people hear the name Galveston, the
last on the list of things to think about is drive-in theaters. Yet,
the city played a small part in the history of cinema. It served as
the location for the first drive-in built in Texas, which also became
the third one made in the United States and the first to be built
on beachfront property.
Watching movies outdoors was nothing new during the Roaring Twenties.
It happened all the time at plazas and parks, usually during public
gatherings, holiday celebrations, and social events. On some occasions,
people even got the chance to watch the silent films from their vehicles.
However, the idea of actually building a permanent theater so people
could enjoy movies in the comfort of their car didn't come into fruition
Richard Hollingshead, Jr., the sales manager for his father's company
Whiz Auto Products, started looking for a way to encourage families
to spend evenings together watching movies. At the time, children
went to the cinema throughout the day while parents visited during
the evening. Feeling that the automobile would be the way to bring
these two groups together, Hollingshead began using his electronic
tinkering skills to develop a new way to enjoy Hollywood entertainment.
As a first step, he attached a screen to some trees in his yard and
installed a speaker system behind it. Richard then adjusted the volume
one notch and tested the affect for each position of the car window.
After completing all the notches, he moved to another car at a different
location then repeated the same procedure. During these tests, he
also noted the affects of adverse weather on the audio quality in
addition to checking the visibility of the screen. This was done by
using lawn sprinklers. Full screen visibility proved to be the final
obstacle. To prevent cars from blocking the view of others, Richard
tested the space between vehicles and adjusted the height of the two
front tires. Using various blocks, he managed to find the perfect
angle for an unobstructed view.
Hollingshead applied for a patent for his invention in 1932 and started
construction a year later. With the help of investors Willie Warren
Smith, Edward Ellis and Oliver Willets, his concept became a reality.
The Automobile Movie Theatre opened its gates in Camden, New Jersey
on June 6, 1933. Those wanting to attend had to pay a quarter for
the car and a quarter for each person in the car. However, the total
amount which had to be paid could never exceed a dollar regardless
of the number of passengers.
Shankweiler's Drive-In opened in April 1934 as the second theater
of its kind in the United States. Located in Orefield, Pennsylvania,
it is still in operation and holds the honor of being the world's
oldest drive-in. Three months after the theater began business, another
drive-in appeared on the scene in the unlikeliest of places.
Houston architect Louis
P. Josserand developed a new version of the first drive-in sometime
around July 1, 1933. It resembled Hollingshead's invention in every
way except one. Instead of having a single parking ramp for car owners
to have a better view, it would have two, each one joining a drive-over
ramp to allow cars to move forward as well as backward onto one of
the aisles. Removing the guard rails and making the ramp tops round
allowed for easier maneuverability. After Josserand completed the
plans, he submitted a patent for the design and contacted his business
associate A. H. Emenhiser. With a construction supervisor at his side,
the only thing left to do was find a place to build the theater.
Josserand wanted Houston
to be the home for his project and found some land owned by T. D.
Dunn, Jr. Unfortunately, Dunn rejected the offer to lease the area
because the whole thing seemed far-fetched. The drive-in was still
a relatively new concept with only two theaters in existence, both
open for less than a year. With the financial viability in question
and the construction's price tag reaching 30,000 dollars, Dunn felt
the venture was too risky and told Louis to look elsewhere. Louis
felt sure he could convince Dunn to accept the offer by building a
smaller theater as an experiment. For the location, he chose Galveston.
It would be placed directly on a beach near the intersection of Sixth
Street and Seawall Boulevard at a cost of only 1,500 dollars.
Work began in June 1934 under Emenhiser's supervision. Joseph W. Townsend
and his brother Richard built the movie screen and ticket house. The
screen was placed near the shore's edge, forcing visitors to face
their cars toward the sea. The crew erected a fence around the perimeter
of the parking area except for the section near the screen, fearing
the tides would create an unsafe environment. This became a very popular
spot for tourists and locals because the open space allowed them to
enter the theater from the waters, though the less courageous still
managed to get a free show. Behind the screen, the speaker system
was installed by Bernard McComb, a local radio station manager. He
also held the responsibility of checking and troubleshooting the equipment
when the theater opened.
Within the drive-in's perimeter, workers used beach sand to build
two driveways, each with two rows of parking ramps. The double inclines
stood fourteen inches high and were made out of pure sand. To make
them hard, the employees had to make the sand wet every day before
the show started. This presented a big problem because the wind would
blow the sand when it dried, forcing the crew to grade the ramps again.
There was also the occasional problem of people getting their car
wheels stuck in the ground. Those without a car could sit on one of
the six benches located in the back of the parking area. The whole
theater was illuminated by red and green lights when nothing was showing.
As construction came to a conclusion, Bernard McComb rode around town
in a sound truck to advertise Galveston's
latest attraction. The Drive-In Short Reel Theater opened on
July 5, 1934 and ran seven nights a week. During its tenure, the theater
showed a variety of one-reel films including news reels, comedies,
cartoons, documentaries, and short subjects. It stayed open until
two in the morning on Saturdays and midnight on all the other days.
Patrons wanting to see the films paid twenty-five cents a car while
pedestrians spent ten cents for adults and five cents for children.
All seemed to go well for the new theater until a Category 1 hurricane
decided to make a special visit. Originating near North Carolina,
it traveled through the Gulf of Mexico and landed close to Lamar
on July 25th. The storm caused eleven deaths and two million dollars
in damage during its rampage. The Drive-In Short Reel Theater was
one of the casualties, never to see another evening of operation.
Although the venture lasted for less than a month, it gave Texans
the first taste of an American invention which would soon play an
important part in society. Texas would become one of the leaders in
the drive-in business and maintain that status throughout the long
history of the entertainment venue. Although their numbers decreased
to a level that suggested extinction was near, the drive-in never
died. At the current time, there are sixteen in Texas, the latest
one opening in Lewisville
Author's note : The address of the Drive-In Short Reel Theater
was 600 Seawall Boulevard. The entrance was at the current spot of
Wings Beachwear next to McDonald's. Please remember that there is
nothing to signify its existence.
Dallas Morning News Archives
Josserand v. Taylor. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals. Case # 138
F.2d 58 (1943)
Segrave, Kerry. Drive-in Theaters : A History from Their Inception
in 1933. McFarland & Company, Inc. : Jefferson, North Carolina and
Welling, David. Cinema Houston : From Nickelodeon to Megaplex. University
of Texas Press : Austin, 2010