| The drive-in theatre was the brainstorm
of Richard M. Hollingshead who opened the very first drive-in theatre
in Camden NJ on June 6, 1933. It wouldn't be until 1950 that Cape May
County would have its own drive-in. Mel Fox of Fox theatres out of Philadelphia
opened the Wildwood Drive-In theatre on a 13.5 acre lot on Wildwood
Blvd., in Rio Grande. With room for 470 automobiles - a Simplex X-L
projector and a sound system with Simplex in-car speakers - the Drive-In
was ready for its grand opening Friday, July 28, 1950 with the showing
of "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now." The Box Office opened
at 7:30 P.M. with a 60 cent admission per car. Free popcorn was given
to everyone on opening night. They ran two shows each night during the
week and three shows nightly on weekends. The property was sprayed with
DDT each week - or each night depending on who you talk to. That didn't
seem to stop the mosquitoes though. However, for the savvy moviegoer
the (12 gauge) mosquito repellent would do a fair job of keeping the
little critters in line! |
| There was a great playground down in
front below the big screen and a small jungle that bordered the theatre,
making it easy for many children to sneek into the playground and avoid
the price of admission! (Yes... I was one of them!) What great memories
I have of this place. The snack bar with its greasy "Shrimp"
rolls - the non-existant "Meatball Sandwiches!" - and the
liquid "Pixie Stick" grape and orange drinks! What I wouldn't
give to go back for one of these treats. - What was in those Shrimp
Rolls anyway? |
| Many times when we were small my parents
would take two cars. Then we would park side by side and my parents
would get in one car and the kids in the other. The Drive-In would go
through a few changes over the years, including a bigger snack bar with
a second floor projection booth and eventually a second big screen.
It would become the Wildwood Twin Drive-In Theatre in the early spring
of 1976. The week starting Wed., May 26 featured the Twin Screen. "Eat
My Dust" with Ron Howard and "Crazy Mama" starring Cloris
Leachman played on one screen, while " Baby Blue Marina" and
"Aloha Bobby and Rose" played in the rear view. |
| The Drive-In movie that once thrived
started to grow weary over the next decade as did drive-in theatres
all over the country. In the late 50's there were over 4000 drive-in
theatres throughout the United States and Canada. But by the late 70's
and early 80's the drive-in movie was on a slow decline, and in January
1986 a group of developers (Rio Grande Associates) purchased the land
from Fox theatres for $500,000. The Drive-In did open in April of 1986
for one last season, but development for a new $8 million shopping complex
would start in the fall... the following year our wonderful Wildwood
Drive-In would only be a memory. |
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| The gentleman to far left is Owen Hand, first
manager of the "Wildwood Drive-In Theatre" |
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