Enjoy Sarasota FL’s drive-in history

Posted on by
Old photo of Trail Drive-In Theatre screen

Photo from the Sarasota Department of Historical Resources, via the Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Jeff Lahurd gave us all a present in the Sunday edition of the Sarasota (FL) Herald-Tribune. Lahurd outlined what might be the full history of the five drive-in theaters in Sarasota and the three in nearby Bradenton.

Although the article often veers into explanations for those poor souls who have never experienced a drive-in, it contains a lot of great information. For example, the Trail Drive-In “served fried shrimp and chicken dinners, pizza and sandwiches, while the Siesta had a cafeteria styled restaurant and a snack bar ‘to keep you wonderfully refreshed.’”

Hugh Thomas, owner of the Trail and the Siesta, prided himself on keeping his theaters modern, clean, and inviting to families. He claimed that each of his projectors cost $14,000 and were “precision-made, like watches”.

According to Lahurd, the Bee Ridge was the last drive-in to open in Sarasota, in 1969. “To maintain the comfort factor, the theater offered individual (air conditioning) units, with the added benefit that it kept the mosquitoes out — mostly,” he wrote. I wonder how car-unit air conditioners worked.

One thing that Lahurd didn’t mention is that Sarasota residents can still visit the four-screen Fun Lan Drive-In about an hour’s drive away in Tampa. Anyway, I hope you’ve figured out by now that to experience all this fun nostalgia and a few nice photos, you really ought to go read it!

One-car crash damages Transit marquee

Posted on by

Wrecked marquee of the Transit Drive-InSee what happens when you book Gremlins! According to a very brief story in The Buffalo (NY) News, a car drove into a utility pole next to the marquee for the Transit Drive-In in nearby South Lockport, burst into flames and severely damaged the marquee. The News said that no one was injured and the cause is being investigated.

The Transit’s Facebook page has a lot more information on the event, including several before and after photos. The scene after the accident, which I borrowed for this post, looked dire. (The full-size photo looks even better; you ought to see the original on that Facebook page.)

The Transit’s posts reflect the optimistic, can-do spirit that is the hallmark of successful drive-in owners. The first post after hearing about the accident ended with, “Oh well, we’ve been wanting to update that old sign for a long time, anyway.” After arriving on the scene and taking that great photo, a second post said the marquee would probably need to be replaced. Then last night, a new post with a partially restored marquee announced “It’s just a flesh wound!” Looks pretty good!

The Transit’s most recent Facebook post at this writing includes a vintage color photo and reads, “This is one of my favorite pictures of the sun setting behind the original 1952 marquee, taken in August of 2007. The red entrance sign was also demolished, as the vehicle went over that first, before crashing into the utility pole and our marquee.” That’s a lot more coverage than The Buffalo News gave us. For a better look at some great photos, you really should check out the Transit’s Facebook page!

Apache closes down with one last party

Posted on by

GlobeDoNotEnterThis was expected for months, but it’s still sad. The Apache Drive-In, (Globe AZ) which had survived so many drive-in downturns, could not survive the shift to digital projection. It held its going-away party last weekend, as documented by public radio station KJZZ.

You can also see a video report from KSAZ, Phoenix’s news leader, about the Apache’s final celebration, but KSAZ uses Worldnow video, which I can’t embed here.

Stina Sieg of KJZZ provided a magnificent time capsule of the evening’s event, including a slideshow, a link to the audio report, and a well-edited transcript of that report, which mentioned an ironic touch. “Tonight’s movie was supposed to be that Charles Grodin/Robert De Niro flick, ‘Midnight Run,’” Sieg said. “It was partially filmed in Globe. However, 35 millimeter prints of it simply don’t exist anymore.”

Now the lights are out for good. Today that Do Not Enter photo I took in April of the Apache’s one-way exit applies to the entrance as well.

Update: On the Friday before that last party, NPR also ran a story and interview about the closing of the Apache. You can listen to it or read its transcript here.