Cinema Under the Stars: America's Love Affair with the Drive-In Movie Theater

When Richard M. Hollingshead Jr. first projected a movie across his garage door in 1933, he could not have known that he was spawning a new entertainment industry. America was just beginning its love affair with the automobile, and the combination of movies and cars turned out to be a perfect match. Great entertainment for families on a budget, they also soon became the favorite hang-out for millions of teenagers nationwide. For the past 65 years, millions of children, teenagers, and adults have been entertained at this icon of American culture. More importantly, the drive-in experience - the B movies, the towering screen, the car loaded with friends and an array of treats at the concession stand - has kept moviegoers coming back for more. Cinema Under the Stars chronicles and captures the drive-in experience, from its inception in 1933 through its golden days of the 1950s, and to its slow and steady decline since the 1980s. More than 100 color and black-and-white photographs of drive-in theaters and memorabilia help to illustrate the text.