CAR CULTURE ICON: FIRST DRIVE-IN COMES TO ARMENIA
- When twilight covers the city the unattractive and solitary area adjacent to the huge bulbs production plant in the outskirt of Yerevan has been transforming into one of the romantic spots in the capital. Young couples arriving by cars hurry to park, take tickets, order beer or cola, tune the radio and make themselves comfortable anticipating the unusual pastime.
Welcome to the first drive-in theatre in Yerevan.
While many Americans would feel nostalgia seeing the huge screen and parked cars, the Yerevan youth fully satiated with the leisure in cafes and bars feel excitement and enthusiasm for the innovation in their city.
17 year old Naira and her boyfriend were among the first visitors of the drive-in theater in Yerevan, which was opened early this month in the Kanaker- Zeitun district, in the parking area of the “Grand Sun” plant.
“I saw the drive-in theatre only in American movies and I liked them a lot, I could feel the romantic atmosphere around. And the romantics was coming not from the monitor (of the drive-in theater) but from the cars, where young people were kissing and hugging. I could never think I would ever watch a (drive-in) movie in Yerevan,” says Naira.
Seventy five years ago the first drive-in movie was shown in Camden, New Jersey, making an entertainment revolution for the unsophisticated residents. The idea belonged to chemical magnate Richard M. Hollingshead who conducted the first outdoor movie in the backyard of his home in 212 Thomas Avenue. The drive-in’s peak of popularity came in 1950 with some 4,000 spreading across the United States. The peculiar entertainment has now become part of “Americana” lore, as nearly all drive-ins have closed – many turning into shopping malls or “swap meets” as the real estate became more valuable than the entertainment venue.
Just like many American girls Naira did not tell her parents that she went to the drive-in.
“If I tell my parents that I go out with my boyfriend to watch a movie under the stars in the car they would obviously not allow me. It is ok for them when I go to a cafe or disco clubs. It is kind of entertainment they are familiar with. But the idea that their daughter spends two hours in the deserted dark place in the outskirt of city will frighten them.”
Though initially the drive-in theaters was created in America as family spot, where parents could come and watch movie while their children were playing around, some time later the drive-in theaters acquired the reputation of dating spots. The drive-ins were labeled in the United States mass media in 1960 as “passion pits,” especially that some drive-in’s started to show erotic films to attract more audience and take an extra profit.
However David Galachyan, the founder of the drive-in theater in Yerevan assures that his drive-in’s movies collection would never arouse suspicion of parents. He says the good comedies and popular actions films are much enough to attract Yerevan’s youth.
“There are enough good movie theaters in the city, still I am sure the drive-in movies will be loved by citizens and not only by young but by the adults as well. This place will be popular, because the idea itself- watching a movie in the privacy and comfort of your car, where no one from audience can disturb with loud laugh or ring of mobile phones is very attractive.”
Galachyan says the idea of founding drive-ins in Yerevan attracted him also because it did not require large investment. The larger part of investment, some $10,000 went for acquiring the projector and screen. One ticket costs 2,000 dram ($6), an affordable price, taking into account that the ticket is for a “car load”. (In Yerevan’s indoor movie theaters tickets costs $4-5).
The parking area of Armenia’s first drive-in theater can accommodate 33 cars. Galachyan says that he lined up the cars in a certain angle, to make the screen visible from each car. And as the drive-in theater is a typical American kind of pastime, in Galachyan’s theater American hot-dogs are offered.
Galachyan lived in Los-Angeles for ten years, and then decided to come back to Yerevan to start a business in his home country. He hopes next to organize car racing and is planning to use his drive-in for broadcasting the UEFA Cup football.
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- 1870 Birth of Atabek Khnkoyan (children's writer). He died in 1935.
- 1960 Death of writer Teegran Dzeetoonee.
- 1974 Creation of the Union Institute of Clinical and Experimental Surgery (USSR Ministry of Public Health) in Yerevan.
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