Seeing stars under the stars

As twilight settled over the Vineland Drive-In, Henry Gutierrez found comfort in a kind breeze and soft cushions. He sat like royalty in the blue chair in the back of his pickup truck, blankets and pillows for the children spread out in front of him.

From age 4, he said, when he watched from the roof of his father’s Cadillac, he has preferred drive-in movies to walk-ins. To explain why, he lifted his hands and looked to the sky.

“Fresh air,” he said, “and no one gets in your way.”

The problem with drive-ins is they’re becoming difficult to find. In 1958, there were 4,063 throughout the United States. As of July 13, there were 403 -- 23 of them in California, according to figures compiled by the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Assn., as moviegoers continued to favor cineplexes and developers found more lucrative uses for the land drive-ins occupied.

And in Los Angeles County, the Vineland, in an industrial area in the city of Industry, is all that remains.

It opened in 1955 with a single screen and in 1981 expanded to four screens, said Jay Swerdlow, Pacific Theatres’ executive vice president. Its viability is enhanced by the fact that it serves as a swap meet seven days a week. Swerdlow said there are no plans to close it down.

Showing first-run movies, the Vineland attracts a loyal following, mostly families. Most stay for the second movie, and some late arrivals stay for the second showing of the first film.

On a recent Saturday night, about 80 cars were lined up before the gates opened at 7:15.

Armando Molina of Downey arrived with his family in a cherry red 1962 Cadillac. The car is used judiciously, he said, but occasionally he and his wife, Melissa Molina, take it out for a drive along the coast. It’s the only car they bring to the drive-in.

Armando said he found out about the Vineland when he went online about three months ago in search of a drive-in. Like the Cadillac, it is a reminder of the past that suits his family.

“You don’t have to be so quiet,” Melissa said. “You can actually have a conversation, and your kids can get a little goofy.”

Manager Juan Gonzalez has worked at Pacific Theatres drive-ins for 26 years. As cars entered through the gates -- $7 a head, children younger than 11 free -- he described the mixture of excitement and anticipation that builds at the drive-in once the sky turns pale.

“Most people have problems at home,” he said, “and they come here with expectations to leave them behind and see a good movie, so we try to provide that environment.... I love my job. This is my life, seeing all these people coming.”

If you haven’t been to a drive-in for a decade or two, there have been some changes. Those rattly metal speakers that hung on poles are a thing of the past, replaced by Dolby surround sound through the radio. Another change is that the playgrounds at the base of the screens are gone. “Liability issues,” said Gonzalez.

Other than that, it’s much the same experience, not unlike tailgate parties outside a football stadium as people set up lawn chairs and blankets or convert the back seats of their vans to outdoor seating.

If people gathered like this in the daylight, it would be ridiculous. There would be no privacy among 1,000 vehicles crowded together. But at night, the lure of the colossal screen and the tang of popcorn give drive-ins their appeal. And it’s still a good place for making out.

Ana and Marco Macial arrived early and parked front row, center. They have three children, including a baby. Drive-ins are easier than walk-ins when you have babies, Marco said. No one sneers at you when they cry.

Parked in back, close to the restrooms, were Pete and Elisa Frausto and Elisa’s mother, Maria Almeida. “What could be better than this?” asked Pete, pausing to look around him. “Well, maybe a Dodgers game.”

Seated in a lawn chair, enjoying chilled Bon Bons, Elisa lamented the passing of drive-ins she visited as a child. “It would be a very sad day,” she said, “if they get rid of this last one.”

Duane Noriyuki can be reached at weekend@latimes.com.

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Drive-ins

Remaining drive-ins in the Southern California area:

Vineland Drive-In, 443 N. Vineland Ave., Industry (626) 961-9262

Mission Drive-In Fourplex, Ramona Avenue and Mission Boulevard, Montclair (909) 627-3564

Van Buren Cinema 3, 3035 Van Buren Blvd., Riverside (951) 688-2360

Rubidoux Drive-In Theatre, 3770 Opal St., Riverside (951) 683-4455