Long Description:I've been to this drive in a hand full of time for double and
triple features. It was a fun place to see a movie and had very
reasonable prices. I am very sad to see it close down but am happy
that it will be returning in the future although, even further from
me than its current location.
History from their website:
The Diamond State Drive-In Theatre opened for business on August
12, 1949. As developed by Courtney Evans, on land owned by Mildred
and Albert Steele, the drive-in in 1949 was quite different than it
is today. During its first year of operations, two large speakers
mounted on opposite sides of the screen broadcast the sound. When
conditions were right, it was possible to hear the movie three
miles away in the town of Felton. Not surprisingly, when the
Steeles purchased Mr. Evans’ interest in the operation in 1950,
this system was replaced by in-car speakers. The original screen
was also quite different from the one that you are familiar with
today. Transplanted from Camden, New Jersey, it was constructed of
fabric and could be raised or lowered on a supporting framework. A
well-corroborated story has it, that one night some local boys cut
the tethers during a show, sending the screen to the ground just as
a plane in the picture went down in flames. This curiosity was
eventually replaced by a rather small but more conventional movie
screen, which was succeeded, in 1972, by the structure now in
place.
While the amenities of public accommodations have changed along
with popular expectations, those found along rural roadsides in the
40’s and 50’s were often quite rudimentary by contemporary
standards. The facilities featured at the Diamond State Drive-In
Theatre during this period were certainly no exception. Until the
Diamond State Roller Rink opened in 1954, ladies and gentlemen were
offered restroom accommodations in outhouses concealed behind a
rose trellis. When the adjacent roller rink opened in ‘54, ladies
were offered accommodation inside; the gentlemen’s outdoor
facilities prevailed until 1968 when the current restrooms were
constructed.
Although details vary through the decades, with the exception of
it’s nine-year hiatus from 1986 until 1995, the Diamond State
Drive-In Theatre has been a focal point of entertainment in central
Delaware.
During the drive-in’s early years, Delaware’s Blue Laws
prohibited the exhibition of motion pictures on Sundays. To
circumvent these restrictions, the Steeles presented music shows on
a stage in front of the screen. Albert’s band, The Blue Hen
Ramblers, was a familiar attraction, as was Pollie Peach Tree, a
comedy routine between sets, featuring Mildred Steele. Bill Haley
performed at the Drive-In, without his Comets, as did Tex
Ritter.
In 1966, the Drive-In was leased to a Baltimore-based exhibition
circuit for the next 20 years. Disappointed with the results from
their initial engagements, R/C Theatres ventured into the
burgeoning field of adult entertainment. Though tame by the
standards of contemporary features, the adult films of the late
60’s were an instant success at the drive-in. Consequently, the
Diamond State Drive-In’s name was changed, and for nearly 20 years
the Hi-Way 13 Drive-In prospered with this new and controversial
fare. By the mid 80’s, though, even this market had lost its
vitality, and as occurred with so many outdoor theatres at the
time, the Hi-Way 13 closed its doors as audiences migrated to a new
generation of indoor theatres and patrons stayed at home choosing
movies on cable television and video cassette instead.
Looking back across the years, prior to the establishment of the
theatre on this site, the land was once occupied by a neighborhood
ball field. Considering the drive-in’s timeline and what preceded
it, it is evident that this location has been a source of
recreation and amusement for the surrounding community for nearly
three-quarters of a century, perhaps even longer.