1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 2: Welcome back to the show, Ridiculous Historians. Thank you, as 3 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 2: always so much for tuning in. Quick housekeeping note, this 4 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:35,919 Speaker 2: is part two of the history of drive in theaters. 5 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 2: Please listen to part one so you're not lost like 6 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 2: I was when I mixed up the VHS tapes of 7 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 2: The Godfather from Blockbuster. Big shout out to our super producer, 8 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 2: mister Max Williams. 9 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:49,239 Speaker 3: Well, heck, why don't we just jump right into the 10 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 3: episode already in progress. 11 00:00:57,560 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 4: So halling's worth. 12 00:00:58,320 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 3: You know, we've kind of hinted at some of the 13 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:05,119 Speaker 3: I guess flexibility that going to a drive in movie 14 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 3: would afford you. Hongsworth promoted those the idea that you 15 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 3: could smoke without bothering anybody or violating any fire laws 16 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 3: for indoor theaters. Although this at this point, weren't you 17 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 3: basically allowed to smoke everywhere? 18 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 4: Irrelevant neither here nor there. 19 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:22,960 Speaker 3: The point is you could definitely have your own little 20 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 3: bubble where you wouldn't be bothering anybody. I like that idea. 21 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 3: It certainly makes a lot of sense. This is something 22 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 3: I did not even consider. Ben you could talk during 23 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 3: the movie. Of course, you know, your own little group. 24 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,959 Speaker 3: You're not bothering your neighbors. But you could also bring 25 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 3: your kids and have them sleep in the back of 26 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 3: the car, you know, while you were watching a movie, 27 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:46,840 Speaker 3: and you wouldn't have to pay a babysitter, because back 28 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 3: in those days, movie night was like date night, and 29 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 3: this was a real easy way if your family and 30 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 3: you don't want to pony up for a babysitter, that 31 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 3: you just bring them along and then have them kind 32 00:01:57,560 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 3: of snooze it in the back. 33 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 2: Also helps with the pitch for the price point because 34 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 2: you can say, hey, you're saving money on a babysitter, really, 35 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 2: so you're not spending that much money. If you are 36 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:13,799 Speaker 2: a person who has mobility issues maybe or an elderly 37 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:18,799 Speaker 2: person or may have some weight issues, this also gives you. 38 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:22,919 Speaker 2: This also frees you from the narrow aisles we discussed earlier, 39 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:25,839 Speaker 2: and it gives you a little bit of privacy too, 40 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 2: which is great for you. 41 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 4: Know, heavy petting, heavy pet. 42 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:32,960 Speaker 2: Petting, but it's also great for someone who might, for 43 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:36,640 Speaker 2: one reason or another, feel a little uncomfortable in a 44 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 2: large crowd, if they feel like people are staring at 45 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 2: them and stuff, and. 46 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 4: So no doubt. Yeah, there's a lot, lot to like, 47 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:43,919 Speaker 4: lot to like in the model. 48 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:47,639 Speaker 2: And hollings hollings Head also points out, you know, if 49 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 2: you are worried that your baby might be crying or something, 50 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 2: you can just kind of roll up the windows. The 51 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 2: whole family is welcome, regardless of how noisy the children are. 52 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 2: This is a bit operation. You can see the picture. 53 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 2: You can see photographs that Andrea pulled of it. This 54 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 2: thing held a little less than four hundred cars, which 55 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 2: is still a lot of cars, just not as considering 56 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 2: there's multiple people per car right right, and the screen 57 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:20,639 Speaker 2: is big. It's thirty feet high, forty feet wide, suspended 58 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 2: twelve feet from the ground. It's housed in this larger structure. 59 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:29,800 Speaker 2: The field is paved, but it's paved with gravel, and 60 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 2: they are the thing with gravels. It generates a lot 61 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 2: of dust, right, so they oil the gravel to keep 62 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 2: the dust down and reduce the population of mosquitoes. They've 63 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 2: got three like six foot square speakers RCA speakers, and 64 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 2: it's very loud, so this also helps solve the crying 65 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 2: baby situation because it's so loud, the baby'll just be 66 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 2: part of the soundtrack. At that point, it does for sure, 67 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:00,119 Speaker 2: but again I'm planned this out earlier. Like if you've 68 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 2: ever been to a concert where they have like a 69 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 2: lawn you know, lawn seats, you will notice they have 70 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 2: a second set of speakers that is just for that. 71 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 4: It's like extension because if you didn't, there. 72 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 3: Is a a audible and the visible disconnect between the 73 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 3: sink of like the mouths moving on the screen or 74 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:24,840 Speaker 3: by the performers. Because sound literally is vibration carried over air, 75 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 3: and there is a delay, there is a lag. So 76 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:29,160 Speaker 3: I mentioned that. So that is a problem that they 77 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 3: eventually had to address. Another brilliant part of this in 78 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:37,160 Speaker 3: terms of like a money making scheme, I guess is 79 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 3: you're you're responsible for your own air conditioning, Like I 80 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:45,599 Speaker 3: don't know did they did cars have actual like free 81 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 3: on powered air conditioning at this point, No, so they 82 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 3: would have maybe had just had their own fans. And 83 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:53,080 Speaker 3: even at this point, you know, we always hear about 84 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 3: movie theaters were a great source of air conditioning, you know, 85 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 3: when people would go buy a ticket to the movie 86 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 3: theaters just to sit in the air condition in New York. 87 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:04,360 Speaker 3: But at this point we're in the thirties and do 88 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 3: we have that type of modern air conditioning or refrigeration. 89 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 3: I think it was probably around the thirties that that 90 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 3: started cars, not quite like indoor in general, just in 91 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 3: general indoor. 92 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 2: AC I know for cars was in the forties and 93 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 2: then the fifties. It started in the forties, I want 94 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 2: to say, so I would assume that they had indoor 95 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:29,600 Speaker 2: AC unit. 96 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:30,159 Speaker 4: They had to. 97 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 2: They had indoor AC units for structures before they had 98 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:37,320 Speaker 2: the mobile and automobiles. Right, That just mean it was. 99 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 4: There was early thirties. 100 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 3: The Packard, which I know you talked about on car stuff, 101 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 3: was a luxury, mega luxury automobile that had the first 102 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 3: semblance of indoor air conditioning. 