75 years later, drive-in theaters still get traffic

No, we're not talking IMAX quality here, and the metal speaker that hangs from your window is a far cry from Dolby. But you haven't really been to the movies until you've seen Indiana Jones from the comfort of your car.

Wired has a fascinating appreciation—including a picture gallery—of drive-in theaters, the first of which (in Camden, New Jersey) unspooled its first movie on June 6, 1933.

By the late 1950s, almost 5.000 drive-ins were open for business, complete with open-air concession stands churning out popcorn and hot dogs, playgrounds for the kids, and, of course, those crummy little metal speakers that hung from your car window. (If you were really lucky, you got a drive-in that transmitted the sound over FM radio—in stereo!)

Unfortunately (as Wired notes), rising real estate prices spelled the end for many a drive-in, starting in the 70s. But in the last several years, drive-ins have been making a comeback, in part thanks to digital projectors that are turning backyards and even the sides of buildings into makeshift drive-ins. Indeed, about 500 drive-ins are still around today, according to Wired, and that number is holding steady.

It's been a good six years since I went to a drive-in—the Skyview in Santa Cruz, to be precise (which closed in 2003, sadly). But as a kid growing up in Sacramento, I went pretty regularly; my parents took me to see the "Star Wars" movies, the first two "Indy" flicks, Young Frankenstein (a re-issue, probably), you name it. (We typically went to the Sacramento 6 Drive-in off Highway 50, which is still around today.)

The coolest part about the drive-in—well, from a 10-year-old perspective, that is—was that you could turn around and see the other movies that were showing. I still remember craning my neck around to see a trailer for The Shining (the one with the blood pouring out of the elevator)—bad idea.

Anyway, click here for Wired's photo gallery of still-standing drive-ins. Want to find a drive-in in your neighborhood? Check out the aptly-named Drive-ins.com. And here's a guide to top digital projectors if you want the drive-in experience in your backyard.

Related:
June 6, 1933: A Car, a Movie, Some Popcorn and Thou [Wired]
Drive-ins.com
Turn Your Backyard into a Drive-in [Yahoo! Tech]
Best home theater projectors [CNET.com]