Taking a Trip to the Drive-In (Hour 2)

Whenever you go out, you got to get the appetizer because the appetizer is just an excuse for an extra meal.

I was like, let's see, I will start with the 80 buffalo wings.

And do you have a low-cal blue cheese?

Because I don't want to fill up too much.

It would be kind of embarrassing trying to explain what an appetizer is to someone from a starving country, though.

Yeah, the appetizer, that's food wheat before we have our food.

No, no, you're thinking to desert. That's food wheat after we have our food.

Yep, wheat, tons of food.

Sometimes there's so much you're just sticking in the bag, bring it home.

Give it to the dog.

You ever get the doggy bag, you're like, oh no, put this in a box in the bag and I'll bring it home and throw it out tomorrow.

Double you marching in.

When your alone and life is making you lonely, you can't always go downtown.

When you've got worries, all the noise and the hurry seems to help I know.

Downtown, just listen to the music of the traffic in the city.

Linger on the cycle, where the neon signs are for thee, how can you lose?

The lights are much brighter there.

You can't forget all your troubles, forget all your care, so go downtown.

Things will be great when you're downtown.

No final place for sure, downtown.

Everything's waiting for you.

Downtown.

Don't hang around and let your problems surround you.

There are movie shows.

Downtown, maybe you know some little places to go to where they never close.

Downtown, just listen to the rhythm of a general box in the box.

You'll be dancing with them to the ball.

The night is over, hope you again.

The lights are much brighter there.

You can't forget all your troubles, forget all your care, so go downtown.

Where all the lights are bright, downtown.

Waiting for you tonight, downtown.

You're gonna be alright now.

Downtown.

Downtown.

Downtown.

And you may find somebody kind to help them understand you.

Someone who is just like you and needs a gentle hand to guide them along.

So maybe I'll see you there.

We can't forget all our troubles, forget all our care, so go downtown.

Things will be great when you're downtown.

Don't wait a minute, more downtown.

If you're just waiting for you.

Downtown.

Downtown.

Downtown.

10709 at WRGN, hometown radio refreshed with local news and timeless hits and Jim and Carol coming up now.

Let's all go to the lobby.

Let's all go to the lobby.

Let's all go to the lobby to get ourselves a treat.

It's intermission, rise and stretch time.

Time to refresh yourself and visit our snack bar.

Got a yen for hot popcorn.

Your favorite soft drinks are sparkling cold.

The juicy, frank, sizzling hot.

There's delicious coffee freshly brewed.

And all kinds of ice cream and candy to tempt you.

Showtime will be announced loud and clear to get you back to your car in time.

So, stretch your legs.

Come to the snack bar now.

And say hello to Jim, Monsieur and Carol G and Forte.

They put out some great shows here in Racine talking about life in the 50s and the 60s.

And today we're talking about something that's still around.

You might be able to find one, but it's tough.

The drive in movie theater, which were, I think about 4,000 back in the 50s and 60s.

Now they're hard to find.

I mean, Carol, thank you guys for coming by.

Just get a little closer to that microphone, Carol.

No, I did.

You can pull it closer to you if you want.

We're glad to be here.

That's good.

Yeah, don't get too far away.

Like give another room.

Good to have you guys here.

Thank you very much.

Let's just start with the drive in movies when it got for us.

Thank you, Don, for allowing us to be here.

Do you know that America's first outdoor theater or drive and opened in 1933 near Camden, New Jersey?

Is that near your neck and a woods there, Don?

No, but I have a photo of it.

Okay.

It was very square screen, very small.

But yeah, Camden, New Jersey.

That's right.

Of course, money for entertainment was hard to come by back then due to the depression.

But after World War II, our returning servicemen married and began to raise families.

And of course, we're the result of that, the baby boomers.

And these vets, of course, bought cars, including station wagons.

So with this combination, outdoor theaters really caught on during the late 40s.

Hundreds were constructed all across America.

Soon young parents were now taking the kids to the outdoor theaters.

Teens were begging for the family car.