103 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:49,360 Speaker 4: Yeah, but these were, like. 104 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 2: The packer crowd was at best a very small portion 105 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:57,800 Speaker 2: of one percent, And it wouldn't be until the mid 106 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 2: fifties that that, you know, it became more mainstream. 107 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:04,279 Speaker 4: So point being, the proprietors. 108 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 3: Of the drive ins were able to save quite a 109 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 3: bit on their energy bill. 110 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 2: Yes, and they also discovered something that was common in 111 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:15,280 Speaker 2: theaters then and now, which is the idea of a 112 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 2: captive market. Now, the drive in would let you take 113 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:21,720 Speaker 2: your own food in. At this point they were more 114 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:25,240 Speaker 2: than happy if you had, you know, a picnic basket. 115 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:27,680 Speaker 2: It was just like, yeah, they're just like a bucket 116 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 2: of chestnuts. They really didn't care. 117 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 4: It's very specific. 118 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:39,040 Speaker 2: What they did discover, though, is even if they didn't 119 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:43,679 Speaker 2: have a law banning or a policy banning outside food 120 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 2: and drink, if they started a concession stand, people would 121 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:49,720 Speaker 2: spend money there because it's part. 122 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:50,360 Speaker 4: Of the experience. 123 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 3: And I do wonder, we don't really have anything about 124 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:56,960 Speaker 3: this ben but I imagined it was probably also okay 125 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:00,360 Speaker 3: to bring your own boothe ooh. 126 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:03,799 Speaker 2: That that might be a sticky subject. I guess drunk 127 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 2: driving laws well well established at this point, not because 128 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 2: everybody was drunk, but because fewer people were driving. Let's see, 129 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 2: prohibition ended in nineteen thirty three, so this would be 130 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 2: so alcohol itself was still very verboten. I think by 131 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:31,160 Speaker 2: June sixth, nineteen thirty three when the drive in theater opened. 132 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 3: So probably a conversation that wouldn't start for a little bit. 133 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 3: But you know what, I'm sure people were bringing their 134 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 3: little flasks. 135 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 4: You know, what's that old line. 136 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 2: People will vote for prohibitions so long as they can stagger. 137 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:44,080 Speaker 4: To the polls. That's funny. 138 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:47,760 Speaker 2: No, Yeah, Unfortunately it's true too because a lot of 139 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 2: the members of it's a joke that refers to politicians 140 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:56,120 Speaker 2: and members of Congress who would always vote for prohibition 141 00:07:56,640 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 2: but then have their secret stash at their home for 142 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 2: their fancy parties. It was somewhat hypocritical, kind of like 143 00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:08,720 Speaker 2: how the leader of North Korea uh loves Western chocolates. 144 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 2: I walked down the street for that one. 145 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 3: But I'm yeah, for sure, what like dove, Like, what 146 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:16,320 Speaker 3: do you mean Western chocolate? It's just like crappy chocolate 147 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:20,040 Speaker 3: like her bars. He looks, yeah, yeah, he loves all 148 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 3: the Western treats. 149 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:22,119 Speaker 4: Max what she got? 150 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 5: So what I got is, actually no, I'm going to 151 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 5: reference Boardwalk Empire. I believe in the first episode, Steve 152 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 5: Shimmy is like at a prohibition speech talking about like 153 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 5: how great prohibition is. He walks out immediately and starts 154 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 5: strinking from his flask. 155 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:39,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, oh a million percent. Steve Bushimmy from the cinematic 156 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 2: masterpiece Vibes. 157 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:43,480 Speaker 4: He's done Vibes. He's in a. 158 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:45,440 Speaker 3: Minor character though, right, he's not a He's not like 159 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 3: a major play. Steve Shimmy does not do minor characters. 160 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 4: Steve shut into a wood Shipper. Yeah, wow, spoiler. No, 161 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:55,600 Speaker 4: don't know, twenty plus year old movie. 162 00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 2: I think it's okay. So what we didn't say? Witch movie? 163 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 4: No, that's true. Not the math, though you can do 164 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:03,800 Speaker 4: the mathough. Who is the co star of Vibes. 165 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:06,520 Speaker 2: It's Jeff Goldbloom and Cindy Lauper. 166 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:08,240 Speaker 4: Cindy Lauper, Jeff Goldblum. 167 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:11,559 Speaker 3: I actually I think I've made this hot take on 168 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 3: something I want you to know. The other day I 169 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 3: would argue Vibes superior to Ghostbusters. 170 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 2: I really appreciate that. I still just being kind to 171 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:22,800 Speaker 2: one of my many obsessions. 172 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:26,880 Speaker 3: But I am being what they call Koi Koi, like 173 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 3: one of this big Asian fish. 174 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:30,800 Speaker 2: Dude, I have to send you a picture I saw 175 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 2: the most massive I saw Kaiju Koi. Oh jeez, I'll 176 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:39,080 Speaker 2: send it to you. But but there's excitement here. People 177 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 2: are gassed throughout New Jersey about this, and more and 178 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:47,960 Speaker 2: more newspapers are reporting on this, first as an oddity, 179 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 2: but then as a possible future of cinema. Sad news, 180 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:56,440 Speaker 2: though a bit of a womp womp. The very first 181 00:09:56,640 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 2: park in theater did not last long, we said June sixth, 182 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:04,680 Speaker 2: nineteen thirty three was the opening night. By this point 183 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:07,720 Speaker 2: they called it. The public called it the drive in Theater, 184 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 2: but the actual name was Automobile Movie Theater, and so 185 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 2: the public crowd sourced the name they preferred. That's usually 186 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 2: how it goes, right, And yeah, it kind of just 187 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 2: gets adopted. What And this first theater soldiered on for 188 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 2: three years and it closed in nineteen thirty six. A 189 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:35,120 Speaker 2: guy bought the concept from Halling's head and moved the 190 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:40,560 Speaker 2: location to Union, New Jersey. Halling said loved the idea, 191 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 2: the public loved the idea too, but he had really 192 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:49,440 Speaker 2: difficult financial challenges with it. He said, look, I can't 193 00:10:49,559 --> 00:10:53,679 Speaker 2: make money off this. It's a beautiful idea. Everybody loves it, 194 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:57,200 Speaker 2: but I just can't turn a profit with it because 195 00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:00,839 Speaker 2: I have to pay the studios the film rental cost, 196 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:02,920 Speaker 2: which I still think is the one of the number 197 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:04,360 Speaker 2: one cost of theaters today. 