Write a commentThis year, drive-ins around the country will celebrate 80 years of drive-in history. John Nagelschmidt, above, owner of the Midway Drive-In, in Minetto, is hosting a special night in honor of the milestone anniversary June 7 with a feature showing of "Going Attractions," a complete history of drive-ins. To help the Midway Drive-In celebrate, the film's creator, April Wright, will be on hand that night to talk with patrons.
"It will not be anything formal," said Midway Drive-In owner, John Nagelschmidt. "She will be by the projection booth if anyone wants to visit with her."
This Thursday, June 6, is the day drive-in owners around the country celebrate as the birthday of the drive-in theater in memory Richard Hollingshead, creator of the first drive-in theater.
Wright said she went to drive-ins growing up in northern Illinois and when they started closing in the 80s, she became fascinated with abandoned drive-ins.
When she first began pondering what had happened in the late 90s, she said there were still about 1,000 drive-ins operating in the United States. A few years later, the topic kept entering her consciousness.
"When I checked back into it, I learned there were less than 500 drive-ins left, and dropping rapidly," Wright pointed out. "In just a few years, the total had been cut in half. I knew the project couldn't wait any longer."
She said did a lot of research in 2005, and spring of 2006 took her first road trip through the Southwest to see what she would find.
"I shot for several years, taking multiple cross-country road-trips and visiting every state except Alaska," Wright said. "Then I embarked on interviewing the right people to tell the story of the drive-in."
Among those Wright interviewed are the son of the inventor, the family that made the famous intermission trailers, a film historian, a sociologist, drive-in owners, the woman who founded the largest website for drive-in fans, www.drive-ins.com, and Academy Award winning American film producer, director and actor, Roger Corman, to name a few.
Going Attractions is told in segments, examining each era of the drive-in from its inception through the present day. Each section is a collage of visuals, audio and music blending original footage of drive-ins from all over the United States, interviews, graphics, photographs and archival footage.
The point of view focuses on placing the drive-in within the context of other relevant political, economic and social changes the nation was going through. These broader issues reflect changing ideals within American culture, which ultimately impacted the drive-in as a form of entertainment and social exchange.
"In their heyday, drive-ins were a common experience for most baby boomers in their teen years. Now entering retirement age, this film tells their story," Wright said. "It's not only about drive-in memories, but the significant cultural changes in their lifetime.
By studying the changes affecting the drive-in's dramatic rise, decline and rebirth, she pointed out, we discover how much American culture and family have evolved in the last 60 years.
"We would hope after viewing the film that people will have an increased awareness of the world we live in and perhaps a greater appreciation for traditional values," Wright added. "We live in such a high-speed time, it's easy to get caught up and lose sight of what's important. And we hope that people would also feel inspired to support their local drive-ins and the entrepreneurs who operate them."
What is also interesting, she pointed out, is that there does seem to be a major resurgence within the industry and without drive-in owners such as Nagelschmidt investing to upgrade their equipment, most would not even be able to show her documentary.
"What's better than watching a movie of the full story of the drive-in, under the stars at a drive-in, in this special anniversary year?" Wright asked. "This is a time to celebrate and I'm so glad Going Attractions can be part of the celebration!"
About April Wright
April Wright is an independent writer, director and producer with several short films, features and documentaries to her credit. Her current documentary "Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the American Drive-in Movie" will have a theatrical distribution across the country this summer at drive-ins and retro movie houses.
Her award-winning work has been profiled in articles in Time Magazine and CNN.com, the Chicago Tribune, BBC World News and PBS. Her recent short suspense film, "The Graveyard Shift," was selected by viewers as one of the top 10 films of 2011 on the television show PBS "Shorts Showcase."
Wright has been involved with the Independent Spirit Awards and is a programmer for several festivals, including Sundance and AFI Fest. She is the foundation manager at Women in Film and works a day job at Real D, which does 3-D for movies.
She has an undergraduate degree from Bradley University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She previously served as co-president on the board of directors of the Northwestern University Entertainment Alliance, and is chair of the Advisory Board for Sigma Delta Tau sorority at the University of Southern California.