I remember I did adults of all ages were finding it a fun time to take in a movie in this new and novel way.

But by 1958, America had over actually 5,000 outdoor theaters and received both to two of them.

Well, one actually in Kenosha County, the mid-city and the Westgate.

You know, Jim, when we talk about trying to put ourselves in the place of our parents,

how exciting this must have been, the war was over.

Now, the drive-in or the outdoor cars,

cars were everything.

Now, do we have ramblers and the Nash at that time, the two variations?

Yes, as a matter of fact, the mid-city had a special word.

If you had a rambler, you could get in free for some of their instructions.

And how many people stopped in the back?

That's a different story.

We'll get to that.

I looked up some of the movies about that time to think of what our parents might have been seeing

on this big screen.

Alfred Hitchcock, he had the rope and the Easter Parade movie,

Irving Berlin with Judy Garland and Fred Astaire,

Abbott Castello, even with Frankenstein.

Treasure of Sierra Madre.

No, I'm free Bogart.

Yeah, that was a good one.

Key Largo with Bogart and Recall on the big screen.

It must have been very exciting.

There were G. Robinson played in that one too.

That was the bad guy.

That was the good guy.

Hurricane coming down to the cheese.

That's right, that's right.

And we all remember the Westgate.

That actually opened in 1949 as the Racine Outdoor Theatre,

and it was changed to the Westgate in 1952 by the new owners.

Located in Highway 20, where shop coal recently stood,

and where the Westgate Shopping Center now stands,

you might remember Turnstile, which was just east of the old theater.

Of course, one of our favorite things to do, of course,

was to hide in the trunk to gain free admission.

Not me, I didn't do that.

I wasn't a criminal.

I forgot what the cost to get in was,

but a lot of us guys would just hide in the trunk,

and very uncomfortable, especially on a hot summer night.

You'd be very, you know, in a scrunched-up position.

No air, probably, and you're just begging to get out,

but it was worth it because you saved a few bucks.

Let me ask you something.

It's a statute of limitations up on that.

Can we still find that warrant?

I think so.

No, I think you don't have to go to jail anymore.

Yeah, you're free.

But one thing about the Westgate, there's a picture somewhere online

that we found it.

They were showing the movie Eight on the Land with Bob Hope,

and it was WRJN Night,

where you can get in at a discount price,

if you're, whatever, say you'll listen to WRJN.

They had a lot of discounts.

But that was at the Westgate thing right down the block

from the radio station.

Sure.

Yeah.

Now, they could accommodate about 700 cars.

Compare that to the Giant 41 Twin in Milwaukee,

and that could accommodate just under 2,500 cars.

So, and actually, the Westgate covered about 30 acres.

They had the train ride, trampolines,

the pony rides for the kids.

And in 1959, gold carts were added.

On their mighty midget race track.

And, of course, they had in-car heaters

to extend the season.

And the speakers, of course, very high tech.

All right, another question.

Who actually drove away with the speaker still attached?

Yes, we had the lady across the street from us,

where I grew up.

She came home, and the speaker was still attached.

It's surprisingly pulled her window out.

But, yes, we had to speak with the wire.

The whole time never knew she pulled it out.

Oh, yeah.

And you can tell a lot of the poles were hit

because sometimes you get there,

and you'd be at a 45-degree angle.

And, of course, they had their famous snack bar.

They had very, very good food there.

Westgate lasted.

Wait a second.

Wait a second.

Very, very good food.

Who standards are you speaking with?

Well, as a young kid, you know.

How do you think it tastes good?

All right, it's a kid.

All right, we'll do that tonight.

You're right, done.

They lasted about 30 years,

and they closed in 1978,

and demolished in 1979.

Now, this is fitting.

The last movie that was shown

at the Westgate was called The End.

Oh, is it really?

Seriously.

With the rentals.

Yeah, yeah.

What's there now?

The Westgate shopping center.

Well, speaking of sneaking in gym and the trunk,

there weren't any deaths in those trunks.

I don't know.

I don't know.

Well, anyway, I have a very good friend,

Alice from.