198 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 4: Right. I do believe that's right. And Ben will get 199 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 4: to this as well. 200 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:11,840 Speaker 3: But you remember in stuff they I want you to know, 201 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:14,480 Speaker 3: not terribly long ago, we did an episode about them, 202 00:11:14,679 --> 00:11:18,000 Speaker 3: the Golden Age of Hollywood and how the studios owned 203 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:22,160 Speaker 3: all the theaters and they would like trying to squeeze 204 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:26,720 Speaker 3: out any competition by charging these exorbitant rental fees. So 205 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:30,080 Speaker 3: this was not conducive to, you know, starting a mom 206 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:32,080 Speaker 3: and pop kind of business where you were playing the 207 00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:34,800 Speaker 3: movies because you're paying so much. You know to the 208 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:37,839 Speaker 3: studios that it is hard to turn a profit. That's 209 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 3: exactly right, and we're going to see how this tide 210 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:45,280 Speaker 3: kind of turns in a bit because of some happenstance. 211 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:50,440 Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, Also to your earlier point, the sound was 212 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 2: horrible because of the location of the screen oiling. The 213 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 2: gravel did not eliminate insects as well as they had hoped. 214 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:02,960 Speaker 2: Ticket prices were higher still than your average orthodox theater, 215 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:08,160 Speaker 2: and this all, all these factors together made it really 216 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:11,160 Speaker 2: difficult to turn a profit. So it made sense for 217 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 2: Hollingshead to sell this, to sell this concept to someone else. 218 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:21,000 Speaker 2: But the idea is still caught on by now. It 219 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:25,720 Speaker 2: was ensconced within the zeitgeist of America. And if we 220 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:28,880 Speaker 2: fast forward to the post World War two economic boom, 221 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:34,040 Speaker 2: we see drive ins are proliferating across the United States. 222 00:12:34,280 --> 00:12:36,240 Speaker 2: And this is where we get to that kind of 223 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:41,720 Speaker 2: golden age of drive ins. And Hollywood culture because by 224 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:45,320 Speaker 2: far and away one of the most popular locations for 225 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:48,640 Speaker 2: drive ins was the state of California, and. 226 00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:49,080 Speaker 4: It caught on. 227 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:53,679 Speaker 2: So it became so popular that hollings Head patent got 228 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:58,559 Speaker 2: overturned in nineteen forty nine, so now anybody could open 229 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 2: a drive in theaters wildwide. 230 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:02,640 Speaker 3: Curious about that, I mentioned that that was kind of 231 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 3: coming but overturned. Why because, I mean, wasn't the someone 232 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 3: bought the concept from him when he was having a 233 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:12,200 Speaker 3: hard time turning a profit. I would assume that would 234 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:15,439 Speaker 3: come with the patent as well. If you bought the concepts, 235 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:17,199 Speaker 3: you know, then you would sign that over. But was 236 00:13:17,240 --> 00:13:21,240 Speaker 3: it because of that lack of novelty that they rethought this? 237 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:26,200 Speaker 2: I think maybe there's a way to renew the patent again, 238 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:29,040 Speaker 2: another reason we should do an episode on this. But 239 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:34,520 Speaker 2: at the time, when you got a patent in the 240 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 2: nineteen thirties, you would have a period of seventeen years 241 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:42,960 Speaker 2: of exclusivity, after which time your patent would. 242 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:46,439 Speaker 3: Expire, unless you're Mickey Mouse, in which case you can 243 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:49,440 Speaker 3: just bend the laws of man and nature, you know, 244 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,640 Speaker 3: to your whims. And that's what allowed Mickey to stay 245 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:56,400 Speaker 3: out of the public domain until very very very very recently, 246 00:13:56,440 --> 00:13:57,880 Speaker 3: literally like I think last year. 247 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:00,439 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's only one version of me too. 248 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:04,360 Speaker 3: It's like the steamboat Willie Oldest oldest og version of 249 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:05,000 Speaker 3: Mickey Mouse. 250 00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 2: And so there is this this massive exponential growth of 251 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:14,120 Speaker 2: drive in theaters. One of the most famous was the 252 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:17,400 Speaker 2: All Weather drive in out in New York State. They 253 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 2: have parking spaces for two thy five hundred cars. They 254 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 2: had a kid's playground forget, a concession stand, they had 255 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:26,200 Speaker 2: a restaurant. 256 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:28,960 Speaker 3: A fun night out. You know, the movie's just a 257 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:31,000 Speaker 3: part of it at this there really is. And we'll 258 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:33,520 Speaker 3: get into some extra little add on features that I 259 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:36,720 Speaker 3: had no idea about that Andrea Fountain that are super fascinating. 260 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:39,160 Speaker 3: But you know, it makes sense too, by the way, Ben, 261 00:14:39,280 --> 00:14:41,680 Speaker 3: that California would be kind of ground zero for this 262 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:44,640 Speaker 3: stuff because the weather is just always kind of the same, 263 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:48,000 Speaker 3: you know, it very rarely rains. It's usually a nice 264 00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:51,400 Speaker 3: cool seventy two degrees or whatever, you know, ocean breezes 265 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:55,720 Speaker 3: and stuff. Similar reason that there is such a issue 266 00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:59,240 Speaker 3: with unhoused folks, you know, in California, because it's just 267 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:02,320 Speaker 3: a great place to be able to sleep outdoors. 268 00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:03,080 Speaker 4: Not a great place. 269 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:05,400 Speaker 3: I mean, it's still a tough life, but much more 270 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 3: so than in say New Jersey, you know, or New York, 271 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:09,720 Speaker 3: where you never really know what the weather's gonna do. 272 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 2: Mm hmm, yeah, similar argument with Hawaii. Right, So, California 273 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:17,360 Speaker 2: is the most well known destination for drive ins, but 274 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:22,080 Speaker 2: about forty percent of drive ins are located in the Midwest. 275 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:26,000 Speaker 2: And that's because there are all these small suburban towns 276 00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 2: that are popping up as suburbs or exurbs of large cities. 277 00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:34,840 Speaker 2: And when you have those places pop up on the 278 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:40,520 Speaker 2: the outskirts of a metropolis, you're also going to find 279 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 2: a lot of cheap land, and that's what you need 280 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 2: for a profitable drive in theater. 281 00:15:46,040 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 3: It makes me think of like the parking lot king 282 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:51,120 Speaker 3: of you know, insert city here, where it's like, yeah, 283 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:53,320 Speaker 3: it's the barrier to entry is just you got to 284 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 3: have like kind of like a uniformly shaped plot of 285 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 3: land and then you can just it's really to PLoP 286 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 3: all this stuff down. You just got to invest in 287 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:05,640 Speaker 3: the screen. And then as we also find that the 288 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:10,000 Speaker 3: screens ended up being billboards in and of themselves, like 289 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:11,840 Speaker 3: they would like to attract people to come to the 290 00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:14,200 Speaker 3: to the to the drive ins. They would make these 291 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 3: elaborate murals on the back ends, the backsides of the screens. 292 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, this was great. 293 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:22,960 Speaker 2: This is the age of the This is a great 294 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:26,600 Speaker 2: time to be a muralist in America. There was a 295 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:29,800 Speaker 2: Compton drive in that had a huge Viking ship painted 296 00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:33,600 Speaker 2: on it. There was in Loma Linda there was this 297 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:38,640 Speaker 2: iconic depiction of skiers going down the slopes, and then 298 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 2: there's so many other examples and they've become kind of 299 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 2: iconic indicators of the time in which they were created. 