Route 35 Drive-In

Route 35 Drive-In was a large outdoor cinema located on Route 35 in Hazlet, New Jersey. Operated under the Loew's Theatres name, it opened on June 30, 1956, as Loew's first open-air theater in New Jersey. The venue was developed on land that had previously been a watermelon farm and was originally considered for a shopping-center project. Instead, the site was adapted into a family-oriented drive-in intended to provide an evening destination for both adults and children. The theater's design reflected the family-entertainment model used by many postwar drive-ins. Landscaping and rows of trees helped screen the projection area from traffic on Route 35. Children were admitted free and could use a circus-themed playground equipped with electric rides and a miniature ride-on train. A clown was available to supervise the play area. The concession stand sold conventional movie snacks as well as boardwalk-style food, including hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, popcorn, and candy. Restrooms and in-car audio equipment completed the standard drive-in experience. The main screen measured approximately 120 by 52 feet. Projection was originally handled by two Motiongraph projectors fitted with Ashcraft Cinex arc lamps, with a stated projection throw of about 420 feet. Vehicle sound was initially supplied through Motiongraph speaker and intercom boxes equipped with heaters; these were later replaced by an AM transmission system that allowed customers to hear the soundtrack through their car radios. Beyond ordinary film screenings, the venue occasionally served as a broader entertainment site. On July 29, 1966, it hosted Bruce Springsteen and his band, The Castiles, for a tenth-anniversary event. The group performed before the evening film, The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming. The property also appeared on screen in the 1987 slasher film Blood Rage, whose production used the theater's concession stand and screen during a day of filming. Route 35 Drive-In ultimately closed in September 1991 after approximately 35 years of operation. Its decline reflected wider pressures on northeastern drive-ins: rising real-estate values, suburban development, the growth of compact indoor multiplexes, and the increasing availability of home video through VCRs. The same road access and large amount of land that had made the site suitable for a drive-in later made it attractive for retail and enclosed cinema development. National Amusements petitioned Hazlet in 1988 to rezone the approximately 60-acre property for a shopping center. After the rezoning was approved despite objections, the drive-in site was redeveloped. It later became associated with a Costco warehouse and an enclosed Cinemark cinema complex. The Route 35 Drive-In is therefore a defunct local entertainment brand and a representative example of the postwar American drive-in theater format.

Route 35 Drive-In was established by Loew's Theatres on a former watermelon farm in Hazlet, New Jersey. The site had initially been considered for a shopping center, but the postwar popularity of automobile-oriented leisure led to its development as an outdoor cinema instead. It opened on June 30, 1956, and was described as Loew's first open-air theater in New Jersey. The theater was designed as an all-inclusive family destination rather than simply a place to watch a film from a parked car. Tree lines and landscaping separated the viewing area from Route 35 traffic. Children could enter without charge and use a circus-themed play area containing electric rides and a miniature train. A clown helped supervise the children while parents attended the film. The concession operation served standard cinema products such as popcorn and candy alongside hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, and other boardwalk-style foods. Its technical installation included two Motiongraph film projectors with Ashcraft Cinex arc lamps and a large Shelby screen measuring approximately 120 by 52 feet. The original in-car audio system used speaker and intercom boxes with built-in heaters. These were subsequently replaced by an AM transmitter, allowing customers to receive the film soundtrack through their car radios. During its operation, Route 35 Drive-In also hosted events beyond routine film programming. For its tenth anniversary in 1966, it presented Bruce Springsteen and The Castiles before an evening screening of The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming. In 1987, the venue became a filming location for Blood Rage, with the production using the concession stand and screen. The theater's eventual closure reflected the structural problems facing drive-ins in densely developed parts of the northeastern United States. Land near major roads became increasingly valuable, while indoor multiplexes offered compact multi-screen facilities and home video gave households another way to watch films. National Amusements, which owned the theater and property, sought rezoning in 1988 so that the roughly 60-acre site could be converted to a shopping-center use. Hazlet approved the proposal despite objections. Route 35 Drive-In ceased operations in September 1991, after about 35 years. The property was later redeveloped with a Costco warehouse and an enclosed movie theater, identified in reference material as Cinemark Hazlet 12. Its history illustrates the rise of the American drive-in as a family leisure format, its adaptation into a mixed entertainment venue, and its displacement by higher-value suburban commercial development and indoor cinema.

• 1991

  Closure

  [1]Route 35 Drive-Inen.wikipedia.org

  The theater closed in September after approximately three and a half decades of operation.

• 1988

  Rezoning petition

  [1]Route 35 Drive-Inen.wikipedia.org

  National Amusements sought municipal approval to rezone the 60-acre theater property for shopping-center development.

• 1987

  Blood Rage filming

  [1]Route 35 Drive-Inen.wikipedia.org

  The drive-in served as a filming location for the slasher movie Blood Rage.

• 1966

  Tenth-anniversary concert

  [1]Route 35 Drive-Inen.wikipedia.org

  Bruce Springsteen and The Castiles performed at the theater before the anniversary evening film.

• 1956

  Opening of Route 35 Drive-In

  [1]Route 35 Drive-Inen.wikipedia.org

  Loew's opened the Route 35 Drive-In in Hazlet on June 30. Its opening program included The Searchers, starring John Wayne, and Magnificent Roughnecks, starring Jack Carson.

A family-oriented postwar drive-in theater combining outdoor movie screenings, in-car viewing, concessions, and children's amusement facilities.

• Cinema exhibition · 1956

  Outdoor feature-film screenings

  The core offering was nighttime film exhibition on a large outdoor screen, with customers watching from their vehicles. The opening program included The Searchers and Magnificent Roughnecks, and the venue later showed mainstream films such as The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming.

• Food and beverage · 1956

  Concessions

  The drive-in operated a fully equipped concession stand offering conventional movie fare, including popcorn and candy, as well as hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, and other boardwalk-inspired foods.

• Family entertainment · 1956

  Children's amusement area

  A circus-themed playground supported the theater's family positioning. It included electric rides and a miniature ride-on train with a diesel engine, while a clown helped supervise children. Admission for children was free.

• Cinema technology · 1956

  In-car audio system

  The original sound system used heated speaker and intercom boxes mounted for vehicles. These were later replaced by an AM transmitter, enabling customers to listen through their car radios.

• 1988

  Petition to rezone the theater propertyStrategy

  Background

  Rising real-estate values and the increasing attractiveness of large roadside parcels for retail development put pressure on the drive-in's continued use.

  Action taken

  National Amusements petitioned Hazlet to rezone the approximately 60-acre outdoor theater site for a shopping-center project.

  Aftermath

  The rezoning was approved despite objections, and the property was eventually redeveloped with a Costco warehouse and an enclosed movie theater. The drive-in closed in September 1991.

  Source

1. 1Route 35 Drive-Inen.wikipedia.org