<P> During the 1950s, the greater privacy afforded to patrons gave drive - ins a reputation as immoral, and they were labeled "passion pits" in the media . Beginning in the 1970s, many drive - ins changed from family fare to exploitation films, as a way to offset declining patronage and revenue . Also, during the 1970s, some drive - ins began to show pornographic movies in less family - centered time slots to bring in extra income . This allowed censored materials to be viewed by a wide audience, some for whom viewing was still illegal in many states, and it was reliant upon the whims of local ordinances controlling such material . It also required a relatively remote location distant from populated areas such as towns and cities . </P> <P> During their height, some drive - ins used attention - grabbing gimmicks to boost attendance . They ranged from drawings for prizes and free admission, small airplane runways, unusual attractions such as a small petting zoo or cage of monkeys, personal appearances by actors to open their movies, or musical groups to play before the show . Some drive - ins held Sunday religious services, or charged a flat price per car on slow nights like Wednesdays or Sundays . On "buck" nights during the 1950s and 1960s, the admission price was one dollar per car . </P> <P> One of the largest drive - in theaters was the Johnny All - Weather Drive - In in Copiague, New York . Covering over 29 acres, it could park 2,500 vehicles . It had a full - service restaurant with seating on the roof, and a trolley system to take children and adults to a playground and a large indoor theater for bad weather or for those who wanted to watch in air - conditioned comfort . </P> <P> The shift in content of drive - ins was less of an issue than competition from home entertainment, from color television to VCRs and video rentals . As well, the 1970s energy crisis, led to a sharp decline of attendance, which combined with the widespread adoption of daylight saving time (which made the shows start an hour later). These changes made it harder for drive - ins to operate successfully . Real estate interest rate hikes in the eighties made the large land tracts increasingly expensive, and thus far too valuable for businesses such as drive - ins, which were often open only in the summer months . Drive - ins were also subject to the whim of nature as inclement weather often caused poor attendance or cancellations . Less than two hundred drive - ins were in operation in the U.S. and Canada by the late eighties . Since the nineties they have lapsed into a quasi-novelty status with the remaining handful catering to a generally nostalgic audience, with many drive - ins continuing to successfully operate in some areas, mostly on the West Coast . By 2013, drive - ins comprised only 1.5 percent of movie screens in the United States, with 389 theaters in operation . At the industry's height, about 25 percent of the nation's movie screens were found at a drive - in . </P>

Who invented the first drive in movie theater