Oh such a disappointment that must have been. I agree that does not it sound like very good planning on the part of the proprietor. While it must have been apparent to most residents that the days were numbered, to close prior to the scheduled date or without a well-publicized announcement seems premature and a wasted opportunity. If I had known, I would have made arrangements to see it one last time. I would hope that there might have been better shows on the marquis than Beavis Butthead and Howard Stern.
The Highway 39 was the only Drive-In Theatre I ever went to (for things other than swap meets). My parents took us to see many Disney features there, such as Fantasia, Lady & The Tramp, Pinocchio, Shaggy Dog, Tomasina, 101 Dalmations and Mary Poppins, as well as thrillers like Thunderball, Goldfinger, Dr Strangelove and The French Connection.
The clear, warm, starry skies made many movies all the more memorable. During the fifties, the nearby dairy fields would lend their own unique sensory touches to the Summer nights. On some Autumn evenings, the fog would roll in near the end of the show, making getting out the exits and home a lengthy process.
Nights when we came back from a visit in Los Angeles, the familiar glow of its huge movie screen visible from the 22 Freeway, stood a timeless constant to welcome us back to Orange County. In later years I rediscovered the charm of the Highway 39 Drive-In, when my first girlfriend took us there, beginning a new chain of fond memories, sometimes behind steamy windows.
Oh such a disappointment that must have been. I agree that does not it sound like very good planning on the part of the proprietor. While it must have been apparent to most residents that the days were numbered, to close prior to the scheduled date or without a well-publicized announcement seems premature and a wasted opportunity. If I had known, I would have made arrangements to see it one last time. I would hope that there might have been better shows on the marquis than Beavis Butthead and Howard Stern.
The Highway 39 was the only Drive-In Theatre I ever went to (for things other than swap meets). My parents took us to see many Disney features there, such as Fantasia, Lady & The Tramp, Pinocchio, Shaggy Dog, Tomasina, 101 Dalmations and Mary Poppins, as well as thrillers like Thunderball, Goldfinger, Dr Strangelove and The French Connection.
The clear, warm, starry skies made many movies all the more memorable. During the fifties, the nearby dairy fields would lend their own unique sensory touches to the Summer nights. On some Autumn evenings, the fog would roll in near the end of the show, making getting out the exits and home a lengthy process.
Nights when we came back from a visit in Los Angeles, the familiar glow of its huge movie screen visible from the 22 Freeway, stood a timeless constant to welcome us back to Orange County. In later years I rediscovered the charm of the Highway 39 Drive-In, when my first girlfriend took us there, beginning a new chain of fond memories, sometimes behind steamy windows.