Drive-in movie theaters first made their appearance in 1933 in New Jersey as a way to show movies to families at relatively low cost.

The Cape’s first drive-in was built in Dennis in 1949. The Dennis Drive-in Fly-in Theater opened on July 17. Lou Segrini built it at the east end of Hokum Rock Road. It had a concrete screen with big speakers for sound. At 70 acres and room for 1000 cars, it was the biggest in New England. George and Doris Parmenter flew in with their airplane NC1857N (pictured below) on opening night. The movie that evening was “The Barkleys of Broadway” starring Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. The runway at Dennis was inadequate though; within two weeks of opening the owners talked about enlarging the strip and making it accessible for helicopters.

 Dennis’s refreshment stand was run by Gladys O’Hara. Refreshments brought in needed additional revenue, and most drive-ins held an intermission before the feature film to sell food and drinks. The Register reported on July 22, 1949 Dennis also had a club house and a dance pavilion. It had a roof top garden area where the movies could be viewed and free pony rides were offered by Charlie Hallet of Dennis.

 Cape Cod eventually had four other drive-ins. The Cod Drive-in in East Falmouth opened in the early 50s and survived until the 1980s. Its location is now a lumber storage facility for Falmouth Lumber. The Hyannis Drive-in, located where the Stop and Shop now stands, also opened in the early 50s and closed in 1986. The 1986 movie, “One Crazy Summer” starring Demi Moore used the Hyannis Drive-in for filming scenes after the drive-in closed; in the movie it was called the Nantucket Drive-in.

 Yarmouth’s drive-in on Route 28 by Parker’s River had a contentious beginning. At a hearing April 5, 1956, two abutters said the business would be both injurious and offensive. Detractors called outdoor movie theaters “passion pits.”  The theater owners responded in the Register that “morals aren’t made in open air theaters, they’re made at home,” and rebutted potential traffic complaints stating that neither Dennis nor Hyannis had accidents caused by their theaters. Yarmouth’s theater could hold 900 cars.

 The owners wanted to begin operation in late June or July. It would cost about $200,000 to construct the facility. By April 19th, land was being cleared when a suit was filed in Superior Court appealing the decision of the Yarmouth Board of Appeals. Chief Justice Paul Reardon visited the site before the trial in Superior Court. The case was dismissed but appealed to the state Supreme Court; in spite of the appeal, the theater was issued a license to operate, beginning June 28.  

Interstate Theater Corporation announced that on July 13 all children would be photographed free on Poncho the Wonder Pony. Pictures could be picked up at the drive-in the following week. To further gain support, the drive-in announced that the July 19th show would benefit the Cape Child Cancer Fund, sponsored by American Legion Post 197. The features that night - “Toy Tigers,” and “Stranger on Horseback” starred Joel McCrea. Complaints that individual speakers were all turned up high forced management to turn down all speakers after each night. The suit against the drive-in was dropped in October. 

 Yarmouth Drive-in closed in 1985. The town subsequently purchased the land, investigating the feasibility of a marina on the site. That proposal was denied and selectmen formed a committee to research other uses including a public park.

 At least three of the drive-ins had summer church services. In the 1950s, Rev. Stanley Plumer conducted services at Dennis. The lectern was on the roof of the concession stand and the choir climbed into the back of a truck. In Yarmouth in the 50’s Eunice Sherman played the organ and directed the choir from a trailer which carried the organ. Hyannis also held services.

 The last drive-in on the Cape still operates. The Wellfleet Drive-in, established in 1957, is one of three surviving drive-ins in Massachusetts. It owes its longevity to the wide variety of activities offered there, including a popular weekend flea market in the summer, a miniature golf course, and a year-round indoor theater. It has a 100’ x 44’screen, retaining some of the original monaural speakers for nostalgic listening pleasure! In keeping up with latest technology, it has digital projectors.

 Sound systems evolved over the years. The original large speakers at the front of the theater were offensive to neighbors. They were soon replaced by individual speakers mounted on poles next to the cars. Speakers had cords and could be hung on the car window. Almost everyone remembers someone leaving the theater without detaching the speaker. Later technology made it possible to play the movie's soundtrack through car’s FM radio.

Drive-ins became too expensive as land values and taxes increased on the large amounts of property that were needed. Even daylight savings time helped the decline when it was enacted by various states. The extra daylight time was beneficial for most summer activities, but it meant showing outdoor movies an hour later.

Those growing up in the 50s and 60s still look back at the drive-ins fondly. As one reminisced – “Boy does it bring back some memories, especially when the ‘drive-in challenge’ was to see how many kids could be packed into the car and get in for the flat price. We had kids packed into the trunk like cord wood and then 3 or 4 under a blanket in the rear seat footwells. Once inside and parked it was like ants at a picnic getting everyone situated – if the car didn’t explode first!!!!”

But -  like 8mm movies, eight track tapes, and black & white televisions with magnifiers, drive-ins occupy less of a niche in our super electronic connected lives of today.

Excerpted from an article by Duncan Oliver.