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A part of a unbroken weekly series on native historical past by native historian David Reamer. Have a query about Anchorage historical past or an concept for a future article? Go to the shape on the backside of this story.
As theater chains throughout the nation again shut their doors, it’s value remembering that there was as soon as a socially distant different. Drive-in theaters allowed people, teams of mates, and households to observe motion pictures outdoors however inside the relative consolation of their automotive. The screens have been typically small, and the person audio system often provided horrible sound high quality. Nonetheless, for generations of Individuals, drive-in theaters offered treasured recollections.
The catch with a dream situation like this for Anchorage is that the drive-ins should exist in Anchorage. Quick summers with lengthy days and lengthy winters with brief days make this metropolis an unlikely place to spend money on an trade finest suited to darkness and cozy climate. But, throughout a slender, 15-year window, three drive-in theaters opened and closed on the town.
The primary drive-in theater in Anchorage was the Billiken, opened by Ed and Marie Hanby in September 1963 on the southern finish of Muldoon Street, the place the Regal Totem is at this time. The Hanbys named the Billiken after the favored good luck attraction, a fat-bellied, smiling determine that was then an Alaska reward store staple.
The primary movies proven have been the 1957 “Jet Pilot,” starring John Wayne because the titular hero, and the 1961 “Blue Hawaii,” an Elvis Presley car. These motion pictures have been the everyday drive-in fare: broad, simply understood or laughed-at ideas. Wayne himself described “Jet Pilot” as “too silly for phrases.” Unique Billiken projectionist Ed Sharp remembers, “You’d have referred to as us a B-movie home if we had a roof.”
Skilled projectionists have been key movie show staff within the days earlier than automation and digital projectors. The common film broke down into six movie reels. The Billiken had two projectors, and the projectionist needed to seamlessly swap between reels through a foot pedal. A brief pause between reels precipitated boos. Longer breaks made folks indignant. Sharp notes, “you needed to have a human being in that room.”
The Billiken staff have been younger, principally Air Drive and Military males working second jobs; Sharp was an Air Drive pharmacy technician. With these a number of bonds, there was a way of household. When the Good Friday earthquake of 1964 struck, the crew made their method to the drive-in. Each projectors had fallen over, and wires have been down, however the place was intact and safe. The complete workers bedded down that evening contained in the concession stand. “That’s the evening the drive-in was darkish,” says Sharp.
At first, a lot of the materials proven on the Billiken was household fare. Cartoons have been crowd favorites, typically from reels lower collectively by Sharp. Nevertheless, the theater started trending in direction of extra risqué materials. For his or her first Christmas Day matinee, the theater confirmed the 1959 movie “A Summer season Place,” described by the New York Occasions as “garishly intercourse scented,” and the 1963′s “Operation Bikini,” which blended conflict scenes with pictures of younger women frolicking on the seaside in bikinis. Whereas these two movies are laughably tame by fashionable requirements, the theater started to run outright grownup movies as the last decade progressed.
Because the 1960s progressed, Ed Hanby was more and more unable to acquire copies of high quality motion pictures for the Billiken. He believed the Lathrop Firm, which then managed all the opposite first-run film theaters in Anchorage, conspired with movie distributors to dam the Billiken’s entry to higher motion pictures. The Billiken was left with the “awful, outdated photos that no person else needs,” per Hanby.
In 1966, the Lathrop Firm opened a direct competitor with the Sundowner Drive-In Theatre, off Seward Freeway at Fireweed Lane. Along with its extra central location, the Sundowner provided free automotive heaters and windshield washing. The Billiken charged 50 cents to lease a heater. Nevertheless, mosquitoes have been a major downside on the Sundowner given the close by Chester Creek.
The Sundowner opened on March 24, 1966, subsequent to the indoor Fireweed Cinema 7. The primary double-bill started with the 1965 “Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine,” a comedy starring Frankie Avalon and Vincent Worth. The second movie was the 1966 “Large T.N.T. Machine,” a live performance movie that includes Ray Charles, Petula Clark, The Byrds, Ike and Tina Turner, Joan Baez, and others.
In 1967, Ed Hanby filed an anti-trust lawsuit in opposition to the Lathrop Firm and eight movie distributors. Whereas that swimsuit slowly made its approach by way of the courtroom system, Hanby himself turned a authorized goal. On Oct. 10, 1969, Alaska State Troopers confiscated two grownup motion pictures from the Billiken, “The Pleasure Machines” and “Love Camp 7.” The troopers claimed the movies contained “scenes which glorify lustful conduct and human brutality.” Hanby was convicted on 5 counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
The case in opposition to Hanby was problematic. The warrant that result in the seizure famous no proof for the Troopers’ claims. Neither is there a authorized customary for “lust” and “brutality.” And the Alaska Supreme Court docket didn’t react kindly to the state’s different argument {that a} warrant was pointless for personal property seizure. In December 1970, the Alaska Supreme Court docket dismissed Hanby’s conviction and ordered the flicks’ return.