Now, to meet Alice today,

you might find her in church,

or women's groups.

She's a community leader.

Well, Alice was one of those kids

that was sneaking into the Westgate

because she lived near a broken fence.

Oh.

Did they get that fence in?

Oh, yes.

Yeah.

Uh-huh.

Was there a lot of homes around at that time?

Oh, yes.

Yes.

So these people in your house,

you can actually look out the window.

You got it?

Yes.

Right.

Well, and for viewing, viewing only,

if you lived at certain blocks on Ohio Street.

You might be able to hear it?

See it.

See it.

You could see it.

You could speak or so.

Yeah, but the speakers,

I figure you might be able to hear it.

I don't know.

I don't know.

I don't know.

At least it was viewed.

Get a lip reader.

Hold on.

Hold on a sec.

Jim and Carol are here.

We're talking about driving movie theaters

in Racine back in the 50s and 60s.

Where would Jim and Carol come?

Let me give it a moment here at WRJN local news.

And timeless hits.

It's 720 at WRJN.

You're Wednesday morning.

You're looking for a sunny day today

with a high air 63 right now.

It's sunny at 55 degrees here at Radio Park.

Jim is here.

Carol, you're in forte here.

If you've seen their shows,

they put on at the Golden Rondale and other venues.

You know, what a great performance they put on.

Talking about the history of Racine today.

They're right here.

And we're talking about the history of driving movie theaters

in Racine.

We're talking about the Westgate cinema.

Jim used to sneak into the trunk.

I think that's a felony today.

But even the back bitter was a misdemeanor.

So let's go on.

Continue on about the drive-ins around here.

Well, I think one of the best parts of going to the outdoor

was going to the snack bar.

And of course, when you're in high school or whatever,

that's the favorite place to be.

On a hot summer night,

you could always count on ice cream or burgers, hot dogs,

pizza, popcorn, of course, for your dates.

No duds.

No duds.

That was another one.

All the candy.

I remember this was rather embarrassing,

but sometimes you take a date.

And of course, this was in the evening at nighttime.

You go to the snack bar for your date,

because she was hungry.

And you could not find your way back to the car.

Oh, I see.

Now I'm very nervous.

That was going up and down.

The aisle's looking for your car.

She must have thought you're a complete idiot.

And we know our good friend, Marcia Conant,

who has been on the panel that we asked to join us

when we have been at the Rondale,

Marcia and Joe Povkovich.

Marcia has a story where I guess she and her girlfriend

didn't care for these guys.

They moved the car.

So it was rather difficult for the guys to find them afterwards.

I like that.

That's a good move.

That's right.

Yeah.

And you know, we just opened up the program

with let's all go to the lobby.

Don found that clip for us.

Yep.

And don't we still remember that?

And we had fun at our Golden Rondale program.

Joe and Marcia let us in singing.

Yep.

Let's all go to the lobby.

Everybody can see what a high-brought program we have

from singing.

Let's all go to the lobby.

That's right.

Kind of on the intellectual side,

what do you say?

With the Racine Philharmonic Orchestra.

Yep.

We love that snack bar.

Oh, yeah.

What about the mid-city?

Oh, yeah.

That was the other auditorium.

It was that.

That was located between actually

Racine and Kenosha on Highway A and Highway 32.

Highway A and 32.

Yeah.

So I know.

Apartment complex.

Oh, is that what they did with it?

Yeah.

That's the same.

Yep.

That was just south of K.R.

That also opened up in 1949.

They could accommodate about 765 cars,

a little bit more than the Westgate.

And I didn't realize this,

but they had 500 more seats for walkins.

Apparently back then it was a big deal to take the bus

or drop the kids off or whatever.

And you could just sit in a chair and just enjoy the movie.

So they were also, like Carol mentioned,

long lines of cars on Highway A for those who wanted to see the movie

for nothing.

You couldn't hear anything,

but you could see it.

And this was especially true when they showed X-rated movies.

I think there were more cars parked on Highway A than inside the theater complex.

And that's true back in the 70s,

toward the end of the drive-in thing.

