First Drive-in Movie Theater

Richard Milton Hollingshead, Jr. patented the first drive-in movie theater in May 1933 because his mother was too large to fit into a regular movie theater seat. Using his car, a 1928 Kodak movie projector, and two sheets nailed between two trees for a screen, he figured to serve more than one patron he would also need ramps for each parking space so patrons could see the screen over other vehicles. With three investors he formed Park-It Theatres, Inc. On June 6, 1933 they opened the world’s first "Automobile Movie Theatre" on the 400-acre site on Admiral Wilson Boulevard shown in the aerial photo above. RCA Victor provided three 36 square foot speakers to go with a 40 foot by 50 foot screen