Back to the drive-in

By Tom Standage

In the early 1930s Richard Hollingshead, a car-parts salesman, had an idea. He’d heard his mother moan about how uncomfortable she found the wooden seats in cinemas. What if she could watch a film from the comfort of her car?

To test the concept in his driveway, he put a film projector on the hood of his car, hung a sheet from some trees and invited his neighbours. He patented the idea and in June 1933 opened his first drive-in cinema – he called it a “park-in theatre” – near Camden, New Jersey. His clever ramp system positioned cars at slightly different heights, to ensure that everyone had a good view of the screen. Tickets cost 25 cents for each person and each car.