Double Feature Fun

It's that time of year again

See Ya at the Pink Cadillac

By Bryce Martin

NOTE: I grew up in Kansas and in California when drive-in movie locations were fairly common. Some things you remember.

--A drive-in movie complex was referred to as a "passion pit" because it was mostly teenage couples who attended.

--Sometimes you double dated and other times it was just you and your girl. A carload of guys you might try once but never again because it was too much horseplay and distractions if you really wanted to watch the movies. It was always a double feature with previews and a cartoon in the middle. It was 75 cents a person, but a dollar for a carload.

--The "concession stand" was in a short, flat building, as were the restrooms. If one girl went to the restroom the other girl always went with her. Over to the side of the concession building was a small cluster of swings and other playthings for kids to occupy prior to the movie starting.

--Sometimes a singer, with or without a band, or a comedian who performed antics, would be up front of the first row on a makeshift stage or flatbed performing their specialty hooked up to the main PA speaker. It was an added feature and did not change the regular movie prices. Once it starting getting close to the start of showtime (read dark), the performer would bid adieu.

--At the drive-in you could talk and joke at your heart's content and not be concerned about your behavior the way you would in a walk-in theater, or "hardtop," as they called walk-ins in California. It was obviously more intimate.

--I remember when Jerry Keller had his only hit song "Here Comes Summer," and he sang:

Here comes summer, drive-in movies every night,

Double features, much more time to hold her tight

--Some got out of their cars and sat on front fenders, or stretched out on the hood with their head propped up on the windshield.

--You could smell the aroma of hot dogs warming. Before the movie kicked off, a short skit would show a couple and their kids enjoying some delicious food from the snack bar and then cartoon clock was on the screen acting as a 15-minute timer countdown to load up with your food before the first feature began. At intermission, the food angle repeated in a shorter form.

--I would imagine it is all still the same at the few locations where there are drive-in movie locations.

The Pink Cadillac Drive-In

By Bryce Martin 

 

C                                                          F

I’m live and in person on Saturday nights

C                                                         G7

My name up there in the marquee lights

C                                                    F

I’ll be on stage until it gets real dark

G7                                                             C

Come early for your favorite place to park

 

G7                                        C

It’s the drive-in movie place to be

G7                                         C

It’s not that tired old teevee

G7                                          C

It’ll be a great double feature,

D7                                        G7

A western and a swamp creature

 

The Pink Cadillac is the place to go

Be sure and catch my sunset show

I’ll be there to sing 'n' play a little bit

Then it’s the teenagers’ passion pit

 

It’s the drive-in movie place to be

It’s not that tired old teevee

It’ll be a great double feature,

A western and a swamp creature

 

It’s the Saturday night thing to do

Songs and movies and some coochy-coo

I'm tuning up for when it next begins

Pink Cadiillac, Pink Cadillac… Drive-in

© Godot Boys Music (BMI) 2017

Words and music by Bryce Martin