Drive-Ins Make A Comeback - Beyond Tiki

M MadDogMike Grand Member (8 years) The Anvil of the Sun Joined: Mar 30, 2008 Posts: 10872	M MadDogMike Posted posted on Mon, Apr 29, 2013 4:49 PM After almost 70 years, it’s lights out for the Motor Vu Twin Drive-In Theater of Imperial, CA Opened in the 40s, it was one of the oldest remaining drive-ins in California. At last count there are only 17 left in the Golden State. Unfortunately, it just didn’t generate enough revenue to justify the $250,000 upgrade from 35 mm film to digital and 35 mm is being phased out. We didn’t go to many movies as a kid but the first movie I remember seeing there was Disney’s “Follow Me Boys” in 1966 (I was 8 ), running around the playground under the screen and watching the movie. Saw “Jaws” there, the line of cars to get in was at least a mile long. At one point they went to X-Rated movies ~ I never did get how that was allowed when both screens were easily visible from the highway. I worked there as an assistant manager while I was in college, got my first exposure to martial arts (escrima) there ~ training for “crowd control”. We used to go out on the lot during the movies to kick out the drunk rednecks and chollos, then again after the movies to roust the sleepers and the van-rocking lovers with their steamed up windows. My wife and I would go there when we were dating, set up a hibachi next to the car and grill carne asada for burritos. Met my first white German Shepherd there. With a docked tail and black circles around his eyes, Thor was rather funny looking. But he wanted to kill anyone he did not know and somehow a 70 pound dog snapping, snarling, and lunging at the end of his leash doesn’t look so comical. He made a great security dog, but in the end had bitten too many people (including my little brother in his prom tuxedo) and retired to a farm. Speaking of security, one night I found myself on the ground at the wrong end of a Sheriff’s service revolver because I unknowingly set off the alarm while working late by myself. I remember there was a dark scene several minutes long in “Apocalypse Now” that had an off-frame splice in it. Because there was nothing but several yards of black film, it took us several times to get that spliced right. The picture would return after the dark scene and people would all start honking because the film was out of frame. Made far more cardboard-crusted pepperoni pizzas than I care to admit and squirted many gallons of Odell’s Butter Oil on mountains of popcorn. So many great memories. But I guess I’m partially to blame, I haven’t seen in movie there in at least 10 years :(

After almost 70 years, it’s lights out for the Motor Vu Twin Drive-In Theater of Imperial, CA

Opened in the 40s, it was one of the oldest remaining drive-ins in California. At last count there are only 17 left in the Golden State. Unfortunately, it just didn’t generate enough revenue to justify the $250,000 upgrade from 35 mm film to digital and 35 mm is being phased out.

We didn’t go to many movies as a kid but the first movie I remember seeing there was Disney’s “Follow Me Boys” in 1966 (I was 8 ), running around the playground under the screen and watching the movie. Saw “Jaws” there, the line of cars to get in was at least a mile long. At one point they went to X-Rated movies ~ I never did get how that was allowed when both screens were easily visible from the highway. I worked there as an assistant manager while I was in college, got my first exposure to martial arts (escrima) there ~ training for “crowd control”. We used to go out on the lot during the movies to kick out the drunk rednecks and chollos, then again after the movies to roust the sleepers and the van-rocking lovers with their steamed up windows. My wife and I would go there when we were dating, set up a hibachi next to the car and grill carne asada for burritos. Met my first white German Shepherd there. With a docked tail and black circles around his eyes, Thor was rather funny looking. But he wanted to kill anyone he did not know and somehow a 70 pound dog snapping, snarling, and lunging at the end of his leash doesn’t look so comical. He made a great security dog, but in the end had bitten too many people (including my little brother in his prom tuxedo) and retired to a farm. Speaking of security, one night I found myself on the ground at the wrong end of a Sheriff’s service revolver because I unknowingly set off the alarm while working late by myself. I remember there was a dark scene several minutes long in “Apocalypse Now” that had an off-frame splice in it. Because there was nothing but several yards of black film, it took us several times to get that spliced right. The picture would return after the dark scene and people would all start honking because the film was out of frame. Made far more cardboard-crusted pepperoni pizzas than I care to admit and squirted many gallons of Odell’s Butter Oil on mountains of popcorn.

So many great memories. But I guess I’m partially to blame, I haven’t seen in movie there in at least 10 years :(

Post #675986 by MadDogMike on Mon, Apr 29, 2013 4:49 PM