The anti-trust lawsuit in opposition to the Lathrop Firm was dismissed in 1971 for need of prosecution. By then, the Hanbys had grown much less enamored with Alaska. Wometco, a holding firm out of Florida, purchased Lathrop in 1969. In January 1973, the Hanbys offered the Billiken to Wometco Lathrop and left the state.
Shortly earlier than the Hanbys left Alaska, a brand new variation of the drive-in theater arrived in Anchorage. Cinema 360 opened on Aug. 23, 1972, situated at Seward Freeway and Huffman Street. Their first movie was the 1970 romantic tragedy “Love Story,” starring Ryan O’Neal and Ali MacGraw.
Quite than the normal parking zone structure of different drive-in theaters, Cinema 360 organized vehicles in a circle going through outwards. Every car parked in entrance of particular person back-projected screens with the sound performed over an AM radio station. Restrooms and concessions have been in the course of the circle. If you happen to parked barely off-center from the display, the picture would blur. The experiment was a dismal failure. Cinema 360 closed in late 1973, simply over a 12 months after opening. The location is now a Carrs grocery retailer.
Each the Billiken and Sundowner theaters opened with the acknowledged intention of year-round showings with cancellations for less than probably the most inclement winter climate. Nevertheless, they quickly tailored to the fact of Anchorage winters. The small heaters offered by the theaters have been usually inadequate to the duty. And if a patron began their automotive to heat the inside, the exhaust clouds impaired the view of these parked farther again. By the 1970s, each theaters closed in January and reopened in March or April.
All of the Anchorage drive-in theaters struggled financially. By the summer season of 1964, the Billiken was providing warmup acts, teen dances, and live shows to fill the time earlier than motion pictures. Often, there have been fireworks. The Sundowner continuously staged live shows, together with a memorable June 2, 1974, Kiss present.
Kiss was nonetheless a comparatively unknown band presently, with their first gig solely a 12 months prior. By the summer season of 1974, their debut album was promoting poorly, although they have been garnering some buzz for his or her distinctive stage present. Additionally they weren’t the headliner in Anchorage, as a substitute opening for Savoy Brown, a blues impressed rock band from England. In his Anchorage Each day Information column, Spenard fixture Mr. Whitekeys described Kiss as “deafening with none redeeming musical worth” and yearned for extra proficient musicians. He additionally criticized their selection of leotards.
The Billiken limped alongside its new administration by way of 1976, when it was closed in favor of constructing the brand new Totem theater. The Sundowner closed for good in January 1979. The final characteristic movie proven was the musical “Grease.”
From John Wayne to John Travolta, the Anchorage period of the drive-movie was temporary however memorable. These locals that grew up throughout this time will always remember the expertise. People who grew up or arrived later may have a tough time imagining this period ever occurred.
The writer provides particular due to Air Drive and Billiken Drive-in veteran Ed Sharp for his participation.
Campbell, Larry. “Drive-In Days.” Anchorage Each day Information, February 6, 1994, J-1, J-2, J-3.
“Chief Opinions New Theater.” Anchorage Each day Occasions, September 4, 1976, 8.
Donohue, Brian. “Stranded With out a Drive-In.” Anchorage Occasions, June 24, 1988, D1.
“Drive-in Has Private Screens.” Anchorage Each day Information, August 7, 1972, 2A.
“Drive-ins Pose Issues in Each Summer season and Winter.” Anchorage Each day Information, August 20, 1979, D-4.
Edward Hanby v. State of Alaska. 479 P.2nd 486, Supreme Court docket of Alaska, 1970.
“Movie Dispute Boiling Right here; Go well with Pending.” Anchorage Each day Occasions, August 4, 1967, 1.
“Lathrop Firm Opens New Drive-In.” Anchorage Each day Occasions, March 23, 1966, 13.
Mr. Whitekeys. “Mr. Whitekey’s Column.” Anchorage Each day Information, June 9, 1974, B-7.
Munn, Michael. John Wayne: The Man Behind the Delusion. London: Robson, 2004.
“Now Open Billiken Drive-In Theatre.” Anchorage Each day Occasions, September 7, 1963, 8.
Sharp, Ed. Telephone dialog with writer, October 2, 2020.
Thompson, Howard. “Summer season Place Opens.” New York Occasions, October 23, 1959, 24.
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