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Photo Derek Burritt
Head projectionist David Mead loads the carbon rod used to create the arc of electricity that generates the light for the 1957 RCA Dyn-Arc projector. |
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Silver screen turns golden as Drive-In turns 50
By Derek Burritt
Banner Staff
WELLFLEET — Roughly 50 years ago, two high school friends from Newark, N.J. became “the laugh of the town” when they bought 25 acres of old asparagus farm land on Route 6 for $1,000 an acre.
At the time, the owners’ vision was to develop the land for residential housing, but until that phase of their plan came to fruition, the two twenty-something entrepreneurs decided to run a drive-in theater on the property. And so, on July 3, 1957, Charles Zehnder and John “Don” Jentz opened the Wellfleet Drive-In with a showing of “Desk Set,” starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. Admission for adults cost 85 cents and children 11 and under got in for free. The afternoon of the opening, the all-dirt parking area was oil paved and not enough time passed before moviegoers arrived. As a result, about a hundred cars got stuck during the show and local towing companies had a busy night.
That opening night seemingly set the precedent for the stories that would unfold during the half-century history of the drive-in, which are as rich with joy and tragedy as the films that have appeared on its 100-by-44 ft. screen.
For more on the history of the drive-in and how it got from then to now, see the June 28 Provincetown Banner. Also, in this week’s Banner, read the stories below:
In Provincetown: town hires a new building inspector; fire house renovations stall at second floor plans; selectmen send strong letter protesting Seashore dune shack decision; changes set for harbor regs; waterfront park plans scaled back; water quality report due out next week; Coastal Studies opens new marine lab; new recycling regs begin Sunday, more items accepted; interviews with three retiring teachers; consideration underway for creating free wireless hot spots in town; rate protest filed against insurance companies; Campus Provincetown to rent space on wharf to tout cultural offerings; local boy’s artwork to be included in duck stamp traveling show;
In Truro: Truro and Provincetown take a step back from standoff over water issues and agree to meet and clear the air; town administrator finds no merit in harassment charge filed against fire dept.; hit and run driver caught and arrested;
In Wellfleet: In addition to the gala opening weekend of WHAT and the drive-in’s 50th birthday, the Audubon issued a turtle alert as nesting season arrives;
In Eastham: ad hoc committee moves forward with new bylaws for wind turbines; two-car crash sends woman to hospital; two mini vans collide, 11 people evaluated, no serious injury; rail trail officially reopens and shows off new features;
In other news; photo page from Portuguese Festival (See video being posted Thursday and Friday in the Banner Daily Update on this site.); baby turtles released back into the wild with transmitters attached; letters; opinions and more.
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Jun 28th, 2007