300 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:51,040 Speaker 3: Well, and it's also like there's a really cool Instagram 301 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:53,560 Speaker 3: account that I follow. I think it's called like the 302 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:56,920 Speaker 3: Neon Signs of Old Hollywood or something like that, and 303 00:16:57,240 --> 00:16:59,640 Speaker 3: it's just got fabulous vintage photographs, a lot of these 304 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:02,800 Speaker 3: incorre raided neon you know, into until where you start 305 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:05,199 Speaker 3: they start to almost resemble like the outside of a 306 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:08,480 Speaker 3: Vegas casino. But this is just a really cool period 307 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:12,919 Speaker 3: in history in Hollywood and Southern California, just really iconic, 308 00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:16,040 Speaker 3: just feels really classic, And you know, I'm a big fan. 309 00:17:16,080 --> 00:17:18,560 Speaker 3: The al Monty drive in, you know, featured like sort 310 00:17:18,600 --> 00:17:21,720 Speaker 3: of like a like a Spanish dancer. I want to say, like, 311 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:25,040 Speaker 3: you know, with like a kind of a leg out, 312 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:28,639 Speaker 3: you know, were a Flamenco dancer, as Adam Durantz of 313 00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:30,879 Speaker 3: The Counting Crows with says, show me some of that 314 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:34,160 Speaker 3: Spanish dancing and pass me a bottle, mister Jones at 315 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 3: the drive in. But yeah, I love this stuff man, 316 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:38,119 Speaker 3: and I'm a big I'm a sucker for this period 317 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:39,600 Speaker 3: in Hollywood history. 318 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:44,399 Speaker 2: We love this nostalogy. Yeah, agreed. Also, I got radicalized 319 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:47,160 Speaker 2: and I didn't get Flamenco until I saw a live 320 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:48,359 Speaker 2: Flamenco show. 321 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:50,639 Speaker 3: It is the way you sounded just for me. It 322 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 3: sound like it was a disease. I never got Flamenco until. 323 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:56,639 Speaker 2: I thought it was vaccinated. I thought it was safe. 324 00:17:56,680 --> 00:17:59,159 Speaker 2: And then they brought out the little clackety clacketty things. 325 00:17:59,240 --> 00:17:59,960 Speaker 2: It was amazing. 326 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:02,360 Speaker 4: They're called castanets. 327 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 2: Cast nets. That's right, that's so cool. So drive ins 328 00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 2: become incredibly popular to see and. 329 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 4: Be seen spots. Yeah, twenty years on from. 330 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:16,480 Speaker 3: The original kind of concept, you know, there's a real 331 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:20,240 Speaker 3: boom for several reasons. The prices have gone down, they've 332 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:22,520 Speaker 3: sorted out some of those issues that we were talking 333 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:25,639 Speaker 3: about like with the disconnect from the screen. It's the 334 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:35,800 Speaker 3: fifties that's really the golden age of drive ins. 335 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, by this point in the fifties and sixties, there 336 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:41,560 Speaker 2: are more than four thousand drive ins throughout the US. 337 00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:45,199 Speaker 2: Most of them are in rural areas due to land costs, 338 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:49,040 Speaker 2: and they're a space that you know, they're kind of 339 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:52,720 Speaker 2: what we will call the third space, which is very 340 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:56,479 Speaker 2: important for communities the third the third space argument is 341 00:18:56,520 --> 00:18:58,560 Speaker 2: that your first space is your home, and then you 342 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:02,159 Speaker 2: have a second space, which is where you go to work. 343 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:04,960 Speaker 2: And if you don't have a third space, it's really 344 00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:08,840 Speaker 2: difficult to build a community. So this is an affordable 345 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:12,399 Speaker 2: date night option. The escapism that you mentioned is there 346 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:15,720 Speaker 2: you're on a roller coaster the mind, depending what film 347 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:19,440 Speaker 2: you see. By nineteen fifty eight, the number of drive 348 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:24,520 Speaker 2: in theaters has reached its peak. During this halcyon age, 349 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:28,240 Speaker 2: there were four thousand and sixty three recorded drive in 350 00:19:28,359 --> 00:19:33,080 Speaker 2: theaters in the US alone. They became, you know, the 351 00:19:33,119 --> 00:19:36,640 Speaker 2: hot date spot, the date night for parents, the family 352 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:40,399 Speaker 2: night for children. And there's a great quote from a 353 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:44,080 Speaker 2: guy who mentioned earlier our pal cop. He says drive 354 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:46,480 Speaker 2: ins started to really take off in the fifties, they 355 00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:49,479 Speaker 2: offered family entertainment. People could sit in their cars, they 356 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:52,639 Speaker 2: could bring their babies, they could smoke the parents, not 357 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:54,159 Speaker 2: the babies, you know. 358 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 3: But anyway everywhere back in those days, it may cigure 359 00:19:57,119 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 3: it's just for babies. 360 00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:01,160 Speaker 4: If I'm not mistaken, Yeah, I camel can exactly. 361 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:04,159 Speaker 3: It is really comical though, But then we start to 362 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:07,120 Speaker 3: see some of these other innovations right where they had 363 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:10,479 Speaker 3: these special speakers that you could mount inside your car 364 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:14,359 Speaker 3: that would give you your own personal feed of the 365 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:16,639 Speaker 3: audio from the movie, and that cut down on the 366 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:19,439 Speaker 3: issues with the lag and the delay, and it was 367 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:21,960 Speaker 3: just a lot more self contained, right, mm hmm. 368 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:28,119 Speaker 2: Yeah it was. And also there is a this is 369 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:31,679 Speaker 2: almost like a grassroots movement because the powers that be 370 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 2: in Hollywood, the studio executives right who have an iron 371 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 2: grip on most of the industry, they think drive ins 372 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:45,440 Speaker 2: are a dumb idea, because the c suite folks at 373 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 2: Warner and Paramount are saying, why would you go out 374 00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:51,960 Speaker 2: in a field to watch a movie? What a bunch 375 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:56,160 Speaker 2: of hicks. Everybody knows the proper way to experience cinema 376 00:20:56,359 --> 00:21:00,439 Speaker 2: is in our own, super classy, exclusive thing they kind 377 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:02,200 Speaker 2: of mimic European theaters like. 378 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:05,359 Speaker 4: The China's Own though, right that we own. 379 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:07,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's the quiet part. 380 00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:11,040 Speaker 3: So at first they're not playing ball with these smaller 381 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:15,240 Speaker 3: family owned operations. But it gets to a place though 382 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:20,000 Speaker 3: where drive ins have kind of, I guess, really captured 383 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:22,240 Speaker 3: the zeitgeist of the time, and they're starting to be 384 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:25,200 Speaker 3: written about in like, you know, popular music. The Everly 385 00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:28,360 Speaker 3: Brothers wake Up Little Susie in nineteen fifty seven, Yeah, yeah, 386 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:31,040 Speaker 3: tells the story of Susie and her boyfriend waking up 387 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:35,000 Speaker 3: late at a drive in. Beach boys, you know, obviously 388 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:37,000 Speaker 3: wrote about drive ins. It was just part of that 389 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:41,560 Speaker 3: car culture thing in southern California. Elvis Presley loved the 390 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:43,679 Speaker 3: drive ins. You started to see all of these like 391 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:47,800 Speaker 3: kind of beach movies like Beach Blanket Bingo and Muscle 392 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:50,680 Speaker 3: Beach Party, and you know, talking about your Woody, which 393 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:53,680 Speaker 3: was a type of station wagon just get our minds 394 00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:56,720 Speaker 3: out of the gutters folks with those woodpaneled sides kind of. 395 00:21:57,119 --> 00:22:00,439 Speaker 3: But yeah, this it was so inescapably part of the 396 00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 3: culture that Hollywood eventually kind of had to acquiesce, but 397 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:07,560 Speaker 3: they didn't do it until it was just kind of 398 00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:09,720 Speaker 3: like undeniable right right. 