Drive-In Theater: Reviving an Old American Pastime
Posted Friday, Aug 18, 2023
Sometimes, for various reasons, types of entertainment wax and wane in popularity. Roller skating, ice-cream socials, cow-tipping, and Tupperware parties were once the things to do, but now they aren’t quite as common- and maybe for good reason. However, one form of amusement that should see a resurgence is the drive-in theater. In our immediate area… well at least within less than a two hour drive from Greenville, SC, there are three drive-in theaters. In Greenwood, SC, you’ll find the 25 Drive-In Auto Theatre; in Monetta, SC (south of Columbia), there is The Big Mo; and the Tiger Drive-In is in, well, Tiger, GA. If you haven’t attended a drive-in lately- or if you’ve never attended one at all- you should plan to make that drive sometime soon. If you have a family, I encourage you even more strongly; there are hardly any entertainment venues that offer so much for so little.
First of all, these drive-ins have outdoor playgrounds on which your children can play from the time the gates open until the 1st movie starts. All three have a large grassy area between the screen and the first row of parking- children often use this area for throwing footballs and Frisbees, playing tag, turning cartwheels, and occasionally accidental grazing. Additionally, The Big Mo has a miniature Ferris-wheel and miniature train; all three have playgrounds. So, there’s plenty for the young ones to do even before the movie starts.
As for concessions, there is no comparison between drive-ins and sit-in theaters. A perusal of The Big Mo’s menu reveals that it has candy, popcorn, and drinks just like typical movie theaters; however, it also shows that you can buy hot dogs, corn dogs, hamburgers, fries, chicken sandwiches, salads, funnel cakes, and even whole pizzas! You just can’t beat these kinds of concessions.
Now we come to one of the greatest allures of drive-in theaters: admission prices. The Tiger and the Big Mo both charge $10 per adult (12 years old and above), $5 for children between ages 4 and 11, and children below 4 are free. The 25 Drive-In charges the same except 3 year olds are $5 as well.
So, you’re probably thinking, “Well, if it’s that cheap, they’re probably showing old movies.” However, these theaters show new releases. But here’s the real kicker: the 25 Drive-In and The Big Mo each show a double feature, and on certain holiday weekends, they show triple features. Can you believe it? Two (or three) brand new movies for the same price as one at the indoor theaters. I think at this point a comparison would illustrate what a great deal these venues really are. As an example, let’s use a family of four (two adults and two children). Looking at the pricing of a large, anonymous theater in Greenville, we’ll see that they charge $13.74 per adult and $10.59 per child (ages 3-11); hence, this family would spend $48.66 for admission. At the drive-ins listed above, this family would spend $30 for admission, so that’s a savings of $18.66. However, at the 25 Drive-In and The Big Mo, this family would view 2 new movies for those 30 dollars; the actual savings would then be $67.32! That 67 bucks would buy a lot of popcorn.
Okay. So drive-ins show new movies on the cheap, but what about selection? The Big Mo and the 25 Drive-In both have three screens each, and they show pairs of movies for intended audiences. Generally, they’ll show two children's movies on one screen, two PG or PG-13 movies on another, and two R rated movies on the third. However, they’ll sometimes pair up movies based on genre: two horrors on one screen, two action movies on the second, and two animated on the third. Just check their respective websites for the weekend’s movie lineup.
The drive-in experience: Most people who are familiar with drive-ins remember the speakers that you place on your car’s window- those are long gone. At modern drive-ins, you hear the movie through your vehicle’s radio. Weather permitting, most people bring collapsible chairs and sit in front of the cars with their radios on and the windows down. Some people even bring portable stereos (jam boxes, if you’re from my generation) to hear the movie. And the 25 Drive-In and The Big Mo have radios you can rent. Since you’ll arrive early so you can park closer to the screen, you can break out your chairs and “tailgate” while the children play on the grassy area before show time. All in all, you’ll have about 7 hours of fun for the whole family for $60 to $70 including hamburgers and pizzas. Or, you could spend $60 to $70 for just popcorn, a drink, and only 2 hours of entertainment at a typical sit-in theater. My money’s on the drive-in.
Photo by Robert Linder on Unsplash