Nostalgia ... It ' s a memory and longing for something past . by Duane Hill
Nostalgia----It ' s a memory and longing for something past . We all have something from our childhood that has been replaced with something easier , more technical , more profitable or more comfortable . But , for those who were born before the late 60 ' s , a “ way of life ” has been lost that we will never be able to relay to our children and grandchildren----except through pictures and tall tales that we share with them . Sadly , they will never feel the feelings , share the emotions or experience the excitement of all of the “ new gadgets ” that appeared in the 50 ' s and 60 ' s . Sound and pictures on the little box in the living room was our entertainment — television--black and white--fuzzy at times--wonderful all the time ! This box had the kids up early Saturday morning , sitting one foot from the screen waiting for the National Anthem to play . We were glued to the box as Old Glory blew in the wind . Excitement grew as the first cartoon of the morning finally appeared — Loonie Tunes . Bugs and the gang are still my favorite cartoon characters to this day . But something else was down the road from our house on Mt . View Road in King . The King Drive-In Theater !
We passed by it every day on the bus going home . We drove by it on the way to Don ' s barbershop to get my dad and brother ' s ears lowered . ( I tagged along to get a bottle of Coke with peanuts in it !) We gazed fondly at it when we came up old 52 making our way home from a trip to downtown Winston-Salem . It was big ! It was ominous ! It was a place kids always wanted to go . As a small child , we only went to the Drive-In a few times . The movies that I can fondly remember were “ Son of Flubber ” ( 1963 ), “ Mary Poppins ” ( 1964 ) and “ The Incredible Mr . Limpet ” ( 1964 ). I ' m sure that we saw a few more , but these three movies were enough for a lifetime for a little girl who was only seven ! Let me share the typical goings on of the Friday or Saturday movie night . First of all , daddy had to have some extra money , I ' m sure . Times were tight and you didn ' t waste money on frivolous activities . Secondly , there had to be a wholesome Warner Brothers / Walt Disney movie showing at the Drive-In that they could take me , Perry and Danny to . I can remember mama and daddy discussing the possibility of going . Excitement grew at the thought of getting ready and actually going through the tall white walls of the outer perimeter of the Drive-In---being allowed to be one of the participants of this great adventure called , Movie Night ! But , let ' s back up for a minute . Our night would begin at suppertime , with everyone sitting around the bar , being hastened to finish quickly so that we could get ready to go the movies . We barely ate from pure excitement . After the dishes were washed , Mama would get some towels , soap and a washcloth and commence to giving me and Danny a quick bath in the huge sink in the porch . I can remember it as if it was yesterday . Such a wonderful memory ….. Then , the pajamas were adorned , popcorn was popped , one more trip to the bathroom and we all loaded up in daddy ' s car for the minute drive to what we thought was heaven .
There were always a line of cars waiting to get in . Everyone would pull off of Mt . View Road and haphazardly group together on the oiled dirt that surrounded the Drive-In . We would await our turn to pull up to the cool little gray box with windows to pay for the contents of the vehicle . As we drove through the entrance , we tried our best to take it all in as if we had never been there before . We eyed the strange , gray metal poles attached to the long wire that led to the large heavy box . This awkward looking thing was the speaker . We stretched our necks to spy out the food building in the center of the parking area , and hoped we could get a drink to go with our popcorn that mama had made . We turned our eyes to the screen---the big , white , enormous screen that would light up in minutes to reveal a cartoon , an advertisement and eventually , the MAIN FEATURE ! WOW …. there it was ….. the playground that rested right under the screen . We would ask daddy ( you never begged back then ) if we could go and play on it . I think that we only played on it once or twice , but what fun . Some kids would swing all through the movie . Good times !
There was always the problem of positioning . Daddy would ride around through the rows of strange metal poles to find just the right spot for our car . You would sometimes have to move from your chosen spot because the speaker didn ' t work . Daddy wasn ' t a fan of speakers not working . We would then pull back out and go to another spot that would give you the next best view of the screen . All of the spaces were angled up so that everyone in the car , even “ back-seaters ”, could see out of the windshield . Daddy would roll down the window and take the speaker off of the pole and place the hook on the edge of the window . Such a great invention !! Music played — a local radio station---and we gleamed that we had a working “ odd box ”.
Mama would divvy out the popcorn and daddy would go to the little building ( which also housed the film projector ) and get us a drink . As Perry was a lot older , he would go along to help carry the drinks back . And then----there it was---a loud crackling sound as the manager welcomed everyone to the King Drive-In and tried his best to persuade everyone to visit the snack bar . Danny and I knew that candy and all kinds of goodies were in there , but we were happy with popcorn and drinks . After a few more minutes of music , the screen would come to life . Wonderment poured through us as this huge screen hosted popcorn boxes , drink cups and candy boxes dancing around on the screen beckoning you to buy , buy and buy ! Then , the cartoons began . Oh , what joy flowed through our little souls . We listened intently so as not to miss a word that came out of the “ odd box ” on our window . After the cartoons , there would be a still screen with the same animated food items for a few seconds . We eyed the screen waiting for the movie to start , mumbling and laughing as we joked around .
Then , there it was ! “ Warner Brothers Presents ………” -- “ Walt Disney Presents …….” We sat awestruck as the characters played out their parts to perfection . We laughed during the funny parts and were sad during the sad parts . We watched the big bugs fly in front of the screen and through the light from the projector . We heard the laughter from all of the other cars around us . We absorbed it all in until it was time to go home . “ Please , daddy , can we stay and watch the cartoon after the movie ?” He usually said , “ Yes ”.
Taillights came on one by one as the car engines were started . There was a sadness that the night was over , but our eyes were getting heavy with the lateness of the night and our little bodies longed to go to bed . We drove the short distance back to the house and daddy would carry me into the house . He would put me in the bed and cover me up as I hugged my teddy bear . As I laid there in the dark , the events of the night flowed through my head . A cherished family event had just transpired and I didn ' t even realize it .
I went to a few movies during my dating years in 1973 / 74 , but it was never quite the same . The enchantment was gone . The innocents of childhood and the over exaggerated largeness of the world in our little eyes had long passed . King Drive-In was torn down in the 70 ' s as walk-in theaters were being built and the Drive-In Theaters were passed by . Sheetz now stands where the King Drive-In stood as it entertained families throughout the week with the awe of Hollywood . If you ever had the opportunity to sit in your car or on a blanket in the back of your pick-up at the King Drive-In , then consider yourself fortunate . Many will never have the chance to enjoy the magic of the night , the stars , the sounds , the smells and the wonderment of the Drive-In Movie …….
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