I always envied Reid's Drive In connection. It lent him a certain savior-faire. And at last he allows us a peek inside the DI culture. Yet, I can't help but think that Reid is holding out on us. His briberies surely involved more than Snickers Bars.
Speaking of theatres, Reid probably used those free passes to the indoor cinemas to catch a flick or ten at the Fox (I'm pretty sure that's where I saw Godzilla Vs. the Smog Monster - riveting entertainment!). The Fox had big Red curtains that opened and closed in front of the screen. Many a time I saw a youthful Kurt Russell promo through the red hue of the Fox's curtains. About the floor: it was covered in a fine sheen of Coke and that buttery substance used on the popcorn. It was easy to bust yo ice if you weren't careful. And that would be tragic: who would want a broken ankle to ruin an evening of The Computer that Wore Tennis Shoes? As for the buttery substance: If you ordered a large popcorn you'd get a fairly large tub. The concessionaire would shovel in the popcorn, hold it under a container and then squirt in a huge amount of buttery ectoplasm. By the time you had eaten down to the bottom of the tub (about the time it took for Godzilla to whip the Smog Monster's ass; or about the time in The Graduate that Dustin Hoffman screamed "Elaine!, Elaine!), you would discover an inch deep puddle of the stuff. Ultimately, gallons of the buttery goo found it's way to the floor of the Fox theatre, hence, the cinematic slip and slide.
Awesome post Reid. When they took down the screen to make way for the reconfigured White Horse - Hwy 123 intersection, I knew that an era had passed. The last image I remember seeing on the screen was Mary Tyler Moore wearing a Habit. Sad. Just sad. Hi Ho.
2 comments:
Heh heh! I just talked to an older friend in town, who in his younger days crammed his trunk full of friends and then attempted to sneak into the drive-in for less than full fare. He mentioned one time when the wrong guy was at the wheel, someone who got nervous easily, and the guy at the gate taking admission demanded they open the trunk. Dude went to pieces, and let's just say they didn't get in to see the movie.
Happy Thanksgiving, Larry, Larry and friends.
I was never a stow away at the drive in, but I did sit cooly in the back seat while my compatriots played human sardine in the trunk. No doubt, one needs a steely reserve to get past the drive in ticket taker. Dude cant go to pieces...lol.
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