Bengies Drive-In
3417 Eastern Boulevard,
Middle River,
MD
21220
3417 Eastern Boulevard,
Middle River,
MD
21220
3 people
favorited this theater
Bengies Drive-In opened on June 6, 1956. The screen is 120 feet by 52 feet and is the biggest theatre screen remaining in the USA or North America. At opening it had a capacity for 1,000 cars. There was also an enclosed seating area for 60 walk-ins. The current capacity is for 750 cars.
Designed by architectural engineer Jack K. Vogal for the Vogal Theatre chain. He designed and built many drive-in’s in the North-east US and also built the first drive-in theatre in South America, the Auto-Cine Drive-In in Lima, Peru in around 1954.
He designed and built all three drive-in’s in the Vogal Circuit, the other two being:
The Dublin Drive-In in Dublin (Columbus) OH
Salem Drive-In, Salem, OH
He was the architect for:
Winter Drive-In, Wintersville, OH (still existing)
and the following which have been demolished:
Atlantic Drive-In, Atlantic City, NJ
Edmonson Drive-In, Baltimore, MD
Frontier Drive-In, Annapolis, MD
Beltsville Drive-In, Beltsville, MD
Contributed by
Lost Memory, D. Edward Vogal
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Recent comments (view all 14 comments)
This is a recent photo of Bengies.
The 1963 motion picture almanac lists Bengies Drive-In in Baltimore. I don’t know if Middle River is a Baltimore suburb. Operator was Vogel Theaters of Wellsville, OH. Paul Vogel was president, T.T. Vogel was vice-president and Jack Vogel was secretary-treasurer. Other Vogel theaters at that time were the Midway Drive-In in Ravenna, OH, the Salem Drive-In in Salem, OH and the Liberty in Wellsville.
Here is a 2009 photo.
Belated reply to ken mc: Middle River is east of Baltimore, and is considered a suburb.
www.CapriDrivein.com Coldwater, MI
Largest outdoor screen in operation, a Selby Tower, 75' X 150'
it shows a beautiful pitcure !
this is the worst drive in theater ive ever been to. the man talks all over the radio during intermission when he is showing short subjects like the 3 stooges where you miss key points in the plot. mr vogel please funnel cakes and hot dog specials can wait to be mentioned during a preview and not a classic short like the 3 stooges.
this is the worst drive in theater ive ever been to. the man talks all over the radio during intermission when he is showing short subjects like the 3 stooges where you miss key points in the plot. mr vogel please funnel cakes and hot dog specials can wait to be mentioned during a preview and not a classic short like the 3 stooges.
Picture of the screen:
View link
Looks like a stiff wind could knock this thing down…..
The owner of the BIG-MO Drive-in does the same thing at intermission,gets on and yaks and yaks and yaks.Give me a break,but the BIG-MO; it is a mom and pop operation.
How dare some one talk over a 3 Stooges short. Unless it had Joe in the short.