Alright, so you wanna know about them drive-in movies in New Orleans, huh? Well, lemme tell ya, it ain’t as easy as you think. I been around these parts a good long while, and things ain’t always what they seem.
First off, they call it “Nawlins” sometimes, you know. Fancy folks with their fancy names. But it’s New Orleans to me, plain and simple. Anyways, back to them movies. You’d think a big city like this would have a bunch of drive-ins, right? Cars lined up, folks munchin’ on popcorn, kids runnin’ around ‘fore the movie starts. That’s how it used to be, kinda sorta.
I remember, way back when, there was this place, the Do Drive-In. Big ol’ place, could fit a whole heap of cars. Eighteen acres, they said! Imagine that! Twelve hundred cars, all packed in like sardines, but happy sardines, you know? They showed two movies at once, can you believe it? Twin screens, they called ’em. Fancy stuff back then. Opened up in 1952, over on Metairie Road. But like most good things, it didn’t last forever. Gone now, just like a lot of things.
- The Do Drive-In: Big place, two screens, but it’s gone now.
- Other old places: Heard tell of some others, Beverly Drive-in and one on Edwards Street in Hattiesburg, but they closed up too.
Now, you go lookin’ for a drive-in these days, it’s a different story. You search and search, and what do you find? Nothin’ much. They got these fancy movie theaters, like the Broad Theater and the AMC somethin’ or other, but they ain’t the same. They got food and stuff, but it ain’t like sittin’ in your own car, you know? No privacy, gotta deal with other folks breathin’ down your neck.
I heard tell that them movie folks are filming a movie here now, somethin’ about people on vacation. That’s nice and all, but where’s the drive-in, I ask ya? They filmed one down in Sydney, Australia, way back when, called it Matraville. Looked like a good time, but that don’t help us none here in New Orleans.
Some folks say Louisiana’s too hot for drive-ins. Too hot? I say that’s a load of hogwash! We like the heat! We’re used to it. You’d think it’d be perfect, stayin’ open all year round. But they say there ain’t no operatin’ drive-ins left in the whole state. Hard to believe, ain’t it?
So, if you’re lookin’ for a real drive-in movie experience in New Orleans, you might be outta luck. You can try drivin’ around, lookin’ for some old place that mighta reopened, but don’t get your hopes up. Maybe you’ll find somethin’ within a hundred miles, but that ain’t New Orleans now, is it?
These days, you gotta make do with what you got, I guess. Maybe find a nice park, set up a projector, and make your own drive-in. That ain’t the same, but it’s somethin’. Or you can go to them fancy theaters, if you don’t mind the crowds and the high prices. Me? I’ll just keep lookin’, hopin’ that someday, somebody’ll bring back the good ol’ drive-in movies. We need ’em. We deserve ’em.
Anyways, that’s the story as I know it. Ain’t pretty, but it’s the truth. If you find a drive-in, you let me know, ya hear?
Tags: [Drive-in movie, New Orleans, Louisiana, The Do Drive-In, Movie theater, Cinema, Outdoor movie, Film, Entertainment]