They started, they had to get people in there somehow

that started showing these soft core X-rated films.

Right.

But you can see them from the road.

Oh, yeah.

There was soft core films, but still.

Oh, yes.

Yeah.

They'd go out at the screen.

And like I said, no sound, but that's all they wanted was the...

And then when they went to that sound where you can listen on your radio

in the car.

Yes.

People used to park outside and you can hear it on your radio.

Oh, yes.

Absolutely.

But you did that, Jim?

I can't even hear.

Come on, you got a lot about you today.

Yeah.

Now they lasted a little bit longer than the Westgate,

which closed in 78.

The mid-city closed in after the 1984 season,

and it was demolished in 91.

So it sat deserted for about seven years with the exception of a few

occasional flea markets.

What's there now?

Large apartment complex now stands on the former site.

And you know, you'd never know that that was a site of the mid-city outdoor theater.

Why doesn't somebody put a plaque there?

I mean, it's a nice something.

I told you, my old driving, I used to go to as a kid.

They have a giant plaque there now describing exactly what was there.

Right.

It's an historic site because, I mean, for 30 years,

every family went there and grew up there at that driving theater.

So there's a plaque in...

It's a store complex now, but they put a plaque there.

That's kind of nice.

Well, we have to prioritize our community needs,

but you know what?

We'll keep track of that one.

Now, plaques come first.

We'll keep track of that.

Now, we do have a plaque that we learned marks the Kitty Landsite.

Yes.

And we're so glad that that's there.

I was there, I saw it.

Yeah.

So plaques are not a bad idea.

We'll keep it in mind for them.

Well, it's amazing how we can picture ourselves though, Jim.

Either one of these.

Didn't we go as kids sitting in the back seat with brothers and sisters?

Our parents would tell us we're going to the drive in tonight.

That's right.

Yeah.

And in pajamas.

Yeah.

Maybe the moms would make the popcorn for us.

Big bag of popcorn, right?

Yeah.

And our favorite blanket and finding our spot in the back seat.

Yep.

And then our parents, when we think about them,

the young parents, probably waiting for us to go to sleep.

And enjoying some peace and quiet in the car.

A double feature.

Maybe taking us home pretty late.

We'd be sound asleep.

Oh.

And they would have had finally a date.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I can hear it now.

Carol's parents.

Will you be quiet in that back seat?

Will you get home?

You're going to get it.

As an only child, they didn't really have too much to to us.

We were back there alone, weren't you?

Yeah, I was there.

Stop kicking the seat.

And thinking of those parents, I think we, for our rundown program,

we had a picture of what was very helpful at the outdoor,

the bench seat, the bench car seats.

We didn't have to have the bucket seats at that.

Oh, yes.

The little sliding over.

Yep.

And then, of course, teens, we all know.

We're smiling about the antics that we pulled.

And some of the young romance that we got started there.

So it's very high in our memories.

Where does that back up to the romance?

Would you have a passion pit going on back there?

There was a phrase.

Wasn't it the passion pit?

That's right.

I think that was.

I know Jim posted on RetroReceim that we would be on Don's program.

And one person called it the passion pit.

He revived that phrase.

And another person that commented, he talked about any of the witnesses.

For the speaking end, they're all dead.

That's right.

Oh, terrible.

Are they dead because they were witnesses?

Or are they dead because they've had a mental cause?

It's a point.

Right.

Right.

Now, the movies themselves, of course,

to see them and to see them on the big screen.

So we've asked Don if he's got some themes of the movies to just remind us.

We've probably saw it the outdoor theater.

You ready?

Ready?

Let's play them.

My name is Alfred Hitchcock.

And I would like to tell you about my forthcoming lecture.

It is about the birds and their age-long relationship with math.

It will be seen in theaters like this across the country.

Let's all go to the lobby to get ourselves a treat.

It's intermission, rise and stretch time.

Time to refresh yourself and visit our snack bar.

Got a yen for hot popcorn.

Your favorite soft drinks are sparkling cold.

The juicy, frank, sizzling hot.

