SOME CALIFORNIA DRIVE-INS

I started photographing California drive-in theaters in the early 1970s. Most drive-ins were named for the city they were in or the street they were located on. The exterior often depicted scenes related to the local area. When I saw a drive-In theater, it would bring back memories of watching movies outside at night when I was growing up. Their popularity had started to diminish at the end of the 1960s, and many were falling into disrepair.

During the day, drive-in theaters looked strange — almost ghostly. You’d notice the peeling paint, the cracked pavement, the silence. It was at night that they transformed. It was the neon signage and spotlights that I most remember. These structures had no real use during daylight hours, so some held swap meets and flea markets on weekends. It was a way to generate extra revenue as movie attendance was diminishing.

It seemed that palm trees were always part of the design. Of course, palm trees have always been a California icon. Most of the theaters were built when there was plenty of cheap land available. Urban sprawl would eventually surround them until tract homes, trailer parks, and strip malls consumed them.

The book has 48 pages, 22 color and black & white photographs with descriptions, 8×10 inches, and perfect bound.