Remembering Drive-In Theatres In The Middle Of A Snowy Day

This theatre, near my boyhood home, boasted the fact that it was "the ONLY 4 screen drive-in theatre in the world"! Not sure about that, but it was very cool!

Did you ever think of warm things to make you feel better on a cold, snowy day? Like a tropical island, the Sahara Desert, and drive-in theatres? 

Me either. Except for today!

It snowed...AGAIN! In November, for heaven's sake! It's also colder than the average temperature in central Illinois, in NOVEMBER, for cryin' out loud!

So, to compensate, I started to imaginate about the sizzling hot summer nights when 8 of us would pack into our 53 Ford Fairlane (with no air conditioning) and  transmigrate ourselves to the drive-in theatre. 

I feel warmer already!

We were extremely fortunate to have 2 (count them), 2 super fantastic drive-in theatres within walking distance from our home! (The walking distance part is important, as you will find out later)

The Airway Drive-In was excellent, because it had a little rollar coaster, a playground and seats in front of the screen for those who wanted to walk in! (Didn't I tell you you would find out later about the WALKING thing?)

Guess how much the admission was? $1.00 a car load! Yes, even if you had 16 people in the car! I'm not making this up, folks! 

The other drive-in theatre was the afore - pictured, St. Ann Drive-In Theatre!

You could watch YOUR movie with sound, and a movie on another screen without sound!  With 4 gigantic screens to view, how could you lose?!

I think the 4 Screen started out at $2.00 a car load and the price went up later, as did the price at the Airway, but....

What am I doing? I'm way off the original theme!

The focus should be on the HOT NIGHTS  we suffered through at the drive-in, to take our minds away from this snowy, wintery day!

St. Louis heat is legendary, as you all know. It's even hot at NIGHT! So, if you're in a steaming hot Ford Fairlane, with 7 other family members, sitting on someone's lap, as a chubby little kid...you just about melt...like the Wicked Witch Of The West.

This is not an actual, real life happening, kids. It's only a movie.

It was not only hotter than a pot bellied pig, on a red hot radiator, in the middle of July (that's the way they might say it in southeast Missouri), but it was STICKY!

What's worse...being hot or sticky? I say BOTH! 

In addition, with the windows open, the mosquitoes were drawn to my sticky little body, and feasted on my highly sugared blood. 

With the heat rising off the blacktop of the drive-in, the hot cars (especially the classic Chevys), the month of July or August, family members radiating heat, no A.C....I'll bet you don't feel quite as cold now. 

Anyway, why not take a couple of minutes to tell your drive-in experiences, if you're old enough to have experienced the unique..uh...experience. 

You'll find the comments section at the bottom. 

It looks kinda like this.