399 00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 2: Until the as you would say, as our Powell, Malcolm 400 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:18,800 Speaker 2: Gladwell would say, until the tipping point had passed. And 401 00:22:19,119 --> 00:22:22,600 Speaker 2: so when studio executives were forced to play ball with 402 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:27,199 Speaker 2: drive ins, they took advantage of one thing that they 403 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:32,520 Speaker 2: knew would work. They would have their stars make personal 404 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:37,560 Speaker 2: appearances at drive in venues during the screening of one 405 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:40,879 Speaker 2: of their films. So this is where we see things 406 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:45,360 Speaker 2: like September thirteenth, nineteen thirty four, when a Columbia Pictures 407 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:49,840 Speaker 2: actress named Billy Seward went to LA's first drive in 408 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:54,240 Speaker 2: to promote films by Columbia. And also at this point, 409 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:56,280 Speaker 2: you know, as we mentioned in our stuff they don't 410 00:22:56,280 --> 00:23:00,080 Speaker 2: want you in know episode, these studios basically owned the 411 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:04,360 Speaker 2: actors and the actresses, and they didn't have the best lives. 412 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:06,919 Speaker 3: When you when you talk about the idea of actors 413 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:10,119 Speaker 3: being under contract to studios, it was almost like they 414 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:12,400 Speaker 3: were in like you said, Ben like indentured servants, where 415 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:15,359 Speaker 3: they had certain number of pictures they had to complete. 416 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:19,320 Speaker 3: They were contractually obligated to do these press tours and 417 00:23:19,359 --> 00:23:21,920 Speaker 3: these press appearances. And you know, I would I would 418 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:25,680 Speaker 3: argue that maybe today actors have a little bit more 419 00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:30,080 Speaker 3: power or they recognize their power versus these Golden era 420 00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:33,440 Speaker 3: type deals where the studio really wielded almost all of 421 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:35,800 Speaker 3: the power because they had such an iron fisted grasp 422 00:23:36,119 --> 00:23:40,960 Speaker 3: over you know, everything from the theaters to to the 423 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:43,359 Speaker 3: the scripts, to the intellectual property and all of it. 424 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:45,919 Speaker 3: So actors were really beholden and they would usually be 425 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:48,600 Speaker 3: under contract to a single studio for like their entire 426 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:50,200 Speaker 3: career or off exactly. 427 00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:53,919 Speaker 2: Yeah, and it could be a really tough life. 428 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:54,240 Speaker 4: You know. 429 00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:57,560 Speaker 2: There was sure you'd get public attention and fame, but 430 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:00,920 Speaker 2: you also aren't really your own person in many respects. 431 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:05,920 Speaker 2: It's probably the closest analogue to that situation today is 432 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 2: to look at jpop and K pop stars, you know 433 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:11,760 Speaker 2: what I mean, who are not even allowed to publicize 434 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:14,440 Speaker 2: romantic relationships in some cases. 435 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:19,240 Speaker 3: Or the romantic relationships would be like arranged practically, you 436 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:22,200 Speaker 3: know what I mean, Yeah, like you gotta we need 437 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:25,720 Speaker 3: this union of our houses almost right, Like it's pretty 438 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:27,359 Speaker 3: pretty sketchy, yeah yeah. 439 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:32,000 Speaker 2: And so a lot of stars follow Columbia's earlier example 440 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:35,000 Speaker 2: and they say, these outdoor appearances are a way for 441 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:38,600 Speaker 2: us to press, the flesh, appeal to new audiences, get 442 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:45,680 Speaker 2: people excited, and eventually all theater companies started to include 443 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:49,919 Speaker 2: drive ins in their screen counts. Right, so it became 444 00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:55,080 Speaker 2: an expected and normalized aspect of a studio's business. If 445 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:58,720 Speaker 2: you go to Pacific Theaters out in La you see 446 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:02,600 Speaker 2: they started as a exclusively as a drive in theater company, 447 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:07,040 Speaker 2: and they eventually owned more than one hundred and ten locations. 448 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:10,280 Speaker 2: There was a great interview with Michael Foreman, who was 449 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:16,360 Speaker 2: president of Pacific, and he started talking about the grassroots 450 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:20,320 Speaker 2: thing we mentioned, right, like, now these new up and comers, 451 00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:24,439 Speaker 2: these upstarts can actually swing above their weight glass and 452 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:26,080 Speaker 2: buck with the studios. 453 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 3: So Michael Foreman, who is the president of the once 454 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:32,320 Speaker 3: again family owned Pacific Drive In, had this to say 455 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:36,200 Speaker 3: about when the whole situation kind of became undeniable because 456 00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 3: of the geography of it all. He said, since we 457 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:42,840 Speaker 3: were actually located in Hollywood, the studios could not ignore us. 458 00:25:43,119 --> 00:25:45,639 Speaker 3: We were able to get first run product, and we 459 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:49,119 Speaker 3: utilized movie stars to promote the outdoor venue. We hosted 460 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:52,119 Speaker 3: huge premiere parties for drive in showings. One evening, I 461 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:55,000 Speaker 3: will never forget a very young raquel welch hubba hubbah, 462 00:25:55,040 --> 00:25:58,440 Speaker 3: that's me. Appeared for the grand opening of our Fountain 463 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:03,320 Speaker 3: Valley location Edwards Theaters, which is another chain, a smaller chain. Again, 464 00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:05,040 Speaker 3: all of these were like kind of mom and pop, 465 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:08,280 Speaker 3: but the boom happened and it allowed them to really spread. 466 00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:11,919 Speaker 3: They jumped on this bandwagon as well, and the company 467 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:17,959 Speaker 3: selected the nineteen fifties absolute smash comedy duo Lewis and Martin. 468 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:20,360 Speaker 3: Some of that stuff really holds up, by the way, 469 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:22,879 Speaker 3: Jerry Lewis being the kooky guy, Dean Martin kind of 470 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:28,399 Speaker 3: being the suave straight man. They appeared alongside a noted 471 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:33,879 Speaker 3: Southern California architect named Jay Arthur Drillsma in order to 472 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:38,040 Speaker 3: introduce the press to some of their new outdoor locations. 473 00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:45,119 Speaker 2: Yes, branded advertising, and so with this marriage of entertainment 474 00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:51,280 Speaker 2: and high fin ads we see we see a quick 475 00:26:51,359 --> 00:26:56,000 Speaker 2: evolution not just in the location of films or where 476 00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:59,280 Speaker 2: these films are viewed, but in the kind of films 477 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:04,119 Speaker 2: that are created. Because in a indoor theater, the film 478 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:08,960 Speaker 2: itself is entirely the focus of the experience. In an 479 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:12,520 Speaker 2: outdoor theater and a drive in people are finding the 480 00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:17,000 Speaker 2: film sometimes becomes just a piece of the Stultz. Right, 481 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:19,520 Speaker 2: it even becomes a background. Right, you're there to make 482 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:22,800 Speaker 2: out Netflix and Chill was way before Netflix. 483 00:27:23,119 --> 00:27:23,760 Speaker 4: Well, it's funny. 484 00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:26,040 Speaker 3: I think I briefly mentioned that Elvis was a big 485 00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:29,600 Speaker 3: fan of of the drive ins and he started started 486 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:32,720 Speaker 3: starring in these let's just call him kind of puff 487 00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:33,760 Speaker 3: piece type films. 