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Topic: Drive-in screens

Chris Erwin
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 195
From: Olive Hill,KY
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 07-28-2000 09:33 AM

I admit...I'm a drive-in buff and perfer to watch movies there instead of indoor. On traveling place to place,I notice all makes of screen towers. I thought these things had to pass a building code. I see some people build or replace them out of wood,telephone poles,etc.Could I just go get some metal,and some vinyl siding and build one if I win the lotto and build a D/I? I know of just one company out of Ohio that builds these things,and they have the engineering data and wind loads to back them up. Just wondering what the scoop is and am interested in hearing from you folks that own or work at a D/I.

Thanks,
Chris

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Barry Floyd
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1079
From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 07-28-2000 11:08 AM

I've checked into various ways of building a drive-in screen, however with the demanding wind loads a drive-in screen must withstand, Selby is probably the best way to go. Last time I got a quote, they were quite expensive. (40' x 80' = $55,000.00)

The Valley Vue Drive-In in Waverly, TN - their screen is composed of an "angle iron frame" sheathed with corrugated steel. The projected image surface measures 100' x 50' and is about 15' above the ground.

The Pink Cadillac in Centerville,TN has the telephone pole and plywood type, and it looks as if it's about to fall.

The new drive-in in Argo, Alabama uses the same type of construction, but it's in great shape.

The screen at the Woodzo drive-in in Newport was "concrete block" - all 104' of it!!

I've got photo's of it @ http://members.xoom.com/bcfdj/tndrivein/photo.htm

Building codes vary greatly based on where your located. Some places are very strict, others are non-existant.

Tim Reed is the guy to check with in drive-in screens

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Ken Layton
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1452
From: Olympia, Wash. USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 07-28-2000 11:09 AM

Since most drive ins are built in the county, then some of the building codes may be relaxed or not applicable. It all depends on your local ordinances.

In the early days of driveins, screens were made of wooden telephone poles covered with a base screen surface of plywood sheets then overlayed with ASBESTOS tiles or cement board. Later screens were made of steel "I" beams with a metal framework to support a corrugated metal surface. The wooden screens had problems with termites, carpenter ants, and dry rot. Wood screens also blew down in windstorms very easily. Metal screens are very rugged with many guaranteed to withstand 100 mph winds.

Today, metal screens are assembled on the ground then tipped up into place by a crane. This keeps crane usage (and rental) to a minimum.

As driveins began to add more screens to their property, screen size decreased. Whereas the single screen driveins had screens sized between an average of 90 to 100 feet wide, the multiple screen driveins reduced screen size to 60 to 80 feet wide.

Screns should be angled downward toward the cars for better light distribution and should be cleaned & painted regularly. Moss, dirt, and streaks on the screen surface will cut down the brightness, too.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 07-28-2000 12:00 PM

I was projectionist at the Grand View Drive-In in Angola NY from 1967-1970. The tower was built in the early 1950's, and had a 42 X 100 foot screen area (I think they extended it for scope a few years after it was built), and all steel construction, with a small brick office building beneath. It was always thrilling to climb up the narrow ladder rungs inside the tower to the catwalk at the top, just for the panoramic view of the lot that it afforded.

The front of the tower was decorated with large neon-lit "Comedy and Tragedy " masks, made of plywood. One night, one of the masks caught fire from an electrical short, and burned! The Grand View is still in operation, but with only the mask of Comedy on the front.

Yearly painting of the screen was needed to maintain a good image. By late autumn, rust marks tended to appear through the paint. Pretty amazing to have such a large structure survive in good shape for almost 50 years. Long live Drive-Ins!

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com

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Jeff Stricker
Master Film Handler

Posts: 481
From: Calumet, Mi USA
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 07-28-2000 12:38 PM

I'm sure we've all heard of the drive-in whose screen blew over in a storm while "GWTW" was the film being shown

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Jason Burroughs
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 654
From: Allen, TX
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-28-2000 02:48 PM

On a recent trip to Tulsa OK, I visited the Admiral Twin drive in there. They have 2 screens mounted on opposite sides of the same screen tower.
Equipment in the booth that I saw:
Century projector
Motiograph 7500 soundhead
Strong Super 80 Lamphouse (didn't get the wattage of the bulb)
no automation. Majority of the pole speakers were still intact and functioning. The picture steady and no apparent scratching but the lamp was dim and poorly focused and had a light flicker to it as well. Glare from the nearby highway did not help the situation. The DI is also in the flight path for the nearby airport so an occasional plane flys by behind the screen, and the accompanying noise as well... Next time I"m up there I'll try to get pics. Interresting note, the booth was pretty much left open to the elements (not airconditioned), however the prints did not appear to be very dirty, or have many static problems.

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-28-2000 03:39 PM

Barry,
The best thing to do is to scour the country for a used screen that you can have just for removing it. It DOES cost to have them torn down. A customer of mine(Melody Drive Inn near Bass Lake Indiana got his 2nd screen this way. It was from a drive inn near Chicago. The land owner was estatic about not having to demolish it. There is a company out of Texas that moved it for him, re-sized it and erected it on his property. This guy travels all over the country doing this. End cost was less than 1/3 the price of a new screen tower from Selby. One problem you may run into though if you do find one is that your wife will not allow it in the house!!
Best Of Luck to you,
Mark@GTS

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John T. Mellor
Film Handler

Posts: 52
From: Htafield, Pennsylvania, USA
Registered: May 2000

posted 07-30-2000 08:23 PM

Up untill last year I owened the Bucks County Twin Drive in outside Philadelphia. At one time phily had 39 drive ins aroun it. If you see football or baseball from philly Vet stadium usedto be the South City Drive in . I'm currently looking for another site to reopen On most saturday nights we would put 900 cars on a 630 car lot thanks to FM stero sound. ours was a twin that was split down the middle and a tower erected on each side with a remote projection booth in each feild when I first managed it we ran hour reels and strong carbon arcs Ireplaced them with Knisley series 1 4000watt xenon and strong platters If you never worked in a drive in its hard to explain the attraction.
The building codes are ineffect here for any structure you build . a drive in screen is no exception our area needed wind shear of 60 mph most of New Jesrey 80 to 100
WE stopped in at Shankwilers near Allentown Pa, it was built in 1934 and is still open today Its the second ever built.
If I can help aneyone with drive ins let me know currently I am the vice president of The United Drive In Theater Owners Assn. you can find them at udioa@erols.com
Regard to all,
John

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