Ok guys & gals, what was the first movie you saw in a drive-in? For me, it was "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" in the early 60's (St. Pete, FL). This event should be a signature within your memory banks, as you had never experienced this before. For me, it was the big screen, the brand new experience, the amount of big actors, the action scenes, the comedy, and those big palm trees in the shape of a 'W'.

I saw that same movie at a drive-in...it was 1963:yikes: I do remember seeing most of the Elvis movies from the back seat of my uncles car...he and my aunt always took me to drive-in movies when I was a kid. I may not have paid close attention to all of the movies but damn, that snack bar was a pretty cool place for a bottomless pit like I was back then:D

J.R.

Dial M for Murder with my parents me thinks. Don't remember watching many movies at the drive in after the age of going with the folks. :D I do remember having the stuffing in the back seat of my VW catch on fire from the 6V battery underneath it while making out.

No way I could answer this accurately, because I'm sure I was too young to remember it.

1st one I recall was "You Only Live Twice".

1st one I really watched was "Kelly's Heroes".

Dr. Strangelove-
Man I miss the drive-ins. :tears: There are a couple up here in the Dakotas, but neither is less than 100 miles away.
Gonna borrow a computer projector, Proxima-type deal, this summer and have a "drive-in" type movie experience in the back yard for the grandson. I'll project it on the side of the house, put an amp and speakers out, and make some popcorn and hot dogs. I know it won't be the same, but it'll still be fun. :thmbsp:
Mike

Blood feast

First one I can remember....."The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance."

From the back of my parent's 1959 Dodge station wagon.

Steve

No way I could answer this accurately, because I'm sure I was too young to remember it.

Same here, I do know it was probably in Dad's 38 Olds which then, was just an Older CAR. not a collectable.

I have no idea what the first was, that was a very long time ago (I am 55). But one that we went to often when I was but a wee child is still in operation on the original 66 Hwy, still called the 66 Drive-In.

http://66drivein.com/

Can't remember the first, but remember "Easy Rider."

Sure..."The Incredible Mr. Limpet" at the Fun-Lan DriveIn in Tampa, Florida. Wow, that was a long time ago! The Fun-Lan had all sorts of gimmicky (but way cool) promotions and events. They had many "dusk to dawn" horror movie showings, but I was too young to attend. Oh well...

It's been too long to remember the first for me. Sure was fun as a kid growing up and even more fun later as a teenager.:naughty:

Scottsdale 6 Drive-In Theaters are still in operation. The only ones I know of anymore in the Phoenix metro area.

Corvette Summer :o

I remember it well back in the 60s at the Starlight Drive-In with my mom & dad. We saw "The Blob" & "East of Eden." It was only a buck a car load back then. Many trunks got stuffed during that hay day. My dad had just got a brand spanking new white 1963 Pontiac Bonneville.

Great thread for bringing back some fond memories of old Tyler Texas.
Rome

I don't remember the flick, but a bunch of my friends & I piled into my '67 Lincoln Convertible sedan & went to the only local drive-in around '85 or so...One of those guys is gone now, & so is the drive-in.

It was a double feature, Nutty Professor II, and Coyote Ugly. Both bad movies.

Year was 2000, I was 13 :lmao:

There's a drive-in just down the road from my house about 5 miles, 'Unadilla Drive-in" its been there since the 60's, in continious operation. I guess its kind of an anacronism this day in age, but its still pretty popular around here (we're out in the sticks quite a ways) as you can go with a carload of people/friends and see a double feature for next to nothing. About the only change they've made to the place since the old days is an FM transmitter, other than that, its just like going back in time.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a194/cmb3366/unad-1.jpg

"101 Dalmations" - 1961 or 62. I also remember going to see a double feature of "Thunder Road" & "Thunder in Carolina".

We still have 2 drive-in movies here in the county where I live and another one in the next county. :thmbsp:

My brother is 6 years older than I and when he was a teenager, he was brotherly enough to take me with him to see a lot of Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns! :yes:

As a teenager, I had my share of "date nights" in my 66 GTO at the local drive-in. Great times!

