To serve
and project
on the cover
Wheels meet reels at
Newport PAC Picture Show
By GRETCHEN AMMERMAN
For the TODAY
As I’d love to think is true with many
other parts of our cultural heritage, the first
patented drive-in movie theater was created
because someone wanted to do something
nice for their Mama. Legend (and a
few historical websites) tell that a New
Jersey man named Richard Hollingshead
opened the first drive-in theater in 1933
after having tried a few other ways for his
mother, apparently not a petite woman, to
enjoy movies without having to squeeze
herself into the tight movie theater seats of
the era.
Soon, people began to appreciate the
freedom of being able to enjoy movies on
the big screen with their rambunctious
children, while smoking an unbroken chain
of cigarettes or while having a romantic
tryst that just might get a little wild.
At their heyday in the 1950s, there were
more than 4,000 outdoor theaters. Today,
there are closer to 300 hanging on for dear
life, banking on nostalgia to keep the bills
paid.
In this spirit of providing a fun, family
experience during a time when gathering
in large groups is prohibited, the Oregon
Coast Council for the Arts has created an
outdoor movie experience on the outside
of their flagship building, the Newport
Performing Arts Center.
“With so much being closed to the
public due to COVID-19, including the
PAC, we wanted to find a way to provide
our community with a safe, socially-
distanced option to enjoy a much-needed
night out,” said Darcy Hogan, who is on
the OCCA Board of Directors. “It’s a way
for us to continue to provide entertainment,
even while our stages are dark.”
There are a few rules the group who
put this together, primarily Hogan, Randy
Storms and Justin Gleeson, have had to
follow.
“We can’t call it a drive-in,” Hogan said.
“and we can’t list the names of the films in
advertisements, but people can go to our
website, www.PACPictureShow.com, to
find out what movies we will be playing. I
can tell you that they are all fun classics on
the more family-friendly side (PG).”
The movies are scheduled to be shown
every Friday and Saturday evening just after
sunset until at least the end of June, and
possibly into July.
“How long we do this is based on a
number of factors, not the least of which
being public interest,” Hogan said. “We are
still waiting for approval for some of the
films we want to show. We sent out a poll
early in the process and some of the top
picks are still on the wish list for now.”
There is no charge for the movies, but
donations are more than welcome, and can
help ensure you get a spot in the lot, which
has a capacity of only 40 vehicles for the
movie nights.
“Those who donate $15 or more can
receive reserved parking as a ‘thank you’
for their donation if it is made through the
PAC Picture Show website,” Hogan said.
“The OCCA is, like all arts organizations,
is struggling at this time. Venues, museums
and showrooms are closed, performances
have been postponed, workshops and
classes canceled. We’re used to being a
very active and thriving arts community, so
being “dark” for this long is really hard on
us all, both artistically and financially. We
know everyone is facing challenges during
this time, and we hope that this modest
offering will allow people a bit of a respite
— an escape, if only for a couple of hours.”
I attended a movie night where the
film was “Field of Dreams” accompanied
by my dog Scout. A quick walk (wearing
my mask, as is required at all times except
while inside the vehicle with the windows
closed) around the parking lot showed me
that I was definitely not alone in my choice
of companion.
The quality of the picture on the screen,
custom built by Storms, was surprisingly
good and tuning the car radio to the station
set up to broadcast the show gave a sound
quality much better than the individual
speaker experience I have had at drive-in
movie theaters in the past. And though we
were both up past our bedtimes, it was such
a fun experience we had no problem staying
awake.
If you have a handheld radio that gets
FM reception, it can help you not take a
chance on draining your car battery. Should
you run your battery down, though, the
team is prepared with a number of ways to
get your car back up and running.
“One of the only things we aren’t
providing is the experience of having your
dad drive off with the speaker still attached
to the car door,” Hogan said. “I can still
remember the time mine did it.”
To reserve a spot at the PAC Picture Show,
go to www.PACPictureShow.com, click on a
film poster, and select your vehicle size.
oregoncoastTODAY.com • facebook.com/oregoncoasttoday • June 19, 2020 • 9