488 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:36,360 Speaker 4: Dumb dude, that's right. 489 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:38,359 Speaker 3: Because it didn't matter if you if you missed a 490 00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:41,280 Speaker 3: little bit of it going to grab you know, some 491 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:45,639 Speaker 3: some popcorn and a soda pop from the concessions. It 492 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:48,159 Speaker 3: didn't matter because there really wasn't a much plot to 493 00:27:48,160 --> 00:27:52,200 Speaker 3: speak of in movies like Blue Hawaii and Fun in Acapulco. 494 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:55,560 Speaker 3: If the names aren't enough of a giveaway, there Mami 495 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:59,399 Speaker 3: van Doren, another big Hollywood actor name of the time. 496 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:01,399 Speaker 4: I have this to say. 497 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:04,399 Speaker 3: I often attended drive ins around Hollywood, many times with 498 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:06,359 Speaker 3: my mother in the front seat. We were there to 499 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:09,520 Speaker 3: critique one of my films. At the drive in. No 500 00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:11,960 Speaker 3: one would know I was watching my own work. 501 00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:16,760 Speaker 2: Right, y, you could be anonymous, and that anonymity is 502 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:20,080 Speaker 2: a huge deal, as we in the world of podcasting 503 00:28:20,119 --> 00:28:23,880 Speaker 2: can tell you. Kidding, but the idea is really appealing. 504 00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:27,920 Speaker 2: You're a Gary Cooper, you're a Clark Gable. You will 505 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:31,240 Speaker 2: get mobbed by fans if you go to the deli 506 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:34,199 Speaker 2: or you go anywhere in public. You can't move like 507 00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:38,440 Speaker 2: a civilian at this point unless you are in the 508 00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:42,320 Speaker 2: drive in theater. And that's where we see people going 509 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:44,920 Speaker 2: to a lot of drive ins in Hollywood. They were 510 00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:48,840 Speaker 2: one of the best places to encounter a celebrity. Though 511 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:50,960 Speaker 2: you might not know that that was who was in 512 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:54,280 Speaker 2: the car next to you. We also know that there 513 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:58,160 Speaker 2: were people like Roy Rogers who leaned into it and 514 00:28:58,200 --> 00:29:02,560 Speaker 2: made their own drive in movie clubs. The Roy Rogers 515 00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:06,000 Speaker 2: Writers Club grew to two million members at its peak. 516 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:10,320 Speaker 2: A lot of people launched their careers in these sort 517 00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:14,760 Speaker 2: of as we would say, lightweight drive in movies where 518 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:19,680 Speaker 2: the plot wasn't as important as spectacle. Jack Nicholson, Clint Eastwood, 519 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:25,800 Speaker 2: Michael Landon. They came from this age of drive in theaters, 520 00:29:25,960 --> 00:29:29,400 Speaker 2: and drive in theaters were mostly known for B movies, 521 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:33,880 Speaker 2: but some of them had had the more intellectual fair right, 522 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:35,560 Speaker 2: I would say. 523 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:38,000 Speaker 3: I suppose so, but it did kind of evolve or 524 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:41,959 Speaker 3: devolve into even being like more on the racy side, 525 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:46,320 Speaker 3: you know, like adult entertainment type vibes. Because you started 526 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:51,240 Speaker 3: to stop seeing as many first run drive ins, it 527 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:53,960 Speaker 3: became much more of a you. 528 00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:56,200 Speaker 4: Know, specialty kind of thing. 529 00:29:56,280 --> 00:30:00,840 Speaker 3: Let's just say, slasher films, for example, exploit Haitian films 530 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:04,880 Speaker 3: even you know, and that's sort of where it is today. 531 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:06,640 Speaker 3: In a lot of ways, it does feel like this 532 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:10,480 Speaker 3: nostalgia play where while the you know, the theater here 533 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:14,080 Speaker 3: in Atlanta does show first run films, they'll do these 534 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:18,240 Speaker 3: kind of events that are more like geared towards nostalgia 535 00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:18,720 Speaker 3: of it all. 536 00:30:18,760 --> 00:30:20,680 Speaker 4: And that's you know, everybody loves the. 537 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:22,880 Speaker 3: Idea of going to see Maybe not everybody, but if 538 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:25,640 Speaker 3: you're into horror, going to see like a good double 539 00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:26,920 Speaker 3: feature slasher movie. 540 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:30,600 Speaker 2: You know, double features are still a big thing. And we're, 541 00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:35,440 Speaker 2: as we'll see, we in Atlanta are immensely fortunate to 542 00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:40,680 Speaker 2: have a drive in theater. Because you might be saying, hey, Ben, hey, 543 00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:44,400 Speaker 2: Nol and Max, I get that drive in theaters were 544 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:46,520 Speaker 2: such a big deal. But if what you're telling me 545 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:50,120 Speaker 2: is true, why isn't there a drive in theater in 546 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:59,680 Speaker 2: my town? This is where we see that some of 547 00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:04,480 Speaker 2: this same things that made drive ins appealing to audiences 548 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:08,440 Speaker 2: and as a business ultimately led to the downfall of 549 00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:12,480 Speaker 2: the industry. Because we talked about how drive in theaters 550 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:16,160 Speaker 2: in post World War two were very successful because the 551 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:20,320 Speaker 2: land was cheap. What happens when the land is no 552 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:22,600 Speaker 2: longer cheap, Well. 553 00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:26,840 Speaker 3: It's harder to get, it's more sought after, and it's 554 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:31,320 Speaker 3: definitely the bottom line starts to become a little bit 555 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:33,840 Speaker 3: less tenable for these types of businesses. 556 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:38,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, let's go to d Vogel, owner of Benji's drive In, 557 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:44,040 Speaker 2: which is located near Baltimore, Maryland, and said, look, Vogel said, 558 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:47,160 Speaker 2: a lot of drive ins folded because the price of 559 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:51,560 Speaker 2: land started going up. People were incentivized to move to 560 00:31:51,640 --> 00:31:55,120 Speaker 2: these suburbs and these exurbs. And as more people moved 561 00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:59,000 Speaker 2: in and more stuff got developed, the land became expensive. 562 00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:01,840 Speaker 2: What used to be the outskirts of town next to 563 00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:05,480 Speaker 2: a farm was suddenly not as cheap to your point there, 564 00:32:05,560 --> 00:32:08,600 Speaker 2: Nol and people would build on the outskirts. The town 565 00:32:08,640 --> 00:32:10,880 Speaker 2: would grow, and then a lot of these drive ins, 566 00:32:11,080 --> 00:32:14,880 Speaker 2: like said earlier, mom and pop businesses, and sometimes the 567 00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:18,400 Speaker 2: kids just wouldn't want to continue the family business. So 568 00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:23,200 Speaker 2: drive ins began to decline. Across the country. You needed 569 00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:27,360 Speaker 2: like fifteen acres of land to have an effective drive in, 570 00:32:27,920 --> 00:32:32,760 Speaker 2: So it became more profitable for these drive in owners 571 00:32:33,440 --> 00:32:37,600 Speaker 2: to sell their land to real estate developers who wanted 572 00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:39,680 Speaker 2: to make a mall or one of those sort of 573 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:44,880 Speaker 2: you know, live, laugh, love mixed use complexes. That's the 574 00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:46,040 Speaker 2: right phrase, mixed. 575 00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:48,240 Speaker 4: Use complex Oh yeah, no, it certainly is. 576 00:32:48,640 --> 00:32:53,160 Speaker 2: And then we haven't really mentioned it yet, but there 577 00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:58,160 Speaker 2: is another big disadvantage for drive in movie theaters. 