Drive-in Movie Theaters - Why was the Drive-in so Successful?

Today, the drive-in theater is a thing of the past; they are scattered sparsely across the United States in nostalgic last-stab attempts at success and the novelty projects of millionaires. Out of the nearly 5000 theaters which swept across America in the 1950’s, less than one-tenth still stand in working condition today (Tompkins). But what made these sprawling “ozoners” so overwhelmingly popular in the 50’s? It can be attributed to numerous events and widespread emotions of the time period. The happy-go-lucky “baby boomer” attitude of the post-war era contributed to the obsession with drive-ins, as did low-cost real estate and a culture which was absolutely fascinated by emerging technology.

But the real magic of the D.I. theater is that it was a combination of everything which embodied the 50’s. It exuded an air of innocence with its playgrounds, picnic tables, and mini-golf setup directed towards young families (Currier). But there was also an edge to the drive-in which foreshadowed the teenage rebellion to come with the emergence of rock and roll and the 1960’s. The theater was often referred to as a “passion pit” after dark, somewhere that adolescents could escape the stereotypical 1950’s prudishness and socialize, curse, or satisfy raging hormones in the backseat of a sprawling Cadillac (Bordwell). The drive-in movie theater fed all that was essential to the baby boomer era; from wide-eyed virtuousness to the horny teenaged underbelly, creating a cultural juggernaut which was bound to crash at the end of the era.