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

FROM OUR EDITORS

If you have fond memories of warm summer evenings spent watching your favorite stars on the giant screen as you relaxed under a canopy of stars of the celestial sort, then Cinema Under The Stars, a delightful celebration of open-air movie going that will bring a rush of warming memories to anyone who grew up going to the drive-in, is for you.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When Richard M. Hollingshead Jr. first projected a movie onto a white bedsheet stretched between two trees at his home in Camden, New Jersey, in 1933, little did he know that he was on the verge of creating an entirely new entertainment industry. With America just beginning its romance with the automobile, it's no surprise that the general public found this new form of moviegoing irresistible. Fun and affordable, the drive-in quickly gained popularity among families with young children. And, of course, the local drive-in was a favorite weekend hangout for teenagers: a place where they could go just to meet friends or take a sweetheart for a romantic evening of movies under the stars. Although drive-ins are no longer as popular as they once were, in many communities a devoted following still seeks out the open-air theaters at twilight.

Cinema Under the Stars is a reminder of those wonderful times, as well as a recounting of the history of the drive-in experience. Here is the story, and here are the memories: B movies, concession stands loaded with goodies, screen towers, ticket booths, scratchy speakers, speaker poles, and intermission. It is all here - a nostalgic look at one of America's all-time favorite pastimes.

FROM THE CRITICS

Entertainment Weekly