One night a guy came up to the window of my car and said to me "hey mister, every time you kiss your girl you hit the brake pedal and the flashing lights make it hard to see the movie!"

After that, I installed a cut-off switch for my brake lights! :yes:

One night a guy came up to the window of my car and said to me "hey mister, every time you kiss your girl you hit the brake pedal and the flashing lights make it hard to see the movie!"

After that, I installed a cut-off switch for my brake lights!

Ahhh the memories in my 72 VW Superbeetle!
Nice sentiment 70 SG!

Rome

The first one I can recall was "Pinocchio in Outer Space" in 1964.
I watched it at the Bar-Len Drive In outside of Barstow on Rt 66.

As embarrassing as it is to admit I remember it well because it scared the hell out of me! :lmao:

I can't remember the first flick with my parents -- they loved the drive-in -- but I worked at the "54 Drive-In" in Wichita, KS in junior & high school ('67-'69). Had a psycho for a boss (Mr. Amick), but what a cultural education that job was!

One disadvantage of working at a drive-in and trying to see a movie is that you only get bits and pieces of it. It took me years to see "Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid" in a single sitting.

I remember snippets of a movie that I saw with my cousin Charlotte and her boyfriend back in the late 50s. I think it was called "The Leech Woman" or something like that. The first movie I recall completely must have been "The Hanging Tree." It starred Gary Cooper and was from 1959 or 60.

That would have been at the Redwood Drive-In out off the Redwood Highway a few miles outside of Grants Pass, OR. I saw lots of movies there and have many fond memories of the place.

I can't recall my first movie. At that age I was still getting in for free and falling asleep in the car. I remember watching Last Dragon, some Bruce Lee Movies and bloodsport when it was first introduced. We still have a drive in theater. But I wouldn't suggest going there unless your in a military A.P.C. it's a drug dealers and crack heads.
Bad neighborhood. It's too bad someone couldn't leave an old theater with a huge screen. I would pay more for the movie, now they squeeze 6 screens into a theater that was once 1 screen. I bet some home theaters have larger screens. and at $10.00 per person, it's expensive. For alittle extra I'll go to IMAX.

That would have been at the Redwood Drive-In out off the Redwood Highway a few miles outside of Grants Pass, OR. I saw lots of movies there and have many fond memories of the place.

I've been to the Redwood many times in the late '70's, early '80's. Had a '71 Camaro. That was a great town back then. Don't know about now?

I can't remember which movie I saw with my parents as a kid. It was at The Sunset Drive In on the Island.

They had some kiddie rides up front, below the screen. Those were great times. Me and my brother would be dressed in pajamas. I remember waking up in my dad's arms when we got home.

Don't remeber the first time or the movie but I do recall as I was older driving in thru the Exit & getting in for Free at the Gratiot Drive-in.
Now a Strip Mall!!!

Man, that would be going way too far back for me to remember. It would have to have been in the late 50's and would likely be a Disney movie, but I remember seeing most of the films mentioned so far...except Pinocchio in outer space, I must have missed that piece of genius!

First one I can remember was Audie Murphey's "To Hell and Back".

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FXQ5X12VL._SS500_.jpg

I went with my parents to see Patton......we still have Drive-In`s around the area.

"Donovan's Reef" at The Corral in South St. Paul, MN. My Dad was John Wayne's biggest fan. We went often...hit the White Castle on the way for a sack and it was off to the movies. There's one about 30 miles from me that'll be opening soon...think we'll hit it a few time this summer.

It was Beneath the Planet of the Apes at the Oasis Drive Inn in Des Plaines. Now it's a trailer park with the original marquee still up.

I still go to drive in's. Nothing like it on a warm summer night. There are still drive-in's around the Chicago area. The McHenry Outdoor Theater in McHenry The Cascade in West Chicago and the Keno in Kenosha Wisconsin. Two years ago, I went to a dusk to dawn showing at the Midway near Dixon Illinois with my girlfriend who lives in Freeport. We seen Grease, Smokey and the Bandit, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Starship Troopers and Stripes. Great fun!