There's delicious coffee freshly brewed.

And all kinds of ice cream and candy to tempt you.

Showtime will be announced.

And clear to get you back to your car in time.

So stretch your legs.

Come to the snack bar.

No.

The food always look good on the screen.

You ever notice that?

Oh, yes.

They show these nice hamburgers and hot dogs and pizza.

Then you get to the stand and it didn't quite look the same.

Did we take quick break more with the German carol coming up?

If we're talking about the driving movie theaters in the Racine area,

growing up in the 50s and 60s,

more straight ahead right here.

We will find local news in time of the sets.

WRGN.

Well, I tell you, man, I admire flight attendants.

I really do.

I couldn't do what they do.

They're there for safety, first of all.

They've got to put up with so much garbage from people.

Have you ever been sitting in your seat?

And you see somebody trying to fit something in the overhead rack

that you know ain't going in there like in a million years?

You know?

You're looking at them like,

what kind of perception problems does this guy have?

And the flight attendants are so nice.

They run up and act like it's close.

You know, they run up there.

Oh, gosh.

Oh, I don't know if that's going to get up there.

We can check it for you.

You moron.

That's what I would do.

I would last like nine seconds at that job.

You know?

I would just run up.

Hey, does that look like it's going to fit?

What the hell's the matter with?

You got this much room?

You got like a dead yak.

You don't see all these people jammed up behind you?

Oh, this is your world.

Oh, it's all about you.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Look at him working, nodding his socks in the night when there's no money there.

What does he care?

All the lonely people.

Where do they all come?

All the lonely people.

Where do they all belong?

I look at all the lonely people.

I look at all the lonely people.

They learn to break me.

Night in the church, it was where we belong with our name.

Nobody came by the mechanism.

Wiping a deck through his hands as he was from the grave.

No one was saved.

All the lonely people.

I look at all the lonely people.

I look at all the lonely people.

I look at all the lonely people.

I look at all the lonely people.

Get 737 at WRGN, local news and timeless hits.

We have Jim and Carol here, Jim and Carol G and Forte.

You might remember their shows at the Golden Rondale and other venues where they talk about the history of a scene bringing you back to the good old days of the 50s and 60s.

A lot of people will say, they weren't that good.

There were some bad times still in the 50s.

We don't remember the bad times, only the good times.

And some of those good times involved driving movie theaters.

And that's what we're talking about today.

Some of the drive-ins hit were there that are no longer there.

Talked about the mid-city and the Westgate.

And let's continue on here.

Well, we loved hearing those movie themes.

The magnificent seven gold finger.

It brought us right back to the power of movies that, of course, we still love today.

But I think that era where you could see it on the big screen,

and closed in a car with friends or whatever,

just made everything even more dramatic.

So Jim and I have, when we've done this in person,

we've had many photos on screen of the movies and the movie stars.

And also on how the outdoors advertised,

their marketing was absolutely incredible, which we will get to.

But one of our first photos was like you played Elvis,

but this was Beach Party.

We're looking at a photo right now in front of us in the radio station.

Frankie and Annette.

Yeah.

Yes.

They were our idols.

Not mine, but yours.

Remember Annette from the Mickey Mouse Club?

At least I had dark hair.

So I get a shot looking like Annette.

And Jim just gave me a thing here.

The big July Christmas show.

I know.

The big July Christmas show.

And all you have presented in cooperation with Radio Station,

W-R-A-C, that was our competition.

Oh, interesting.

Imagine bringing that up, Jim.

An old wound.

So we had those beach movies.

We had Westerns.

We had John Wayne,

with how the West was won.

And this reminds us of a photo we have here that we would have been

in the past showing on the screen.

This was at the mid-city, for instance, how the West was won.

And adults were 125 to get in.

It started at 9 o'clock at night or at dusk.

John Wayne was a grand hero, we know.

Then of course we had just the big stars.

And we're looking at another ad here from the West Gate.

50 cents at that time for adult admission.

That was really low.

50 cents to get in.

Yeah, 50 cents per each.

At the Turnstile Family Center.

