Could this be the end?
Posted by Leah on
11/22/2014 1:48:54 PM
Today I’m highlighting the imminent danger of closing our nation’s drive ins are in, with special attention on one in particular: The Weirs Drive In, in Weirs NH.
Some of the first memories I have of seeing movies (although I couldn’t tell you which movies they were) are of my parents packing me into the back of their giant old station wagon in my pajamas to go to the local drive in. As I said, I don’t remember what I saw, but I can remember vividly playing in the back of that huge car, stuffing my face with popcorn and cuddling up to fall asleep half way through whatever it was we were watching. As time wore on and my parents had more children those wonderful times faded as money became tighter and we had to move away.
Years later, when we moved back to the area, it broke my heart to see that the drive in had closed and had become overgrown. With the box office and concession stand growing dimmer behind the trees, and the screen being the only real testament to what was once there, I held out hope for a long time that someone else would come along to open it back up (what can I say? I was, and still am, very sentimental). But alas,those hopes were dashed when sometime in the late 90’s a Subaru dealer took over the lot and tore the screen down once and for all.
Growing up I didn’t really spend much time in the Weirs area. I remember hitting the boardwalk with my grandmother once (although I’m not sure when) and then, at the age of 15, going to Funspot with a family I babysat for. I didn’t pay much attention either of those times and therefore had no idea that there was a drive in there that was still open for business.
It wasn’t until 2007 that I really began frequenting the area and realized exactly what treasures there are there. That year my husband had Fourth of July week off from work, but money was a bit tight for a true vacation, and so we decided on a few day trips instead. I don’t recall what day of the week we decided to go to Weirs, but it was the gorgeous summer day everyone hopes for when they have a day off. We arrived in the early afternoon and before pulling onto the beach road noticed the sign for the drive in. We discussed our plans for the day briefly as we parked and decided that we’d stay and catch a movie. We spent the rest of the afternoon checking out all that the boardwalk has to offer,grabbed some dinner and then made our way across the street to the drive in.
We were astonished when we pulled in to find that this drive in has four screens,instead of the typical one. And that for a flat rate of $25 per car we got to see a double feature. On that particular evening there was only one movie we wanted to see, not to mention that after a day in the sun we were pretty tired,but it was a magical and memorable evening that took us both back to our childhoods.
Since 2007,when my husband and I took a day trip to Weirs beach, ending the night with a visit to the Weirs Drive In, we’ve made it a sort of tradition to go to the drive in at least once a summer. It may not be a long-standing tradition thus far,but it’s one that I certainly don’t want to end. This year I had the good fortune to visit the drive in twice, once with my husband and once with my 6 year old niece. My niece had never been to the drive in and at the end of the night turned to me and said “Aunty, this is the best night of my life!” It would be a shame if that’s her only experience at a drive in.
Unfortunately the Weirs Drive In is in real trouble. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with the owner/operator Pat to discuss the history of the place, the danger of it closing and what we, the patrons, can do to help. Here’s what I was able to find out:
The Weirs Drive In was one of the first drive ins in the country, having been built and opened in 1949. It has been continuously run since its opening,with Pat and her husband taking over operations 40 years ago in 1974. Drive in theaters in general saw their peak during the 50’s through the 70’s. In the 80’s, with the VCR becoming both more affordable and more popular, drive ins began their steady decline in popularity.
In their heyday there were thousands of drive in theaters across the country, with some towns boasting more than one. These days there are only between 357 and 338 (depending on what you read) left open, including over 10 in New England; with that number set to decline even further. Hollywood has stopped producing movies on film, forcing these small, family run and seasonal businesses to make the very costly conversion to digital projectors. With the cost of the conversions running upwards of $75,000 per screen, many of the theaters that were open for this, the 2014 season, will be forced to shut down for good. The Weirs Drive In is a little different in that they have 4 screens,while most have only one, making their cost to go digital somewhere in the neighborhood of $250,000. With the summer season becoming shorter and shorter as the kids get out of school later and start back earlier, this tourist based business is having a very hard time coming up with that large of a sum all at once.
Another reason that drive in theaters have seen a steady decline is that while their typical customer base has gotten smaller, thus cutting into the money flow, many of these theaters are on prime real estate. That makes it hard for owners to justify keeping them open when it’d be so much easier and more lucrative to sell to the highest bidder.
And then came a glimmer of hope. Honda made a big splash in the industry last year with their heavily publicized Project Drive In campaign. It was their effort to keep drive ins going for the next generation, with the prize being that they would give the top 5 voted drive ins one digital projector. It turned out to be great news for the one –screened Saco Drive In in Saco, Maine, but not such great news for Weirs; because although they were in the running close to the top, they just didn’t quite pull it off. That was heartbreaking to Pat and her family, (not to mention all of us who hold it close to our hearts.) Unfortunately if the Weirs Drive In doesn’t raise at least enough funds by the spring of 2015 to convert at least one of their four projectors it will be the end of line for them.
In a world where so many wonderful things have faded into oblivion:roller skating, sock hops, soda jerks, restaurants where the waitresses skate to your car, cameras with actual film in them; the drive in theater has managed to pull through…until now. As you all well know, we’re now living in a day and age where there are screens everywhere and we have all of our entertainment,music, news and social lives in the palm of our hand. In a way it’s amazing that drive ins have lasted as long as they have. There’s just something about trying to make your car as comfortable as your living room, snuggling up with a bunch of snacks and watching a movie (or two) under the stars that seemed to be timeless. Unfortunately though, it seems that for some that time is now up. Hollywood has decided that our drive ins must adapt or die. I’m not sure about you, but I’m certainly not ready to see them die yet!