Boxoffice-December.02.1950

Many regular patrons of drlve-ln theatres
are women who are hesitant about driving
over grade crossings with their children
unless the crossing is properly guarded.
The watchmen, when they are provided
for crossing duty, are usually off duty
after 6 p. m. and the crossings are left
unguarded throughout the night hours.
There can be no argument with the
statement that persons who are out for a
pleasure ride desire to avoid as many traffic
lights as is possible. For this reason
the exhibitor should pay close attention to
the subject of traffic lights and select a
site that can be reached by the greatest
number of patrons having to drive through
the least number of traffic lights.
PROXIMITY TO CENTER OF PATRON AREA
It is advisable to select a site as close as
possible to the center of the area in which
the potential patrons live. This statement
does not mean to convey the idea that the
site should be close to the community, but
refers to it being close to the center of a
group of several small towns.
There are several legitimate differences
of opinion on the subject of whether the
drive-in theatre should be located as near
as possible to the largest community which
it is to serve, or whether it should be located
several miles out in the country. It is my
opinion, again based upon study of many
successful operating drive-ins, that the
most desirable site is near the larger centers
of population in which the majority
of patrons work in factories or offices and
a few miles from town as mentioned previously.
When the drive-in is to be erected
in the center of several rural communities,
however, this item is not so important so
long as the site is on a good highway and
is readily accessible from all of the communities
that it will serve.
NEXT MONTH . . .