A Director Big As All Outdoors

Funny How Old Drive-In Lots From Above Look Like Remains Of An Ancient City, or Staging Area For Alien Aircraft

Charlotte Drives In For An All-Hitchcock Night

Was there ever in the history of movies a director who merited an all-night show at US drive-ins? Only one I've seen do it is Alfred Hitchcock, whose unique kind of thrillers could reliably fill a lot in small towns or large. That's because everyone knew him, certainly so after television made Hitchcock a household name and face. He was everywhere in the 50's and 60's. Folks equated him with shock, especially after sensation of Psycho. That was the one to buy Hitchcock permanent space at drive-ins. If his that came after, or older stuff, was half so scary as Psycho, then Hitchcock was good for dusk-dawn marathon with relays back-forth to canteen and playground. Drive-ins thrived on thematic programming. All-night hot car movies, monsters, rock and roll --- anything so folks would know exactly what they'd get for showing up. Specific titles mattered less ... yes, Marnie was a stiff, but it had James Bond, then there was The Birds, which everyone had heard about, even if they missed it at hardtops. Midnight capping Psycho would blow a kiss to drivers leaving the lot, Hitchcock appetite sated until a next round, which wouldn't be long coming, as shows like this were common, at least in 1965 when I clipped this ad from The Charlotte Observer.