Movies were shown every night at 7 p.m., rain or shine. The speakers were housed in homemade plywood boxes, and the projection equipment was intended for an indoor theater and modified to work outdoors. Horton later described the early days as being a do-it-yourself affair. One of the best parts of the experience, the reporter noted, was that unlike a traditional movie theater, “pests who sit in the backseat of your car and heckle a movie which you are enjoying can be told to get out and walk home.” According to the Orlando Sentinel the following day, nearly 3,000 people attended. On opening night, ticket holders viewed a Mickey Mouse cartoon and a sports reel, as well as the main attraction: Vivacious Lady, a 1938 romantic comedy starring Ginger Rogers and Jimmy Stewart. The theater advertised the convenience of never having to get out of your car, so that patrons could eat, smoke, and gossip in private as well as dress however they pleased. At 42 feet long and 60 feet high, the screen was reportedly four times larger than the typical movie screen of the time (Orlando Sentinel, February 4 and 8, 1940).Īttendants assisted moviegoers with purchasing tickets, served soft drinks car-side, and cleaned patrons’ windshields to give them a crystal-clear view. The location featured graded parking for around 300 cars, giving every patron a perfect view, with individual speakers at each space. Originally called “The Drive-In Theater” and later renamed the Orlando Drive-In, it was one of the first of its kind in the state. Orlando’s first drive-in movie theater opened on February 7, 1940, at 1001 South Orange Blossom Trail. Across the nation, there is one industry that appears to be flourishing during the pandemic: drive-in movie theaters.
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