Delsea Drive-In

Re-opens Friday, July 23 with a double bill, "Bourne Supremacy"
and "Anchorman". This is the first drive-in movie showing in New Jersey since 1981. Capacity is 700 cars, and the screen is an awesome 120 feet wide. Admission will be $6 for adults and $3 for children which is rather a bargain for a double feature. I would be wonderful if the public were to turn out to support this wonderful piece of Americana.

Nice article here from New York Times 7/24/04, including a color photograph of the marquee. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/23/nyregion/23drive.html

Last commercial drive-in exhibition in New Jersey: Route 35 Drive-In, Hazlet, NJ on Wednesday evening, 4 September 1991 featuring "The Fly"(1958) and "The Girl Can't Help It" (1957) both in CinemaScope. Screen was torn down on Monday, 9 September 1991 at 1:00 p.m. The Rte 35 Drive-in was formerly called the Loew's Open Air Theatre and premiered with "The Searchers" on 30 June 1956. Plans are currently underway for another NJ Drive-In revival in the Northwestern corridor of the State. Press releases forthcoming.

That closing night was dedicated to the 50s, where patrons were encourged to drive and display their vintage 50s cars. Many patrons dressed the part, and one couple got engaged with the man proposing to his future wife on film at the start of the show.

Old photos & ads:
http://doctorgrooveband.com/DelseaDrive-In-Scrapbook2.html

Drive-In Theater Returns To New Jersey

Jul 23, 2004 11:11 am US/Eastern
VINELAND, N.J. (AP) People in Vineland will get to do what no others have been able to do in New Jersey since 1991 Friday night - sit in their cars and watch a movie.

The Delsea Drive-In will open its gates for showings of "The Bourne Supremacy" and "Anchorman.'

New Jersey is credited with spawning the drive-in craze in 1933 when the first theater was built on Admiral Wilson Boulevard in Pennsauken. But television, multiplexes and videos killed the craze and the last drive-in closed in the Garden State in Hazlet in 1991.

A group of investors bought the Delsea Drive-In last year and planned to put a skate park and restaurant on the 17-acre property. They changed their minds when they realized the 120-foot screen was in good shape.

There is capacity for 700 vehicles and the audience will listen to the films on their F-M radios.

Instead of charging by the carload, ticket prices at the Delsea are six dollars for adults and three dollars for children.

Photos, recent photos taken before the July 2004 reopening:

http://www.prophet-omega.com/Drive_In/delsea_drive_in.html

Check out the pre-pc line about invalids & shut-ins LOL
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/DelseaDriveIn.jpg

I could write a book about this place!

ok Bob.

Why could you write a book about it? If you do, I sure hope you're a little more expressive than that.

I could write a book about how I could write a book LOL! Are you from the UDITOA?

Here's a better link to the New York Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/23/nyregion/23drive.html?ex=1248321600&en=a482252103d01790&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland

This is a 2006 photo.

Saw The Simpsons Movie and 1408 this summer - my first drive-in experience! Nice big screen and all, and I like that the sound comes through the car stereo, but every loud noise from the movie caused the sound to shift into mono for a bit.

Anyway, both movies were 2.35 widescreen which filled the screen exactly...I think seeing 1.85 movies would be distracting with the blank space at each side...

I saw Red eye and the 40 Year Old Virgin there a few years back. My wife and I had a great time. All in all, it was a cheap date night. Good sound through the car speakers. Pretty big crowd on a beautiful evening. Glad to see it's back. The long lines between features at the women's bathroom brought back memories. I also liked the old advertisments and 3 Stooges shorts.

Here is another photo of the Delsea Drive-In.

This is a more recent photo of the Delsea Drive-In.

The Delsea has added a second screen in 2008.

Mentioned in the NYTimes CT Section about the 2 drive-ins left in Connecticut.

http://tinyurl.com/6ogwv4

Another photo can be seen here.

Delsea Drive-In photo