Bargain Night.

That's what that was.

Bargain Night.

And Jack Lemon, Shirley McLean, Fred McMurray in the apartment.

Also Jimmy Stewart and Marine O'Hara.

I remember that.

So that is the driving.

Did you?

Not driving, but he said it's driving.

Jim, you take this one.

Another star.

Rock Hudson.

And Bridget Bardot.

Oh my gosh, she was a really a star back in the 50s.

Well, I think she was, was that in one movie?

This was called all that heaven allowed us.

Oh, I never heard of that one.

Yeah, what is this one here?

At the West Gate.

Jackie Gleason, Steve McLean.

Soldier in the Rain.

Soldier in the Rain.

Oh, my goodness.

That's right.

And we have another one here.

My favorite wife would carry Grant.

This one, Jim, I noticed it's really older,

because this was the recene outdoor theater.

Oh, that was there when they first opened.

When they first opened.

Right.

Yeah.

And it says, hey kids, all aboard for a free ride

in the miniature streamliner.

Come as late as 915 and see both pictures.

Ginger Rogers, David Niven.

For a guy's point of view,

you'd love to take your date to see a horror movie.

And there's a couple of them here at the mid city.

The werewolf in the girl's dormitory.

I remember that movie, right?

Core doors of blood.

There we go.

Just loaded with all these horror movies.

You know, there's a big drive in movie

and it got a start in night of the living dead,

which became a classic.

Yes, absolutely.

You turned your classic movies around it all the time.

And it got it started driving theaters.

Oh, yeah.

Sure.

These series of horror movies were called

Nervo Rama.

And it says, how much shock can you stand?

And again, guys would love to take a date there

because with bucket seats, she'd always move closer to you

and snuggle up to you looking for, you know, some support, I guess.

Well, the starlight driving him in how many falls.

I took my daughter once there.

She's a little and they had five movies they were playing one night

from dusk to dawn, they called it.

Yeah.

And it was, I think it was the pretty Kruger movies,

a whole bunch of horror movies in there.

And we stayed.

And then the sun was coming up.

But the sun was shining on the screen

so you can hardly see what those flames are doing.

Oh, really?

We started the end of the last movie.

But we stayed from dusk to dawn.

Oh my.

I wonder if she's still room.

How old was she?

Oh, she's a little girl.

We have five, six years old.

And she's still room.

Yeah, she's still room.

And night at the driving.

A night of dusk to dawn.

Five movies at the starlight.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, yeah.

Here's another one from that era about the horror movies.

This one was for Friday to 13th.

You could see the skull.

They advertise it.

When the skull strikes, you will scream.

Triple shock show.

Kiss of the vampire.

And what else?

The face of Fu Manchu.

But they were famous for their horror movies.

And that also happened to the end of the drive-in run

where they had a start getting people on the drive-ins.

They used to do that.

Oh, yes.

Because the regular features, the first run were shown at theaters.

And it was more comfortable to watch it in the movie theater.

That's right.

Jim will talk about some of the things they really tried to do

as the tenants was going down.

But looking at these photos that we have in front of us on paper,

their efforts at marketing were quite incredible.

Because just talking about the movies also brings to light

what was said in the newspaper.

When the skull strikes, you'll scream.

The new height in fright.

Evil science breeds a race of the living dead.

Grusom, ghastly, ghoulish.

This was all their effort to keep bringing people in.

Yeah, I was sad to hear the answer.

It's way you want to bring your date.

There was another one that they're marketing.

Surging, savage adventure, and hellish horror.

How much shock can you stand?

Well, you know what they did?

A lot of companies like American International Pictures,

they made movies based for the drive-in.

All these beach party movies, the motorcycle movies,

the house angels movies they made.

And horror movies, the Edgar Allan Poe movies for Vincent Price,

all geared toward the drive-in.

Because theaters weren't going to show them.

That's right, but the drive-in would.

Well, like you said, Don, the theaters fought back to survive.

They had book nights.

And that means the entire carload could get in for a dollar.

And you really packed your friends in that car for a dollar.

