During the twentieth century, America increasingly became a car culture as well as a movie culture. Particularly before the 1950s, and the mass marketing of television (see entry under 1940s—TV and Radio in volume 3) sets, moviegoing was the primary source of out-of-home entertainment. Meanwhile, the accessibility and affordability of automobiles allowed millions a previously unheard-of freedom of movement. These two cultural phenomena became linked with the advent of the drive-in movie theater—a parking lot containing a large, outdoor movie screen. Moviegoers would drive to a gate, pay an admission fee, park on the lot facing the screen, and view the film directly from the car. Large, centrally located speakers initially projected the soundtrack over the entire theater; eventually, cars were equipped with individual speakers.

The 1930s through 1950s were the heyday of the drive-in theater. The first drive-in theater, located in New Jersey on...