'Elkridge Drive-In Movie Theatre - 1984" digitally altered photograph
©CharleneClarkStudio
A serious “passion pit” is how this drive-in movie theatre on Route 1 in Elkridge, MD is remembered. A group of high-school girls from a neighboring Catholic prep school patronized the theatre on a semi-regular basis. The young women made a pact that if any of them happened to be there with their date on a Saturday night they should always make an appearance at 9 p.m. in the ladies’ room. Once assembled they would catch up on the latest gossip about each other's boyfriends and take inventory of their outfits for the night. Being out of their dreadful gray uniforms for the weekend was such a thrill that their social outing clothing included plenty of colorful Lady Bug mini-skirts, Villager sweaters, Bandolino flats, beehive handbags and whatever the Casual Corner and Hutzler Brothers stores were promoting that season. They really dressed more for each other than their dates, I think.
The men have different memories of the old Elkridge. I will ask now. How many boys did you pack inside the trunk of your father’s car while passing through the admission booth of a drive-in movie? I know the theatre received its share of these non-paying customers until it closed for good in the early 1980s. I have received numerous confessions from grown men who relish in the recounting of how they “got in for free” while sharing a dark, cramped space with other dare-devil boys from surrounding public schools such as Catonsville, Woodlawn and Glen Burnie. The Catholic school boys from schools such as Mount St. Joe, Cardinal Gibbons, Loyola, Calvert Hall and Archbishop Curley participated in this unlawful past time as well. I have never heard from any women who as girls, were asked to behave in such an unladylike manner.
My last check on the visual status of the theatre occurred in 1999. A sorry looking hole on the side of the road was all that remained of the behemoth drive-in. Conflicting stories of the Elkridge’s demise still survive. Some have said it was a bankrupt contractor’s deed while others blame nature’s fury. I tend to believe the couple who told me that a tornado ripped through in the late 1980s and tore a down the giant screen. Presently I have heard it is being developed but have not seen it myself.
The men have different memories of the old Elkridge. I will ask now. How many boys did you pack inside the trunk of your father’s car while passing through the admission booth of a drive-in movie? I know the theatre received its share of these non-paying customers until it closed for good in the early 1980s. I have received numerous confessions from grown men who relish in the recounting of how they “got in for free” while sharing a dark, cramped space with other dare-devil boys from surrounding public schools such as Catonsville, Woodlawn and Glen Burnie. The Catholic school boys from schools such as Mount St. Joe, Cardinal Gibbons, Loyola, Calvert Hall and Archbishop Curley participated in this unlawful past time as well. I have never heard from any women who as girls, were asked to behave in such an unladylike manner.
My last check on the visual status of the theatre occurred in 1999. A sorry looking hole on the side of the road was all that remained of the behemoth drive-in. Conflicting stories of the Elkridge’s demise still survive. Some have said it was a bankrupt contractor’s deed while others blame nature’s fury. I tend to believe the couple who told me that a tornado ripped through in the late 1980s and tore a down the giant screen. Presently I have heard it is being developed but have not seen it myself.
"Elkridge Drive-In Admission Booth-1984"digitally altered photo
©CharleneClarkStudio
"Elkridge Drive-In Concession Stand-1984"digitally altered photo
©CharleneClarkStudio
It was well known 'back in the day', that only those of lesser birth right and breeding went to the Elkridge Drive-In. The Catonsville 'creme de la creme' always went to the Edmondson Drive-In in Catonsville. Not Woodlawn, not Arbutus, not Elkridge or even Ellicott City. We stayed in Catonsville. We told YOU people we were going to Elkridge, but this way, you were there and we were where it was happening. Also, with you guys THERE, we always got to use two speakers per car. You were MONO, we be STEREO...
ReplyDeleteAnd, oh yeah, the popcorn was much better and nobody spit in it like they did at Elkridge.
And, St. Joe guys would not go anywhere Curley, Gibbons, Loyola or Penn Fruit guys went.
ReplyDeleteAlso, we had heard rumors about the morals of the Trinity Prep girls in those days and eventually we were able to convince the easy ones to come to Catonsville.
Hmmm I can think of several good reasons to go to the Elkridge...
ReplyDeleteI guess when you are going to misbehave it is a good idea to do it where no one knows you.
Some of us might have already seen the movies playing at the Edmondson, the Valley, the Timonium, the Governor Ritche....
The Elkridge had a cozier setting with the surrounding trees as a backdrop.
Not sure about the concession stand popcorn...I never felt that culinary curiosity.
And on another subject...I thought Penn Fruit was a grocery store in Irvington. You continue to enlighten me here.
When Calvert Hall moved from downtown to it's current location, it's new gym looked exactly like an old Penn Fruit building. When we played there, they would yell, "Go home!" and we would yell "Penn Fruit!"
ReplyDeleteAnd, on the corner of Yale Heights Avenue and Beechfield Avenue, there was a drop dead gorgeous Penn Fruit store.
Thanks for furnishing the address of the Irvington Penn Fruit. I could not remember its exact location. Nothing like that 1950's barrel roof architecture! I will ask one or two of my Calvert Hall boys if they remember being referred to as a grocery store.
ReplyDeleteThese are great images. My family and I moved to Elkridge in 1993, and the drive-in structures were all gone - so these images really give great context. My kids go to school right behind the drive-in area, and those trees that lined the back of the drive-in are razor thin now, with development and the school property. If you have any more images from "old" Elkridge, we would love to see them.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone has any info on when the closed down "Buttermilk Tavern" was built - what it was called, and any stories relating to that establishment, that would be great.
Never heard of the Buttermilk Tavern but I sure like the name. Exactly where was it located? Now you have piqued my interest....was it a bar or a lunch counter? Perhaps something else. Thanks for posting....
ReplyDeleteIt was called "Nolan's" before it was renamed "Buttermilk" - a pure bar, with darts, good karoake and a decent juke box. Now that it is closed, Daniels is the only watering hole in Elkridge - a good one too.
ReplyDeleteDaniels needs to be protected by the National Historic Registry...
ReplyDeleteAhhh Cool, my grandfather owned this Drive In. He also owned Edmondson Drive in and NO ONE spit in the popcorn!
ReplyDelete