Letter from the Editor: Driving to a Bygone Era

On a beautiful, warm summer night earlier this season, my wife and I took a trip back in time: We headed to the drive-in.

In this Summer of COVID, we have to get creative in finding entertainment. Sometimes, it’s right in front of us – or, in this case, a pleasant 40-minute drive along Route 322 from State College past Philipsburg to the small village of Woodland, home of the Super 322 Drive-In.

Greeted by the neon marquee along the highway, drivers pull in to a bygone era.

It had been years since I’d been to a drive-in, but the place quickly brought back memories. Old posts that remain along the aisles remind of the days when movie-goers mounted speakers to the car window (now, you can tune in on the radio).

Growing up in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, in the 1960s and ’70s, we were fortunate to have two drive-ins within a few minutes of our house: the Hilltop and the Quonset.

I recall the Hilltop having a small playground under the big screen. Children would play on the swing set in the waning light before the first show started. Generally, by the time of the second show, my sister and I were asleep in the back seat of my parents’ car.

When I was a bit older, I remember seeing The Sting – a movie everyone was talking about – at the Hilltop.

The church we attended held occasional Sunday services at the Quonset during the summer. The pastor stood on the roof of the snack bar to deliver his sermon over those window-mounted speakers. I don’t recall, but I’m guessing we sang hymns out the car window.

The Quonset was also a popular spot for high schoolers to enjoy a night out. A bunch of us would pile into a friend’s van and head to the drive-in to watch such classics as The Groove Tube and The Kentucky Fried Movie. Beer might have been involved in a couple of those outings.

Like most drive-ins across America, the Hilltop and the Quonset are long gone. A nursing home sits on the old Hilltop site; there’s a housing development in the area where the Quonset screen once stood.

But, as Teresa Mull writes this month, the Super 322 perseveres thanks to its dedicated owners and a loyal customer base.

It’s worth the trip back in time.

 

Mark Brackenbury

Editorial Director

[email protected]