Author Archives: mrdrivein

Honda to spend a month promoting drive-ins

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What does Honda have in common with drive-ins? Until recently, I’d say the closest link was The Beach Boys’ 1964 album All Summer Long, which included the songs Little Honda and Drive-In. The former was an international hit, and I often hear the latter at drive-in theaters. In fact, I’d say that Drive-In is probably the best drive-in celebration song of all time. But I digress.

Almost 50 years later, Honda is about to give us a much better reason to connect it with drive-in theaters. This Friday, Honda will launch Project Drive-In, a month-long effort to raise awareness of the wonderful, fragile state of drive-ins today. The best part is that Honda will effectively rescue five drive-ins from oblivion, paying for new digital projection equipment. And you get to pick which drive-ins get saved.

According to Jessica Fini of Honda Public Relations, visitors to Project Drive-In will be able to cast their votes for their favorite drive-in out of a list of over 50 that need help. Some of those drive-ins were chosen by Honda, and others were added after they heard about the promotion and asked to be included. Voting will run through September 9, and a couple of weeks later, Honda will present checks or equipment to the five winners.

Fini said that she hopes that raising general awareness about the drive-ins in need might even help the theaters that don’t finish in the top five. And why is Honda so interested? “A lot of people have an emotional attachment to drive-ins,” Fini said. “We started hearing about all the drive-ins that are in trouble. It’s just a natural connection for us to raise this effort further through a social media promotion.”

As the Maine Sun Chronicle reported recently, Honda has been busy filming some videos to run in conjunction with this promotion. Fini told me that they won’t be used as TV ads (darn!) but will be featured on the Project Drive-In site. So spread the word, and get ready to vote early and often to keep your favorite drive-in alive.

A look back at the Sunrise

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I just wanted to add a quick note to make sure you get a chance to read Ron Marzlock’s little Queens Chronicle history of the Sunrise “open-air automobile movie theater” in Valley Stream NY, near Queens. There are a lot of fun details and a old-time photo of the first drive-in in New York State and the 15th in the United States.

The Sunrise opened in 1938 and closed in 1978, soon replaced by the Sunrise Multiplex Cinemas. The detail I hadn’t heard of before was that “some teens fell asleep with the engine running and fumes leaking into their cars, killing them.” Yow, I won’t be able to listen to Wake Up Little Susie the same way again! Anyway, I’m not even going to bother with a photo here, you should simply go read it!

Last North Dakota drive-in screen bites the dust

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Old Lake Shore Drive-In marquee

2011 photo by Robby Virus, used by permission

You might want to skip this post if you’re squeamish or easily saddened. The Williston (ND) Herald reported this week that redevelopment workers tore down the screen for the Lake Park Drive-In Theater, which closed there last year. Its superintendent said that the wreckage would be recycled, but I’m guessing that means chipping the wood instead of finding a new home for the screen.

If you want a happier memory, check the Bismarck Tribune’s 2010 tribute to the Lake Park. It spends an appropriate amount of space discussing rumors of the Lake Park’s closure and how the theater had changed since its owners bought the place in 1995. Former owner Jim Snyder told the Tribune that business at the Lake Park started slowing down in the 1990s. Hmm, most places saw big attendance drops before then.

Anyway, if you want a slender ray of good news, the Lake Park’s merry-go-round and swing set “are going to be restored and given to a local family.” For a few more details, plus a photo of the screen’s final hour on earth, go read it.