Many of them had fireworks, square dancing, pony rides,

live monkeys, even Santa Claus men and appearance.

The mid-city had free popcorn nights, free school supply nights.

And like somebody mentioned, free admission,

if you had a Nash or a Rambler car on occasion at the old mid-city.

But it became way too costly, eventually,

to upgrade to the digital projection systems.

That could cost upwards of $200,000.

I know.

And if you can imagine a mom and pop enterprise owning an outdoor theater,

they couldn't afford that.

My wife and I, we watched this thing.

It was about a Pennsylvania drive-in that's still around today.

And they wanted them to convert to digital.

And they said, no, we're going to only run 35 millimeter films here.

And they still, to this day, only then they can't run the first run movies

because they don't come in 35 millimeter anymore.

That's right.

But they run all the classic movies and they only run the film.

Mm-hmm.

That's good.

Don, you had alluded to this.

The main reason, I think, for closing of these outdoor theaters

was the high real estate values.

They were once built outside the city limits,

but the properties became very valuable as the city's expanded.

The middle of nowhere location became ideal locations

for more profitable enterprises, like apartment complexes.

And a good example here was the Westgate Shopping Center.

From over 5,000 outdoor theaters at its peak,

only about 300 remain, including nine in Wisconsin.

I could always say the closest one used to be the Quinoa,

but they closed what maybe about eight years ago.

I was at the Quinoa before they closed it.

Right.

And Carol mentioned that she was at the Jefferson,

or near the Jefferson outdoor theater,

which is starting up operations already.

That's the closest one.

However, they did open up the one in Franklin called the Milky Way,

which only accommodates 150 cars.

It costs $35 a carload.

Wow.

So if you go with one, it's not too bad.

Well, if you go with by yourself, it's going to be a little,

or even a dangerous 35.

You're going to pay $35 even if you're a carload, right?

Well, not like the Jefferson one I looked up this morning,

that's $10 a person.

Yeah, yeah.

Well, that's what movie theaters charge.

Right.

Right.

But this is $35 a carload.

Yeah.

And they take all the fun out because you can't hide the trunk anymore.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Right.

Nobody wants to be a fan like you.

We're going to take a quick break.

In 748 at WRJ, we'll talk with Jim and Carol about driving theaters

in the area in the 50s and 60s.

We'll come it up at just a moment here.

Don't move.

WRJ and local news.

Timeless hits.

They're back here at WRJ at 99.9 FM, 98.1 FM in Canosa,

and the legendary 1,400 AM.

Jim and Carol are here, and we're talking about the history of the drive

in bully theaters in Racini, Canosa area.

And you guys are actually be live on stage in concert coming up.

Oh, when is that now?

Monday night, June 3rd.

We are so honored.

Preservation Racine, a great organization in Racine,

has almost monthly meetings with wonderful topics.

And so they have asked us to present this program,

the outdoor Monday night at a living faith church,

which is at 2915 Wright Boulevard.

It's about a block east of St. Ed's, if you know where that is.

So we are so thrilled.

This half an hour, 40-minute program

is lifted out of what we did last year at the Golden Rondell.

Jim and I did the program Summer in the City,

which was a two-hour program,

and our Summer in the City was covering Washington Park pool,

the 4th of July parade, Kittyland, and the outdoor.

So for Preservation Racine's meeting,

we have over 100 pictures just like we showed at the Rondell.

We're going to be in the church proper at living faith,

which seats 300 people.

Wonderful sound system, wonderful screen,

and a slanted audience, too,

so you can see the screen just easily.

So that is next Monday night, June 3rd,

and if you would arrive about 630,

now if you're not a Preservation Racine member,

speaking of sneaking through,

there is a $5 charge if you're not a member.

Can you pay cash when you get there?

Yes, yes, you can.

Well, some places don't allow that anymore.

You got to play online.

Oh, no, no.

This is a Preservation Racine.

So you can bring $10,000 or whatever.

They're members for their programs.

Come in free.

You can't hide into trunk either to get in,

so don't even try it.