578 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:01,800 Speaker 4: They only work at night, for sure, And you know 579 00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:03,480 Speaker 4: that obviously. We mentioned that. 580 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:06,280 Speaker 3: One of the reasons southern California was such a hotbed 581 00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:09,440 Speaker 3: of drive in is because of the pretty predictable and 582 00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:14,040 Speaker 3: continuously quite nice weather. But during the seventies oil crisis, 583 00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:16,640 Speaker 3: people started to have to downsize their car in order 584 00:33:16,680 --> 00:33:22,480 Speaker 3: to save money on the increasingly expensive cost of gas. 585 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:25,760 Speaker 3: So watching a movie in the drive in with your 586 00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:30,960 Speaker 3: you know, ac blasting started to seem a little more luxurious, 587 00:33:31,080 --> 00:33:34,520 Speaker 3: kind of, you know, And and then you also, it's 588 00:33:34,560 --> 00:33:36,880 Speaker 3: like a video killed the radio star video also kind 589 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:39,680 Speaker 3: of killed the drive in. VCRs made it a lot 590 00:33:39,720 --> 00:33:42,720 Speaker 3: more appealing to stay at home and watch the movies 591 00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:46,240 Speaker 3: with your family without having to pay you know, that 592 00:33:46,320 --> 00:33:48,800 Speaker 3: inflated cost of going to the drive in. Not to mention, 593 00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:51,280 Speaker 3: you're burning gas if you're sitting there right in the 594 00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:54,200 Speaker 3: ac So it made sense to make up for that 595 00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:58,680 Speaker 3: lost revenue. Drive in started losing that family friendly atmosphere 596 00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:02,040 Speaker 3: and began to head more towards what we were talking 597 00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:07,360 Speaker 3: about a moment ago, even involving X rated content. So 598 00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:09,880 Speaker 3: that's when the drive in became a little more of 599 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:12,760 Speaker 3: a niche thing. I just don't know how I would 600 00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:20,040 Speaker 3: feel man about watching an X rated film in a 601 00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:23,240 Speaker 3: car in a field with a bunch of other cars. 602 00:34:23,680 --> 00:34:25,359 Speaker 3: What's the walk to concessions? 603 00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:26,120 Speaker 4: Like there? 604 00:34:26,200 --> 00:34:29,320 Speaker 3: Not to be crass, but it seems preferable to watching 605 00:34:29,320 --> 00:34:33,040 Speaker 3: it in a brick and mortar, sit down theater. True, 606 00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:36,000 Speaker 3: I think some of the same options, some of the 607 00:34:36,080 --> 00:34:40,640 Speaker 3: same rules of privacy would apply in this situation as 608 00:34:40,680 --> 00:34:44,120 Speaker 3: well or the benefits. Right, So, yeah, you do start 609 00:34:44,160 --> 00:34:47,120 Speaker 3: to see the drive in becoming a little more on 610 00:34:47,160 --> 00:34:48,840 Speaker 3: the trashy side, a little CD. 611 00:34:49,280 --> 00:34:53,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, and again, you know, the indoor theaters have this 612 00:34:54,080 --> 00:34:57,200 Speaker 2: huge profit advantage because they can show a film five 613 00:34:57,320 --> 00:35:02,360 Speaker 2: or six times a day, right, And people started trying 614 00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:07,200 Speaker 2: these alternative solutions right to keep the theaters afloat. Like 615 00:35:07,239 --> 00:35:10,680 Speaker 2: you said, they change the content that we're showing, that 616 00:35:10,719 --> 00:35:16,520 Speaker 2: they're showing. In many cases, they start opening extra screens 617 00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:21,719 Speaker 2: like our drive in theater has what uh starlight has 618 00:35:21,800 --> 00:35:23,880 Speaker 2: what to four screens? 619 00:35:23,960 --> 00:35:24,040 Speaker 1: Do? 620 00:35:24,160 --> 00:35:26,399 Speaker 4: I think more than they have two? 621 00:35:26,440 --> 00:35:30,360 Speaker 2: But they do double features. That's that's right. Yeah, Max 622 00:35:30,440 --> 00:35:31,920 Speaker 2: jumped in and then jumped off. 623 00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:33,279 Speaker 4: Jumped in for a nod. 624 00:35:34,880 --> 00:35:38,000 Speaker 5: I was jumping into confirm that, and then guess confirmed 625 00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:38,480 Speaker 5: it yourself. 626 00:35:38,520 --> 00:35:40,960 Speaker 2: So I'm like, goodbye, okay, Max with the facts though 627 00:35:40,960 --> 00:35:44,360 Speaker 2: it's been Hey, Max was always with the facts. 628 00:35:45,320 --> 00:35:51,720 Speaker 4: That seeking in the phone and peaceful in knowledge. It's 629 00:35:51,840 --> 00:35:52,879 Speaker 4: just for you right now. 630 00:35:54,440 --> 00:36:00,239 Speaker 3: The So that leaves us, you know, in today's world 631 00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:02,920 Speaker 3: obviously in the movie theaters in general, because the pandemic 632 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:06,040 Speaker 3: have seen some real struggles and it seems only just 633 00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:09,080 Speaker 3: now are kind of coming back to a degree, you know, 634 00:36:09,160 --> 00:36:11,640 Speaker 3: where people are you know, getting their butts back in 635 00:36:11,680 --> 00:36:15,040 Speaker 3: the seats. We have some kind of interesting gimmicks, even 636 00:36:15,160 --> 00:36:18,600 Speaker 3: like in you know, we've got IMAX obviously the big 637 00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:21,319 Speaker 3: three D spectacles are My preference is the IMAX when 638 00:36:21,320 --> 00:36:23,800 Speaker 3: it's not three D and it's just a big, massive screen. 639 00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:27,400 Speaker 4: Yeah, you have these four D movie things. 640 00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:30,240 Speaker 3: Have you seen this ben where the seats move around 641 00:36:30,360 --> 00:36:32,920 Speaker 3: like a crappy roller coaster and sprints you with like 642 00:36:33,040 --> 00:36:33,440 Speaker 3: air and. 643 00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:35,560 Speaker 4: Water. 644 00:36:35,680 --> 00:36:39,120 Speaker 2: It's I think it's important to experience that because it 645 00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:42,120 Speaker 2: comes back from the days. It harkens back to the 646 00:36:42,239 --> 00:36:45,360 Speaker 2: days of shock cinema, you know, where like ooh, the 647 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:48,440 Speaker 2: vibratraud and things like that, And it also reminds us 648 00:36:48,440 --> 00:36:52,600 Speaker 2: a little bit of you know, universal studio rides, right, 649 00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:55,040 Speaker 2: which are always kind of cool. I don't know if 650 00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:56,240 Speaker 2: I need it for a film. 651 00:36:56,960 --> 00:36:59,759 Speaker 3: I've only been to one screening of a film that 652 00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:02,000 Speaker 3: you used this, and I did not realize that's what 653 00:37:02,160 --> 00:37:04,759 Speaker 3: I was buying. And it was an anime. It was 654 00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:08,320 Speaker 3: this Demon Slayer film, you know, like a like a feature, 655 00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:12,000 Speaker 3: and it didn't make any sense. The chairs were moving 656 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:14,960 Speaker 3: around for no good reason. But I heard that like 657 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:17,160 Speaker 3: they've gotten a little bit better and that most recent 658 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:21,040 Speaker 3: Twisters reboot apparently the forty experience was a lot of 659 00:37:21,040 --> 00:37:23,520 Speaker 3: fun for something like that, which I could see. 660 00:37:23,480 --> 00:37:25,720 Speaker 2: It has to jibe with the content of the film, 661 00:37:25,960 --> 00:37:31,560 Speaker 2: Like three D film makes sense for blockbuster science fiction 662 00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:35,759 Speaker 2: more so than French art house cinema, right, although now 663 00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:39,520 Speaker 2: that we're describing this, I'm wondering what the romance or 664 00:37:39,520 --> 00:37:42,080 Speaker 2: the sex scenes would be like you know what I mean, 665 00:37:42,120 --> 00:37:43,840 Speaker 2: how do the seats move in that case? 666 00:37:45,520 --> 00:37:45,680 Speaker 4: Yes? 667 00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:47,839 Speaker 2: Story, yeah, right. 668 00:37:47,800 --> 00:37:48,520 Speaker 4: No, it's true. 669 00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:50,319 Speaker 3: But I guess the reason I bring that up is 670 00:37:51,120 --> 00:37:53,279 Speaker 3: it largely feels like, you know, I went and saw 671 00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:57,399 Speaker 3: a thirty five millimeter projection of long Legs the other day. 672 00:37:57,440 --> 00:38:02,279 Speaker 3: And yes, thirty five millimeter is objectively less pristine than 673 00:38:02,640 --> 00:38:07,520 Speaker 3: the digital you know, high super super high four K projectors. 674 00:38:07,280 --> 00:38:09,480 Speaker 4: But there's something cool and nostalgic about it. 675 00:38:09,520 --> 00:38:11,240 Speaker 3: And like, now, if you go to you know, cities 676 00:38:11,239 --> 00:38:13,840 Speaker 3: like New York or LA, you'll have like places in 677 00:38:13,840 --> 00:38:17,040 Speaker 3: New York like the Nighthawk, which is a just a classic, 678 00:38:17,320 --> 00:38:20,400 Speaker 3: you know, old school type theater that will show regularly. 679 00:38:20,719 --> 00:38:23,520 Speaker 3: They'll program things in thirty five millimeters. So to me, 680 00:38:23,600 --> 00:38:25,839 Speaker 3: the drive in sort of is filling that same role 681 00:38:25,880 --> 00:38:29,960 Speaker 3: where it has this like vintage kind of nostalgic quality 682 00:38:30,040 --> 00:38:34,520 Speaker 3: to it, and you're going there to see interestingly programmed material, 683 00:38:34,760 --> 00:38:39,560 Speaker 3: you know, and usually in an analog format. 684 00:38:40,640 --> 00:38:46,759 Speaker 2: And now we see the proliferation of indoor multiplex and 685 00:38:46,840 --> 00:38:52,560 Speaker 2: megaplex outfits, you know, your huge regals, AMCs and whatnot. 686 00:38:52,960 --> 00:38:55,920 Speaker 2: And the reason that they have so many screens now 687 00:38:56,160 --> 00:38:59,920 Speaker 2: is because it's not unusual to be loved by anyone. Kidding. 