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Television and licensed clubs
eventually had a major impact on the
Drive-ins. TV was in colour after 1975,
and the local club offered bumper
cheap meals, free entertainment and a
few pre-RBT beers for next to nothing.
This competition led the Drive-ins
down the slippery slope of dusk-to-
dawn R-rated programs of sex and
violence. It worked for a time, but by
running these programs they alienated
the traditional audience - families.
A string of mega- blockbusters such
as Star Wars, Grease, Close Encounters
and Indiana Jones brought families
back to the Drive-ins, and they enjoyed
a brief resurgence. A new and serious
threat was the introduction of the VCR
video cassette player in the early 1980s.
Suddenly people could hire and watch
the movie of their choice, in the
comfort of their own lounge room. The
Drive-ins were hit hard at a time of
ever-increasing demand for houses and
land, and spiralling real estate prices.
First to close was the Metro Twin
Chullora in 1979. It became a Big W
shopping centre and carpark. Likewise,
the other independent at Campbelltown
closed in 1982, and the land was
subdivided for housing.
It was inevitable that the Skylines
would follow. Frenchs Forest was the first
to close in 1984, followed by Fairfield,
Liverpool, Matraville, Parklea and
Warriewood in 1985. North Ryde and
Penrith closed in 1986. Caringbah and There is one other survivor in NSW, but there are none in the ACT, Northern
Dundas hung on until 1988, after which the Heddon Greta Skyline on Avery Territory or Tasmania.
only Bass Hill and Blacktown were left. Road between Kurri Kurri and In the USA, where once there were
Greater Union dropped the Skyline Maitland. It ran from 1966 to 1984, 3,000, the number is down to a couple
name and upgraded the two survivors. then lay rotting and untouched until of hundred. Some old ones are
Blacktown was converted to a twin bought, restored and reopened in 1996! reopening, so there’s been a bit of a
screen in 1984, and Bass Hill in 1988 - It is a similar story in Melbourne, revival. The world’s largest is the Ford
more choice for the public, on a which in its heyday had no less than 20 Wyoming in Dearborn, Michigan,
smaller, closer field and only a small Drive-ins. Only two exist today; the which has nine screens and holds 3,000
reduction in capacity. Coburg Triple, and the Dandenong cars over two adjoining blocks of land.
Most of the in-car speaker boxes Lunar. Coburg ran from 1965-84 as a The Thunderbird in Fort
were replaced, firstly by the AM Cine- single screen, lay vacant for three years Lauderdale, Florida, is smaller in area
Fi system that wire-clipped onto the car then re-opened in 1987 as a twin. A but has 14 screens - 13 of which work.
aerial, then by the low-power FM radio third screen was added in 1995. The 14th was damaged by Hurricane
broadcast system that provided quality Dandenong opened as the Wilma in 2005.
sound through the car FM stereo when Panoramic in May 1956, and closed in We’d love to hear your Drive-in
tuned to the correct frequency. The only 1984. It reopened as the Dandenong stories when you took your VW. We
downer of these upgrades was that the Lunar Triple in 2002. Today it is the love the Drive-in! ★
children’s playground equipment was largest in Australia, with a capacity of
removed. 900 cars. This compares with 710 at
Blacktown and Bass Hill survived Blacktown. This story first appeared in
the 80s and 90s, until real estate Victoria has a third working Drive- Zeitschrift, the magazine of the VW
development pressures closed Bass in at Dromana (twin screen) on the club of NSW. David Kilderry arranged
Hill. This leaves Blacktown Twin as Mornington Peninsula. permission for this edited reprint.
Sydney’s sole survivor. Make sure you For more on Drive-ins see
Drive-ins still exist in Queensland,
pay it a visit and keep it alive! CinemaRecord No 54.
South Australia and Western Australia,

30 2008 CINEMARECORD