(gentle music) - [Announcer] Welcome back to your favorite drive-in theater and a sparkling new season.

Show after show will feature the latest hits, the biggest stars for fun-filled, pleasure packed evenings.

Relax.

Come as you are and spend an enjoyable night out with the entire family.

No parking problems.

No babysitting problems.

- Thanks folks.

And once again, welcome back.

(gentle upbeat music) (gentle upbeat music) (gentle upbeat music) (gentle upbeat music) (gentle upbeat music) - [Woman] Going to the movies?

- [Allen] Going to the movies.

- [Woman] All right.

Don't get in any trouble.

Behave yourself.

- [Allen] I'll try not to.

Maybe I'll see you tonight when I get back.

I love you.

♪ When Liberty Valance rode to town ♪ ♪ the women folk would hide ♪ ♪ they'd hide ♪ ♪ When Liberty Valance walked around ♪ ♪ the men would step aside ♪ ♪ because the point of a gun was the only law ♪ ♪ that Liberty understood ♪ ♪ when it came to shooting and fast ♪ ♪ he was mighty good ♪ - I went to the first Drive-in theater with my father, my mother, and my sister.

We went there to watch "The Man Who shot Liberty Valance".

(man whistling) I seen the whole movie and I was surprised I stood awake that night.

I've probably been going to The Silver Moon Drive-In for about the last 24 years.

And the reason why I do that is 'cause it's simple.

I don't have to, I don't play cards and I don't fish.

(country music) - The Silver Moon Drive-In's been around since 1948 and in that time we've had the pleasure of serving multi-generations.

People will come out and bring their kids.

Those same people came out here as a kid decades ago.

They have the ability to show their kids and grandkids how they experienced movies decades ago.

In the same exact spot in Lakeland.

At one point there were over 5,000 drive-ins in the United States.

Now there's a little less than 300.

You know, a lot of theaters, they saw declining ticket sales.

They saw the rise of multiplexes.

They saw the rise of television in-Home Entertainment and they gave up and they sold out.

We're magical because we didn't do that.

Well, over the years have continued to believe in the film industry and at the end of the day, that's what people are here for.

They want to see those movies.

Then they want to see it on the outdoor screen.

And that's where we come in.

- Drive-In theaters are better than walk-in theaters because if you don't like them movie, you just get in the car and drive away.

But I love the drive-in movie because it's an easy way to bring my stuff.

I can take drinks, whatever I want.

I can't do that in a walk-in.

I can't put my backpack on and go into a walk-in.

I can do it in a drive-in.

(gentle music) - I love that we're only one of four drive-ins left in the state.

I mean that's, it's really cool to say so close to Disney, so close to Tampa.

Kind at the center of everything and away from it all.

That's how that was, Like I was saying, people will travel.

You know, even coming from overseas to go to Disney World and stuff like that.

They will, you know, come over here to check us out 'cause they want to see an authentic American drive-in.

(horn honking) Over the years we've seen all sorts of setups.

You know, people will have couches in the back of their trucks.

They'll back their SUV or their truck up and they'll pop their tailgate and they'll have their pillows, their blankets, and people that have been coming here a long time, they've got it down.

(upbeat music) ♪ Let's all go to the lobby ♪ ♪ Let's all go to the lobby ♪ (video game beeping) ♪ Let's all go be lobby ♪ ♪ To get ourselves ♪ - [Announcer] Remember lots of adults and kids too paid admission to enjoy the show.

We must insist on absolute quiet.

Thank you.

(upbeat music) (country western music) (country western music) - On any given night you can drive through.

So at our entrance we've got our beautiful neon marquees.

You drive up to our box office, you know, you say which movie you want to see.

We have two different screens.

So we have two different offerings of movies each night.

You buy your ticket, you go into your spot.

We still have our concession stand, which is the original building here, built in the early fifties.

And so you can buy your popcorn, your soda, your nachos, your hot dogs.

Movie comes on.

You get that double feature so you can watch two movies for the price of one.

And we have one thing that kind of sets this drive-in apart from many other Drive-ins in the nation.

Not many Drive-ins that all have it yet is we upgraded to laser projector.

That really differentiates us from most of the other theaters.

(phone rings) - That's my sister.

(phone rings) My sister, Judy (phone rings) in Arizona.

Hello sis.

- [Judy] Hello.

(indistinct) - Well, I'm here at the Drive-in.

Do you remember the first movie you went and saw?

That we - [Judy] No, I wish I could.

- [Allen] Well I know the one, - [Judy] Yeah.

- [Allen] we went and saw Liberty Valance that was in California with daddy.

- [Judy] Yeah.

- [Allen] I remember that.

'cause I stayed awake to watch John Wayne.

(Judy laughs) We had fun.

I mean we looked forward to going to the play area and then we look forward to going back watching some more drive-in movies.

- [Judy] Yeah.

(Allen laughs) - We really had a good time.

- [Judy] Yeah.

- I mean, it's something you remember.

Something you, I mean you can't forget that.

- [Judy] Okay, love you.

- Love you too sis.

- [Judy] Bye-Bye - Bye-Bye.

(country western music) I enjoyed going to the Drive-in.

The regular family thing.

I mean, my father, he died of a heart valve when I was six years old.

(country western music) And I know he would love to watch movies with me.

(country western music) Well, if I could be in any kinda movie, I would probably be in a Western movie.

(country western music) (country western music) (country western music) Well, I hope that they keep the drive-in theater alive because it's part of history.

People, they need that.

So many movies today, they don't have anything where people can relate to.

That's a shame.

They come away feeling nothing.

You want to ask me why I like the movies?

Because I love the movies.

♪ Here he comes ♪ ♪ Here he comes ♪ ♪ There's the trumpets, there's the drum ♪ ♪ Here he comes ♪ ♪ Buffalo Cassedy ♪ ♪ Here he comes ♪ ♪ Oh oh oh oh oh oh ♪ ♪ oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh ♪ ♪ Oh oh oh ♪ ♪ There he goes ♪ ♪ On his way ♪ ♪ Down the moonlit trail to where cowboys stray ♪ ♪ Buffalo Cassedy ♪ - [Announcer] Support for greater Lakeland is generously provided by Lakeland Regional Health and Candi Packett.