688 00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:04,440 Speaker 2: It's not unusual for big studios and distributors to tell 689 00:39:04,480 --> 00:39:06,920 Speaker 2: the you know, the regal or the landmarks of the 690 00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:10,080 Speaker 2: of the area that hey, you have to show a 691 00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:13,560 Speaker 2: film for an entire month. And that's tricky for them 692 00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:16,239 Speaker 2: because most people who are going to see a film 693 00:39:16,280 --> 00:39:17,600 Speaker 2: in the theater are going to see it in the 694 00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:21,640 Speaker 2: first week or so, right, and now they have a 695 00:39:21,840 --> 00:39:25,520 Speaker 2: sunk cost, they've lost a screen for a month. The 696 00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:30,120 Speaker 2: solution is to have multiple screens. They're always showing something new. 697 00:39:30,640 --> 00:39:34,440 Speaker 2: And this is this is where we're at now because 698 00:39:34,480 --> 00:39:37,680 Speaker 2: of the different you know, well, the story of streaming 699 00:39:38,200 --> 00:39:41,120 Speaker 2: and video on demand at home, that's a story for 700 00:39:41,160 --> 00:39:44,960 Speaker 2: another day, right, but we can't. Yeah, we can say 701 00:39:45,160 --> 00:39:47,840 Speaker 2: to your point, nostalgia is a heck of a drug. 702 00:39:48,120 --> 00:39:50,359 Speaker 2: And even though drive ins are not as popular as 703 00:39:50,360 --> 00:39:53,120 Speaker 2: they used to be, even though there are folks who 704 00:39:53,200 --> 00:39:55,520 Speaker 2: are going to tell you that they'll be long gone 705 00:39:55,960 --> 00:39:59,200 Speaker 2: within the next ten years or so, they're still drive 706 00:39:59,239 --> 00:40:03,640 Speaker 2: ins everywhere, and a lot of times like I I 707 00:40:03,760 --> 00:40:07,640 Speaker 2: love going to a drive in when the weather is nice, 708 00:40:07,719 --> 00:40:10,480 Speaker 2: you know, summer is turning into fall, or a good 709 00:40:10,520 --> 00:40:13,040 Speaker 2: time to watch a Halloween film. You can cook out 710 00:40:13,160 --> 00:40:14,839 Speaker 2: at some of them. That's so, that's right. 711 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:17,640 Speaker 3: And also they'll use them as sites for like I 712 00:40:17,640 --> 00:40:19,880 Speaker 3: was saying, the one here in Atlanta, they'll have like 713 00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:23,600 Speaker 3: you know, festivals even sometimes or like flea markets or 714 00:40:23,640 --> 00:40:27,839 Speaker 3: even vintage car shows. They really do kind of cater 715 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:32,040 Speaker 3: to that vintage, kind of classic nostalgia vibe. And I 716 00:40:32,080 --> 00:40:34,920 Speaker 3: think that's great and I love seeing, you know, communities 717 00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:36,880 Speaker 3: rally around these types of places. And if you go 718 00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:39,399 Speaker 3: out to southern California, that's probably still where you're gonna 719 00:40:39,400 --> 00:40:42,160 Speaker 3: see the most of these, like per Capita that still 720 00:40:42,200 --> 00:40:44,839 Speaker 3: have that quality, you know, that that old school look 721 00:40:44,920 --> 00:40:47,480 Speaker 3: because they've restored them and a lot of people like 722 00:40:47,560 --> 00:40:50,680 Speaker 3: really cherish that part of California's history and they put 723 00:40:50,719 --> 00:40:53,440 Speaker 3: a lot of time and effort into keeping them alive. 724 00:40:53,880 --> 00:40:57,160 Speaker 2: And you can be the change yourself, folks, if you 725 00:40:57,200 --> 00:41:01,200 Speaker 2: have a nice backyard and the weather's feeling, then why 726 00:41:01,239 --> 00:41:03,680 Speaker 2: not have some friends over and have a little movie 727 00:41:03,840 --> 00:41:08,040 Speaker 2: night of your own. Here in Japan, they do something 728 00:41:08,120 --> 00:41:11,200 Speaker 2: like that because there is such a paucity of space. 729 00:41:11,680 --> 00:41:14,439 Speaker 3: Ben, you really kind of inspired me or this episode two. 730 00:41:14,440 --> 00:41:17,520 Speaker 3: Thanks to Andrea for inspired me. I recently got a 731 00:41:17,800 --> 00:41:20,680 Speaker 3: really cool little projector. It's like a little cube and 732 00:41:20,760 --> 00:41:23,200 Speaker 3: it has really good built in sound, like a little soundbar. 733 00:41:23,520 --> 00:41:25,400 Speaker 3: And I have a projector screen for my studio in 734 00:41:25,480 --> 00:41:28,080 Speaker 3: my basement. But when the weather gets nice this fall, 735 00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:31,440 Speaker 3: I really want to start doing some backyard like screenings. 736 00:41:31,440 --> 00:41:32,600 Speaker 4: It's on the side of the house. 737 00:41:32,680 --> 00:41:34,880 Speaker 3: My house is totally white on the side, and I 738 00:41:34,880 --> 00:41:35,919 Speaker 3: think it would totally work. 739 00:41:35,960 --> 00:41:36,279 Speaker 4: This thing. 740 00:41:36,560 --> 00:41:38,960 Speaker 3: It's it's four K and you pull it back far 741 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:41,279 Speaker 3: and off, you can make a massively huge image. So 742 00:41:41,480 --> 00:41:44,920 Speaker 3: I'm really excited for the hellscape of summer to subside 743 00:41:45,560 --> 00:41:49,200 Speaker 3: and make way for you know, some cool spooky fall vibe. 744 00:41:49,200 --> 00:41:51,839 Speaker 3: Maybe we'll watch some like Friday the thirteenth or night 745 00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:53,600 Speaker 3: Mare on Elm Street or you know, Evil. 746 00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:55,120 Speaker 4: Dead or something. I'd love it if you and Max 747 00:41:55,160 --> 00:41:55,560 Speaker 4: could come. 748 00:41:55,880 --> 00:42:00,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, and let's check that out. Yeah, because really 749 00:42:00,440 --> 00:42:03,200 Speaker 2: the power is yours. It's a very easy thing to do, 750 00:42:03,760 --> 00:42:07,080 Speaker 2: especially if you have people sitting and not everybody is 751 00:42:07,160 --> 00:42:09,000 Speaker 2: driving their car through the backyard. 752 00:42:09,560 --> 00:42:10,799 Speaker 4: Ala all and. 753 00:42:10,840 --> 00:42:17,440 Speaker 2: Said here in Japan, there is a Japanese solution to this. 754 00:42:17,920 --> 00:42:21,600 Speaker 2: They have large portable screens that they roll out at 755 00:42:21,719 --> 00:42:25,200 Speaker 2: night in empty parking lots. So during the day this 756 00:42:25,320 --> 00:42:28,480 Speaker 2: is like business parking or parking for the mall, and 757 00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:31,879 Speaker 2: it turns into a movie theater at night and that 758 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:35,239 Speaker 2: multi use thing, just like we see in Starlight Theater. 759 00:42:35,560 --> 00:42:38,080 Speaker 2: That's one of the reasons a lot of these places 760 00:42:38,120 --> 00:42:41,759 Speaker 2: are able to get by because you have the land already. 761 00:42:42,160 --> 00:42:44,480 Speaker 2: It reminds me of another thing. It's a problem with 762 00:42:44,640 --> 00:42:51,160 Speaker 2: urban planning in Atlanta. One of the most profitable pieces 763 00:42:51,200 --> 00:42:55,560 Speaker 2: of real estate in downtown Atlanta parking lots. Like the 764 00:42:55,600 --> 00:42:58,520 Speaker 2: people who own the parking lots, they don't want to 765 00:42:58,560 --> 00:43:01,440 Speaker 2: sell them to have a use full building because they 766 00:43:01,480 --> 00:43:02,880 Speaker 2: make so much money. 767 00:43:02,960 --> 00:43:06,040 Speaker 3: Nickel and Die mean you really really annoying. And there's 768 00:43:06,040 --> 00:43:09,960 Speaker 3: also a lot of illegal kind of seizure of property 769 00:43:10,120 --> 00:43:12,799 Speaker 3: involving those where yeah, you know, boot your car, but 770 00:43:12,840 --> 00:43:15,319 Speaker 3: it's not the police that's booting your car. It's some 771 00:43:15,520 --> 00:43:18,160 Speaker 3: kind of third party company that goes around and does that, 772 00:43:18,239 --> 00:43:20,759 Speaker 3: and then they literally hold your car hostage until they 773 00:43:20,760 --> 00:43:24,200 Speaker 3: come around to you with like a iPad that they 774 00:43:24,239 --> 00:43:26,280 Speaker 3: scan your card and make you pay to get. 775 00:43:26,080 --> 00:43:27,479 Speaker 4: Your Justica back, which is. 776 00:43:27,840 --> 00:43:30,040 Speaker 2: Just because a guy is an Orange vest and is 777 00:43:30,080 --> 00:43:32,680 Speaker 2: asking you for money doesn't mean they work at the 778 00:43:32,760 --> 00:43:36,480 Speaker 2: parking lot. This is We're getting real Atlanta at the 779 00:43:36,560 --> 00:43:37,040 Speaker 2: end here. 780 00:43:37,080 --> 00:43:38,160 Speaker 4: Sorry pro tip, y'all. 781 00:43:38,400 --> 00:43:40,200 Speaker 2: A lot of stuff is coming up that we have 782 00:43:40,320 --> 00:43:41,239 Speaker 2: talked about. 783 00:43:41,360 --> 00:43:42,760 Speaker 4: But man, huge things. 784 00:43:42,840 --> 00:43:46,960 Speaker 3: Once again to research associate Extraordinary for this very first 785 00:43:47,200 --> 00:43:50,000 Speaker 3: inaugural Ridiculous History episode on Drive Ins. 786 00:43:50,080 --> 00:43:52,440 Speaker 4: Andrea was it TBD? 787 00:43:53,000 --> 00:43:57,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, we're getting a we're gonna hear back from from 788 00:43:57,200 --> 00:44:02,000 Speaker 2: Andrea for a cool nickname suggestion, asked her for her 789 00:44:02,040 --> 00:44:06,040 Speaker 2: code name. She will she will update us in the interim. 790 00:44:06,360 --> 00:44:09,680 Speaker 2: We can't wait to introduce you to her further. Folks, 791 00:44:09,840 --> 00:44:13,200 Speaker 2: please check out her work on our sister show, Ridiculous Crime. 792 00:44:13,360 --> 00:44:17,400 Speaker 2: Big big thanks to super producer mister Max Williams. Big 793 00:44:17,480 --> 00:44:22,160 Speaker 2: thanks to our own B movie star Jonathan Strickland aka 794 00:44:22,360 --> 00:44:25,440 Speaker 2: the Quist. Oh that's a weird one because it feels nice, 795 00:44:25,480 --> 00:44:27,479 Speaker 2: but also it somehow feels really mean. 796 00:44:28,280 --> 00:44:30,120 Speaker 3: You know, that's us, if anything, that's us in a 797 00:44:30,200 --> 00:44:33,440 Speaker 3: nutshell you nice but and also simultaneously, no, that's not sure. 798 00:44:33,440 --> 00:44:34,480 Speaker 4: We're sweethearts and. 799 00:44:34,440 --> 00:44:38,120 Speaker 3: We love Jonathan Strickland, the Quiztor, despite maintaining this facade 800 00:44:38,320 --> 00:44:40,160 Speaker 3: of nemesis. 801 00:44:40,440 --> 00:44:42,240 Speaker 2: Oh no, Max hates him, dude. 802 00:44:42,120 --> 00:44:43,920 Speaker 4: Yeah that's true. Max is also a monster. 803 00:44:45,360 --> 00:44:47,800 Speaker 1: A big big thanks of course, Alex Williams who composed 804 00:44:47,800 --> 00:44:52,120 Speaker 1: our track, big big thanks to Christopher hasiotis Ve's Jeff 805 00:44:52,120 --> 00:44:52,920 Speaker 1: Coat of on. 806 00:44:53,040 --> 00:44:57,799 Speaker 4: Theme, and of course Ben how about you. Thanks to you, 807 00:44:58,160 --> 00:45:02,480 Speaker 4: my guy, for podcasting from. 808 00:45:01,600 --> 00:45:05,359 Speaker 3: God Knows where I'm cross the wild world of sports, 809 00:45:06,320 --> 00:45:08,759 Speaker 3: and thanks to you know, see you. 810 00:45:08,719 --> 00:45:09,440 Speaker 4: Next time, folks. 811 00:45:16,160 --> 00:45:20,000 Speaker 3: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 812 00:45:20,080 --> 00:45:22,200 Speaker 3: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows