The Exhibitor (1956)

An Experienced Theatreman Discusses The Importance Of Planning The Drive-In LOOKING back over our experiences in drive-in theatre constructions, a num¬ ber of major pitfalls come to mind. I be¬ lieve that with a better understanding of the particular problems involved, one can avoid most of the serious errors and build a drive-in at a lesser cost, and one which is better adapted to the particular re¬ quirements of the situation. Grade and Sight Lines First point to consider in construction is the subject of grade. To approach the matter properly, a topographical survey should be made of the land selected to ascertain the existing elevations. With such a survey in his possession a good architect or engineer can lay out the drive-in so as to require a minimum amount of fill, if any at all. Next consideration is the question of sight lines. An exhibitor should determine how much margin he wants to provide for people parked in the back half of the field to see over the car in the next for¬ ward ramp. Naturally, with too little margin a person in a newer low car is not going to be able to see all of the screen if there is a higher car in the next ramp. We find that an allowance of 18 inches between average eye level and car height in the setting of the grades works out to be best. In other words, the grade is designed on the assumption of four and one half feet as eye level, and six feet as the level of the top of the car in the forward ramp. Actual grades can be determined by mathematics or by graphs, using an ex¬ aggerated scale for the horizontal dimen¬ sions. The degree of pitch for drainage is cer¬ tainly important to observe when grades are laid out. Too slight a pitch will result in a lot of rain puddles on the field — especially if there is any settling of the By DOUGLASS N. AMOS General Manager, Lockwood and Gordon Enterprises land. Too much pitch will result in wash¬ outs during heavy rains. Generally speak¬ ing, a pitch of about l/12th of an inch to a foot is recommended. It should be determined at the time of construction what type of surface is to be ultimately applied to the drive-in field. A road oil surface is certain to cost ap¬ proximately $1,000 a year in maintenance on a 700-car drive-in. If an exhibitor doesn’t want to face that type of ex¬ pense, he should settle for a good, clean gravel or fine stone surface and treat it with a dust-settling chemical as neces¬ sary. An armorcoat or hot-top job is the ultimate in surface treatment. The original expense is great, but over a long period of time, it will average out to be not much greater than the cost of con¬ tinual maintenance of an oil surface. Building Locations The location of the buildings within the park should be determined after careful thought. A decision should be made based on the size of the theatre, its gross¬ ing potential, and, of course, the con¬ struction budget. The projection booth should be set in accordance with the size of the screen. We find that the best picture definition and light is achieved when we use lenses of a focal length not in excess of five inches with CinemaScope and not less than two and one half inches focal length with regular ratio projection. The booth DRIVE IN THEATRES should be located a proper distance from the screen to permit use of optics within these limits. With a smaller drive-in (up to about 600 cars) such an arrangement could per¬ mit the concession and projection booth to be part of the same building. In a larger drive-in, however, the concession building would have to be apart from the booth — lest it be too far away from the greatest concentration of patrons. Without going into any detail on the design or layout of the concession build¬ ing; I would like to make one or two observations: a. Build in accordance with the antici¬ pated theatre attendance. It’s as impor¬ tant that the layout not be too large as it is too small. b. Too large a concession means a loss of efficiency and a resultant increase in payroll costs — in addition, of course, to the unnecessary original outlay at the time of construction. c. A drive-in of less than 500 or 600car capacity does not need a concession with more than two lanes — particularly if the theatre will rarely be playing to capacity crowds. Naturally, it is impor¬ tant that the layout provide maximum efficiency or this limitation would not be proper. The type of construction used on the concession will depend on the individual situation. However, it is quite obvious that the building is the part of the drivein noticed and appreciated by the great¬ est number of patrons. The customers may comment often on a beautiful snack bar and spacious tiled rest facilities, yet never notice an expensive black top sur¬ facing on the field. The entrance way from the street to the box office is the other part of the ( Continued on next page ) PT-10 PHYSICAL THEATRE DEPARTMENT of MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR December 5, 1956