a major problem in theaters these days - they seem to want to blast you out of your seat. That said, most of the films I go to see in recent years have been very loud and bombastic in a good way...
Ah...drive-ins. I could launch a few nostalgic Ol' Fart tales about 'em, but I won't. (You're welcome.) Suffice to say my memories of 'em are quite pleasant. Except the snack bars. ;-)
I'm from Quanah and this is an awesome pic! I have many memories of going here as a kid with my parents and then with friends as a teen-ager. Good times!!
Paula
ps - I think this di went out in the late 80's.
I recall some very, very fun times at drive in movies....
Back up the pickup, truck bed full of various kids in various jammies in various sleeping bags. Adults in lawn chairs, coolers full of beverages. Friends and families wandering, talking, socializing...
http://www.drive-ins.com/detail/txtsand
The theatre has a low-power radio transmitter. You tune your car radio to 88.3 FM and listen to the movie over your car speakers. The volume is as loud or soft as you want it.
LawDog
buck - should I be retroactively grossed out-- what was wrong with the snack bars? I always liked 'em!
pmwilson - THanks so much for stopping by! I LOVE Quanah - it's a wonderful town. I love it out there. Thanks for the info!
carteach - you just reminded me - At the Astro Drive-in in Dallas, Tuesday was $5 a car load - isn't that cool?
LawDog - Wow! That's so cool - have you been to a show there? That'd be worth the drive-- I'll try and get out there some day, plus it'd be a great excuse to get back out to the panhandle. I'm so glad to hear there are more working drive-ins!
The one you saw around Tyler was probably the old Apache, out 31 to the east of town. For the last 30 years or so, it's been showing low-budget pr0n to a mostly male Hispanic crowd and has been an absolute money press. They moved to that location lock, stock, and bigscreen about 20 years ago because of development where they were, on the road toward Pounds Airfield on the other side of town.
On the other hand, Port Aransas has an open-air theater which is open most of the year; 4 walls, no roof, and first-run feature films, although it's been awhile since we've been there.
Regards,
Rabbit.
You just led me back to soooo many great memories! RC Cola, moon pies, and summer nights with the fam and friends at the drive-in! We actually have one in a town nearby that opens in the summer, they just started opening it back up again. The other 2 nearby are like skeletons of the wonderful things they used to be. Pity.
As an englishman brought up on American films I've always wanted to watch a movie at a drive in...I hope I get the chance.Does anybody know any in or close to the bay area?
Alas, drive-in movies are something I never got to enjoy. Growing up in Memphis, by the time I was old enough to go there really weren't any more drive-ins left.
Tack that on to the list of things I missed on account of being born too late.
tweaker
buck - should I be retroactively grossed out-- what was wrong with the snack bars? I always liked 'em!
I suppose snack bars are like any other food emporium... in that the quality varies. The drive-in snack bars in my teen-aged neck of the woods were simply gross... as in over-run with bugs, soggy pizza, bad burgers (to be kind), and every other hallmark of bad and/or dangerous food (literally) that one can think of... It's a wonder I made it out alive.
The first movie I ever saw was at a di - Gold Finger, I was all of about 4 or 5.
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