Outdoor movies are not a new concept, generally speaking as a mode of enjoyment. They actually have quite a relationship with history. So, if we look back to the first outdoor movie rental, we’d have to look further back, when the Lumière brothers invented cinematography: the art of moving pictures in 1895. But the concept of theatre, however, predates modern civilization, to the period of Greek dramas. So, what should we truly consider as the beginning of outdoor cinema?
When the first mobile cinema came to life in 1907 as an amusing fair attraction, people were intrigued. Consequently, since the very beginning of the 20th century, ‘living photography’ awed viewers in larger halls as well as traditional theaters. As a part of living history in outdoor movie rental, however, remains the Sun Pictures Garden Cinema, holder of a Guinness world record. Since its conception in 1916, this place is the world’s oldest open-air cinema still in operation. The location? Broome, Australia. The history of Sun pictures in Broome is not all positive sadly. When it first opened, the place was flocked by avid viewers from all over, but the seating arrangement left much to be desired. There was segregation in place due to race, and this angered the viewers to the point of boycott and interruption by aircraft at the nearby airport.
In the early 1900s, the open-air theatres also saw growth in Europe. But the very first drive-in theatre using inflatable movie screen rental took place in Camden, New Jersey. The year was 1933 and the concept was developed by Richard Hollingshead Jr. As a pioneer in this field, he experimented with different types of projections and sound techniques in the driveway of his own home. He used a 1928 Kodak projector, mounted it on the hood of his car, and aimed at a screen pinned to some trees. Working out the spacing logistics to make sure that all cars had an unobstructed view of the screen was also done by Hollingshead. And only after receiving the patent for his idea in May 1933, did he open the first drive-in theater.
After the inception of this mode of entertainment, the concept quickly fanned out and reached most of America. These outdoor movie screen rentals were made cheap so it was a good way to kill some time. Parents could bring in their children with them, forgoing a babysitter or having to worry about the little ones being a bother to other patrons. This was kept in mind by Hollingshead while he designed the system, to welcome whole families regardless of noisy children. These drive-in cinemas’ peak popularity lasted from the late 1950s to the mid-’60s, during which time nearly 5,000 theaters were operating in the US.
Thus, as you go out to enjoy a good place drive-in outdoor movie theater rental, or even recreate it yourself, remember the history and the pains these people took to provide such a form of entertainment. At the same time don’t forget to enjoy it as well.
