The Sun Hasn't Set on the Drive-In By BROOKS BARNES August 18, 2012
MONTCLAIR, Calif. THE citrus groves are gone. Route 66, which once pulsed through this Los Angeles suburb, is a memory. Marilyn Monroe lives on mainly through tacky gift shop trinkets. But another 1950s-era symbol of Southern California - the drive-in movie theater - continues to thrive here. Mission Tiki, a Polynesian-themed drive-in with four screens and room for 1,000 cars, has been packed this summer, just as it was last year. At sunset on a Saturday in early July, with the San Gabriel Mountains glowing burnt orange in the distance, children with hot dogs ran between cars, a few teenagers on dates cozied behind dashboards, and families camped out in lawn chairs. "Got to get nachos before the new 'Spider-Man' starts," said Maria Gonzalez, a 27-year-old sales clerk, following a popcorn-scented breeze toward the faux-bamboo snack bar. Drive-ins remain an extremely fragile business. Only 368 remain in the United States, and their numbers are dwindling by two or three a year, according to the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association. But some survivors, like Mission Tiki, appear to be chugging along just fine - a few are even gaining steam - as a more affordable option to the multiplex, where ticket prices in a big city can run $12.50 or more for adults and $9.50 or more for children (not to mention an extra $3 or so for 3-D films that the drive-ins can't show). Mission Tiki, reflecting prices at drive-ins nationwide, charges $7 for adults and $1 for children ages 5 to 9. Younger children are admitted free. ... http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/business/drive-in-theaters-offer-a-bit-of-the-past-and-its-prices.html _______________________________________________ Please be sure to include a URL to the article. Reply to the sender with a "Thank you" if you like this post. _______________________________________________ Medianews mailing list [email protected] http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
