Pulling up to the ticket booth of a drive-in theater transports you back in time. A time when purring American cars prowled the streets, men dressed like The Fonz reigned, women in poodle skirts and ponytails were the norm and going to a drive-in movie was the place to be on a Friday or Saturday night.

Instead of gaggles of teenagers showing up in their parent’s Chrysler DeSoto to the drive-in at dusk, it’s Hondas, Subarus and pickups now, but one thing remains the same, Mainers still have a deep-rooted affinity for drive-ins.

“Coming to an actual living, breathing drive-in,” says Andrew Tevanian, owner and operator of Pride’s Corner Drive-in on Bridgton Road in Westbrook, “there’s nothing like it. You go back into the ’40s, ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. The sky was almost bluer back then. It was something for the day, the time. Entertainment was where it was at in America back then.”

Maine was one of the first states to erect a drive-in theater, with the July 1939 opening of the Saco Drive-in. Soon after, the outdoor theaters began popping up from Aroostook County to York, totaling about 50 at the height of their popularity. Even Lewiston and Auburn had their own theaters: the Lewiston Drive-in out on Sabattus Road and the Danville Drive-in (later known as the Auburn Drive-in) on Old Portland Road (Route 100).

Die-hard theatergoers claim there’s nothing quite like seeing a double feature from your car. It’s incomparable to sitting in a multiplex theater with others, they say: No more sniffling in the side rows or laughter at inappropriate times from complete strangers to distract you from the film. No more shushing if your inquisitive child needs to know what the heck is going on with Shrek. There’s a level of comfort gained from being in your own surroundings with the people of your choosing that’s unmatched in the atmosphere of a cineplex.

“The drive-in just makes (going to the movies) more of a customized experience for me,” explains Karly Eretzian of Auburn. “I will go with my boyfriend or, better yet, pile a whole group of friends into a few pickups. It’s an experience rather than a viewing. We pack up the cooler, the air mattress, some comfy chairs, blankets and pillows. We get there and create our own space where it’s all right to talk and laugh and enjoy the night. There’s something about being outside and being able to watch the stars in the sky and the screen at the same time.”

The drive-in is notorious as a place where teenagers would go to quell raging hormones. In the ’50s, it was such a problem that some drive-in theaters refused to admit Rambler automobiles because the seats reclined so far back.

“Think of all the intimacy that occurs here! You’re in a dark meadow. The lights are turned down. The seats recline … how many people experienced their first kiss or their first teenage awkward moment together alone in Mom or Dad’s car at the drive-in?” asks Tevanian.

Another kicker is the price, say drive-in lovers. For roughly what you’d pay at a multiplex theater, you get double the fun at the drive-in. It’s standard practice to show double features; oftentimes the first movie is geared toward children and the second is aimed more at the adults. This way, families can enjoy a movie together and when the children fall asleep, parents can stay and enjoy a film they want to see — scoring a pseudo date night.

“It’s well worth it for the price. For one ticket and one movie at a theater you are getting two movies at a drive-in, and I still think the price is cheaper. You just can’t beat that!” says Jenifer Stupinski of Topsham. She has been going to the Pride’s Corner Drive-in since she was a teenager, and now she and her husband take along their two sons.

“My youngest (son) didn’t always do the best in the theaters. He was loud and had lots of questions and didn’t like to sit still. At the drive-in I have the chance to bring my family and not have others mad at my son for being loud. He can ask me as many questions about the movie as he pleases, and after the first one is finished, if he’d like to sleep, well, he can do that right in our car while the rest of us enjoy the second movie,” she says.

With all these positive points, it’s hard to believe that only a handful of the original drive-ins still remain. Tevanian believes the land grab of the 1980s, when selling the land proved more lucrative to owners than operating a seasonal business like that of a drive-in, led to the demise of so many of Maine’s outdoor theaters. The Auburn and Lewiston locations are now mobile home parks. The advent of things like HBO and recordable television programming also didn’t help, and people began staying home instead of piling into the family sedan to hit a double feature at the drive-in.

For the theaters that remain, the nostalgia and allure of their unique offerings keep visitors coming back. There’s been a resurgence of interest in drive-ins, with fan clubs and Facebook pages dedicated to sustaining this little slice of Americana.

“My husband and I love going to the drive-In. The atmosphere is so much more unique and fun,” says Emily Trefethen of Litchfield,who is a fan of the Pride’s Corner Drive-in Facebook page. “From the original ’50s snack bar and restrooms, to the vintage concession ads they play during intermission, a trip to the drive-in is a trip back in time that is just as entertaining as the movie itself.” 

Bridgton Twin Drive-In

Route 302

Bridgton

647-8666

Admission: $7.50 a person (ages 12 & up), $5 a child (ages 5-11) Special note: $15 minimum charge per vehicle on all Fridays and Saturdays. $15 minimum also applies on Sundays of holiday weekends. Admission is good for one screen only.

Saco Drive-In

969 Portland Road

Saco

284-1016

Admission: $14 a car up to 2 people; $3 for each additional person.

Skylite Drive-In

304 11th Ave.

Madawaska

728-7583

Skowhegan Drive-In

Waterville Road

Skowhegan

474-9277

Admission: $6 age 12 and up, children 11 and under, free.

Prides Corner Drive-In

651 Bridgton Road

Westbrook

797-3154

Admission: Adults $7, children $5, kids 4 and under, free.

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