Richard Hollingshead

Richard Milton Hollingshead, Jr. (February 25, 1900 – May 13, 1975) was the inventor of the drive-in theater.

Early life Richard Milton Hollingshead, Jr. was born in Riverton, New Jersey, to Richard Milton Hollingshead, Sr. (b. May 4, 1869, in Millville, New Jersey) and Emma Lovett on February 25, 1900. He was one of three children. So he began experimenting at his home in Camden, New Jersey, using his car, a 1928 Kodak movie projector, and two sheets nailed between two trees for a screen. Eventually, he came up with a ramp in each parking space, so that patrons could elevate the front of their cars to see the screen without being blocked by other vehicles. He applied for a patent on August 6, 1932 opened on Admiral Wilson Boulevard in Pennsauken Township NJ on June 6, 1933. The marquee title read "Drive-In Theatre" - "World's First Sit In Your Car - See and Hear Movies". The first movie screened was Wives Beware, starring Adolphe Menjou and having its second theatrical run. The charge was $0.25 per person and $0.25 per car, with 3 or more persons for $1. who served as captain of the 1946 Yale Bulldogs football team.