THE HISTORY OF THE DRIVE-IN

Drive-in theatres are primarily an American phenomenon, but the craze spread to Canada — and other parts of the world — in the 1950s, the industry’s unquestioned peak. Here is brief rundown of drive-in milestones: 1933 Richard M. Hollingshead Jr. patents the concept of a drive-in movie theatre, and opens the world’s first drive-in in Camden, New Jersey. 1934 Shankweiler’s Drive-In opens in Orefield, Pa. 1935 Hollingshead’s Camden theatre closes, quickly transferring the title of world’s oldest drive-in to Shankweiler’s. The Pennsylvania theatre is still operating today. 1946 Stoney Creek, Ont.’s Skyway Drive-In was the first outdoor theatre to open in Canada. 1947 The North East Drive-In opens in Toronto, and a local counterpart — the North West — is unveiled the following year. Both drive-ins closed in the late 1970s. 1954 Australia’s first drive-in — the Skyline — opens in Burwood, near Melbourne. Though it closed in 1983, drive-ins are more prevalent in Australia than anywhere else outside North America. 1956 Europe’s first drive-in — the Metro — opens for business in Rome. The Metro closed in 1984, but paved the way for the 13 outdoor theatres currently active across Europe, including six in Germany. 1958 The industry’s estimated peak, with 4,063 theatres open across the United States. 1975 Stoney Creek’s Skyway Drive-In is torn down. Today, there is a shopping mall where it once stood. Early 1990s Generally cited as the period in which studios began providing drive-ins with new movies upon their release. Before this, drive-ins only received “second-run” movies. 2001 The Docks Drive-In opens on Toronto’s waterfront. It is now the city’s only theatre.