I've seen many movie 'bombs' at the Aut-O-Rama Drive-in Theater out in North Ridgeview by the Ohio Turnpike over the years. (Spaceballsand Walk Like a Man are two that come to mind. They might even have been a double feature.)
But how about finding a bomb at the Aut-O-Rama?
That's what happened back in August 1967. Below is the story that ran in the Journal on August 16, 1967.
The article written by Staff Writer Charles Gray notes, "It's a dud – they think.
"The bomb, two-feet long with four fins in the back end and the fuse and firing pin intact in the front, is painted Army olive-drab.
"It was found in the middle of the parking lot directly in front of the movie screen at 1 a.m. today by stagehand Charles Perozek of Elyria.
"Explosive disposal detachment officers Lt. Charles Carson and Sgt. L. C. Lowell Barnes viewed the bomb this morning. Their preliminary opinion contained these points:
"The Bomb is either a World War 1 American bomb souvenir or a World War II French or Italian bomb.
"It definitely was not dropped from an airplane or it would have been more extensively damaged.
"The large dent in the side of the bomb was probably caused by a car running over it.
"It probably came from someone's attic and was placed in the parking lot as a crank gag.
"If it had gone off while there were cars in the lot those in the cars immediately around it would have been killed, the shock wave would have broken the windows and the next surrounding area and in the concession stand 250 feet away. Anyone walking in the area would "have become part of the landscape."
"Theater owner and manager Thomas J. Sherman of Cleveland was notified of the bomb last night. He went to the theater and watched the bomb until 3 a.m. He was joined by a number of law officers.
****
It kind of looks like this WWI Mark III Aerial Bomb that was listed on the Heritage Auctions website.
Amazingly, they seem to be pretty common. There have been several of them sold at auction.
Maybe it was a 'practice/dummy bomb' manufactured by the New Jersey Terra Cotta Company.
Visit the interesting International Ammunition Associate Inc. online forum for more information about these practice bombs.
Today, only the Aut-O-Rama – the very last to open – remains. Here’s the link to its website.
The ad shown above in from that inaugural 1965 season and ran in the Lorain Journal on July 2, 1965. The double feature was a good one with lots of star power: Mister Moses (with Robert Mitchum and Carroll Baker) and The Rounders(featuring Glenn Ford and Henry Fonda).
I love the great caricatures in the ad of Baker and Mitchum by Al Hirschfeld, although they didn't make it onto the official movie poster.
The Ford-Fonda flick looks like a lot of fun, and more like typical drive-in fare than the Mitchum movie.
Well, on Friday night we made it out to the Aut-O-Rama Drive-in in North Ridgeville for the first time this season. It was a good night to go. A little brisk, but with no chance of rain and it being too early for mosquitoes, it was too good to pass up. (Plus I wanted to see Iron Man 2.)
The Aut-O-Rama is a place that I don't remember ever going to as a kid. I remember seeing it from the Ohio Turnpike while on the way to or from something else, but my drive-in memories are pretty much limited to the long-gone Lorain Drive-in (on US 6) and the Tower Drive-in (on Lake Avenue in Elyria).
It has only been since the late 1980's that I have made it a point to go as many times as possible each season. The biggest problem has been finding a movie worth seeing, and believe me, my wife and I have seen some real cinematic dogs at the Aut-O-Rama through the years. (Space Balls, anyone? How about Howie Mandel in Walk Like a Man? My wife still hasn't forgiven me for making her sit through that one!)
Part of the fun of going to the drive-in for me is the preparation. Even though I'm a cub scout drop out, I believe in the motto: be prepared. Indeed, getting ready for a night at the drive-in is like going on a camping trip. I bring along chairs, a small folding table (to hold the goodies), a radio, flashlight, bug spray, several big blankets, a few small blankets, rain coats and an umbrella. I'm sure watching us set up 'camp' is a source of amusement for people parked next to us – especially when we bail out halfway through the movie due to the cold and head for the car!)
Oh I forgot to mention: I also bring Pic when I remember! I have yet to ever light one, but after watching the 'animated' commercials for years on the big screen there (saw it again Friday night) I felt obligated to buy this fine product! Any commercial that uses an animated mosquito that drops dead and immediately produces a lily in his hands is okay with me! (Watch the cartoon below!)
I really don't mind the Aut-O-Rama's restriction on bringing in outside food (no food can be brought in unless you purchase a special permit for five bucks.) The foodstuffs are part of the fun! It's the only time that I eat Snowcaps (nonpareils) with no guilt. And this time, we purchased the biggest size popcorn they had at the concession stand ("Glutton size, please," I told the concession worker.) To our surprise, we discovered that the huge plastic bucket with handy handle comes with a free refill. You merely bring it back whenever – even next season – and they will refill it once for free. So we have that going for us.
We still seem to have trouble tuning in the right FM station to get the sound. Even though the workers tell you the channel when you come in (91.9 FM for screen one, 90.7 FM for screen two), when the Star Spangled Banner starts playing and the 1940's era flag footage is projected onscreen, it's never the right channel!
I still prefer the old speakers that hung on the windows - it was part of the ambience. The Aut-O-Rama actually has a few of them in the parking spots close to the concession stand and they seem to be in pretty good shape. (See photo at left.) But most of them are just rusted relics.
All in all, it was fun sitting under the stars watching the flick, and there weren't even as many trains as usual going by to obliterate the sound temporarily (although Iron Man 2 was so confusing it really didn't matter!) For me the best part is that timeless feeling that you get when you're there. You forget that it's 2010 and you start to believe that you're back in high school again – which is a nice feeling when your carefree youth is rapidly vanishing in the rear view mirror.
See you at the drive-in! And don't forget the Pic!
Made a trip out to the Aut-O-Rama Drive-in theater over the weekend. It's always a good time, even when the movies stink (as they did this time.) But even if the movies are lousy, there is always the great commercial for Pic insect repellent to look forward to (see screen grabs at right.)
The Aut-O-Rama has been out there by the turnpike exit in North Ridgeville since 1965. I've actually been to it more since I was an adult, since the drive-in of my youth was either the Lorain Drive-in on US 6 or the Tower Drive-in on Lake Avenue. But they're both long gone.
Actually, I always enjoy the timeless atmosphere of the drive-in more than anything else, including any movie that might be showing. Sitting under the stars in lawn chairs is pretty relaxing and very similar to camping. Don't miss your chance to pay a visit to the Aut-O-Rama as the season is winding down.
For a link to the website of the Aut-O-Rama Drive-in, click here. (The Overview page has some nifty information about the history of the place.)