Let's say you're a friend of Jim and Carol, I'll let you.

So we're very excited and hope to see people

making time for that.

Now, Jim was talking about the bench seats,

or I guess I said that, and taking a gal eagerly

to these shock-a-thon kind of movies.

So Jim, do you have anything more to say

from the guys' point of view?

Because then I'm going to say from the girls' point of view.

No, I think just the...

Have you covered it?

I think so.

The best part about going to the outdoor theater,

of course, was to see the horror movies with a date.

Buck Knight, of course.

Sneaking in and a trunk.

Sometimes driving away with the speaker.

We all remember those fun times.

Go ahead.

Well, I just love to hear Marsha Connet,

who will be with us.

Marsha Connet and Joe Povkovich in person

for the preservation recene meeting

at Living Faith on Monday Night.

But Marsha has...

Includes in about the girls' experience

as a teen at the outdoor.

So I'm lifting out her stories,

but I told you already about how...

If the two girls didn't like their dates,

they moved the car when the guys went to the snack bar.

So that caused a bit of delay

in being reunited at the car.

Another thing is Marsha had explained

that she was with a very unsatisfactory date at one time.

And so her escape was to the snack bar.

But when she was at the snack bar,

she looked down and realized

that she had her penny loafers

that contained a dime.

She called her father to rescue her.

If it's driving?

She exited, yes.

How bad was this guy?

She was not about to find out, apparently.

She caught it short.

And then she had another anecdote about someone else.

Maybe it wasn't even recene.

But like you said,

with your daughter done,

the movie's going on and on and on,

and being so tired that you fell asleep as the driver in the car,

and you could wake up right in the middle of a flea market,

she said.

And then this one was tinged with fun,

but a little sadness.

Another asked Marsha had learned for her talk

was if you were with a cleanup crew that next morning,

she knew that she was told a diamond ring

and engagement ring was found,

never to be claimed again.

So that had been quite the evening.

Wow.

You know I used to love going to,

I'll tell you one quick story.

The movie was the last sunset

with Joseph Cotton and Rock Hudson at the drive,

and I was a little tiny kid.

And my brother,

we sat in the back seat,

and he would force me to laugh.

And when my laugh,

I was, you stop it back there, you know.

Finally, I was laughing so much,

my father said, get out of the car,

and I had to sit on the back bumper of the car

for the rest of the movie.

Yeah.

Yeah, he wouldn't let me back in the car,

and I'm sitting on the back,

and I'm facing all the other cars

that are looking at me on the back bumper.

You know, it was, I'm,

I think it was six or seven years old.

Oh.

You had no mercy on me whatsoever.

Your father was,

you was really wanting to see that movie.

Well, my brother was an instigator.

He never got caught.

He's one of those people that,

yes.

Other people got caught around him.

Yes.

And so he remembers that.

I still remember what made me laugh.

When Joseph Cotton was on screen,

he referred to a little character

and a little rascals named Cotton the Monkey.

And he would say,

oh, there's Cotton the Monkey.

And I was out laughing.

And my father would turn around,

he refers to get the look.

Caught again.

Yeah, then you get the scream,

and he said, get out of the car.

Oh, my.

And I sat on the bumper for the whole movie.

Run the shakes.

Yeah.

Well, you could conclude,

probably, unless,

if we are running out of time,

is I was so fascinated

when Jim and I were first putting this together

for the in-person program,

somewhere in the city.

Do you remember the search lights?

It darks somewhere night?

And there would be search lights in the sky?

Oh, for like gas stations opening up

or something.

And we showed that for the outdoor.

Yes, that's right.

Yes, we did.

And I wanted our possible Golden Rondell program

as technologically great as it was

to be very dark

and then have the search lights start up.

But anyway, it has to be just in our memory.

And Karen wanted this $2 million production set.

Yeah.

Yeah, it never happened.

But you guys do a great job.

Again, preservation,

we're seeing putting it on.

And the church again is the...

Living faith.

Living faith.

Coming Monday.

On right.

Yep.

Okay, use the same ads right far from here.