The one I remember was Godzilla. Wish they would make a new high tech one!

When the local drive-in.....trying to survive.....turned to PORN.
Me and my HS buddies would watch the skin-flicks, from a nearby hill.
Kinda missed the chessy soundtracks though?

Steve

Snow White

No way I remember. My earliest recollection was a James Bond Double Feature. Even at that I can't remember if it was Goldfinger and Thunderball or Thunderball and You Only Live Twice.

The one I remember was Godzilla. Wish they would make a new high tech one!

The u.s. made one. remember the giant lizard. :thumbsdn:
Japan wouldn't allow the u.s. to license the likeness. My friend is a Godzilla addict, he owns every movie, vhs, dvd, collectible's. Japan needs to release a new version without the subtitles, but I doubt that will ever happen. We have Star Wars and Star Trek. Japan has Godzilla. We can make similar movies, just can't use the likeness.
I forgot the name of the movie that was released alittle while ago. They filmed it all from New York with camcorders??? Statue of liberty head fell to the ground. hmmmm. The director stated that was his portrayal of a U.S. Godzilla.

We can't remake Godzilla in our image, there's only 1.

Jaws. I was 10, and it was 6 months before I would swim again. Even in a pool.

Jaws. I was 10, and it was 6 months before I would swim again. Even in a pool.

Oh yeah, I remember that one, when it was released. I was hitchhiking my way home from college. My sister & her friend were heading to the theatre to watch that same flick. They picked me up on FM 1960 (north of Houston(, and the three of us went to the theatre to watch the flick. It wasn't a drive-in, but the scene that got my attention (and Dreyfuss), was when the dead guy popped out of the bottom of the boat.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 1969 at some Drive Inc whose name has faded from my memory on Long Island, NY. Recall seeing the Abominable Dr Phibes at the same place and some monster movie. There were others, but I cannot recall them.

Later on down here, I saw Airport 75, Jaws, and The Eiger Sanction.

Fun times. I keep meaning to plan a trip around one of the remaining drive ins somewhere out there.

"The Absent Minded Professor". 1962 I believe? From the back seat of my dad's new Fairlane.

Six years old in my parent's Pontiac Sunbird, I saw: Revenge of the Nerds II. Now, you can't do much worse than see this movie (Well, you could see Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation, or Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love.) but to mind, it was great. I was really happy that Ogre made friends with the Nerds.

Saw it at the Columbia Drive-In. Open for many decades, it closed about five years ago. They still had the trailer with film gear in it for awhile, as they moved it to the York fairgrounds to do shows on an inflatable screen. Despite doing great business there, I saw it all go up on Ebay awhile back.

This isn't about the first movie at a Drive-In, but related.

TCM had a run of "biker" films this weekend. One of them was "The Born Losers" which is the first "Billy Jack" film.

I remember seeing this as a new movie at the Drive-In with my brother. We would have been in his VW beetle.

I DVR'd the movie and watched it last night. That was some pretty heady stuff back in the day. Elizabeth James was not hard to look at! I figure she's about 60 years old now.

My favorite Drive-In growing up was the Magnolia Drive-In in Charleston SC. It was so named for a huge magnolia tree out front. I saw lots of movies there through the years, both with my brother and later in my own car, either with friends or a date.

Eventually, it closed and the property was sold as valuable commercial property. Rick Hendrick has one of his many Chevrolet dealerships on that site now.

There are actually two drive ins still in operation within a 20 mile distance from me. Once each summer my son and I head to one when there is a movie we are both wanting to see playing. Tons of great snack food at their concession stand from ice cream to popcorn to burgers.

I know for sure it was a Jerry Lewis film (perhaps "The Patsy"?). The drive in was kitty corner from where Rolling Stone records was in Chicago/Harwood Hts. We still have one drive in left around here; the Cascade in West Chicago.

I also remember seeing these two movies at the Starlight Drive-In:
Konga
Roustabout

Rome