TRAGEDY STRIKES A MOVIE ICON By Robert M. Hahn Put down the smart phone, every seventeen year old in existence. This is not another sad story of some over-egoed stars tragic end at the hand of the almighty drug. No, this is the tragic story a movie icon that is actually worth reporting. Unfortunately, many of you have never seen this star or worse yet, even knew of their fight for survival. It was just before nine o’clock when the previews began to roll. My wife fiddled for our snacks and sodas as beside us, the other patrons began to settle in. A larger than life Jason Sudeikis, immediately had us laughing as he bantered back and forth with Jennifer Aniston in the film “We’re The Millers”. Perhaps, those seated around my wife where enjoying the show as well but we had no way of knowing. The star filled sky above us provided just enough light to tear into our goodies and the air inside of our car was set to just the right degree. I reclined my seat as much as I desired and for once did not worry that it would bother anyone behind me. Best of all however, was that if there happened to be a screaming child within a hundred miles, I was blissfully unaware. So who is the wonderful star of this show, whose tragic end seem eminent? It is not a who, but rather as you may have guessed, a what. Friends, I had never been to drive-in theater before but as waves of nostalgia coursed through me, I was reminded of a time when the world was a lot less rife with the troubles of what we come to know as present day life. Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr. first brought this grand idea to life in 1932 and opened the first public drive-in theater on June 6, 1933 in Pennsauken, NJ. In the late 50’s Hollingshead Jr.’s dream reached its peak at a time when the world was finally beginning to rebuild from WWII. Unfortunately as the early 60’s arrived with the beginning of the cold war between Russia and the U.S., the drive-in’s decline in popularity seamed to mirror the changing atmosphere of American life. Today only 1.5 percent of all movie screens in the U.S. are set outdoors and sadly that number is rapidly descending. There is a glimmer of hope, however, that these movie giants may stave off extinction. Recently American Honda Motor Co., Inc has developed “Project DRIVE-IN” in an impressive effort to save these great American icons. “Project DRIVE-IN” is an online contest by which lovers of the outdoor cinema can vote for their favorite drive-in and help them to win much needed brand new equipment. As technology has improved our world it is forcing the distributing of digitalized movies. The cost per projector needed for the drive-in to survive is an astonishing $70,000. It took but only a single night for me, a man who is by no means a giant movie fan, to fall in love with the history of this wonderful American born icon. It would seem a brutal injustice to it fall by the wayside. For more information please visit “Project DRIVE-IN” at theautochannel/link.html?projectdrivein/
Posted on: Sun, 25 Aug 2013 20:33:51 +0000
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