On a crisp Saturday evening in April, Hezekiah Morrison drove his pickup to the Star Drive-in Theatre for a screening of “Kung Fu Panda 4.” He parked so the truck bed faced the screen and lined it with pillows and blankets for optimal comfort. On the side, he hung a vintage speaker box that provided sound to the film.
Morrison has carried out this ritual “too many times to count” as a kid growing up in Montrose, and later as a young adult. The first time he took his own ride, sans parents, he remembered feeling a sense of danger. And although Morrison is only 24 years old, he said those nostalgic memories keep him coming back to the drive-in year after year.
“Any local would tell you that everyone has probably seen something here,” Morrison said. One day, he hopes to bring his own kids to catch a flick.
The Star Drive-In Theatre in Montrose recently opened for its 75th season, a milestone not only for the business but for drive-ins at large, which have been steadily decreasing in number as movies have moved beyond theaters and into private homes. In their heyday, the U.S. boasted more than 4,000 drive-ins, according to the New York Film Academy. Today, there are roughly 300 in existence and just seven operating in Colorado.
The Star, owned by Montrose native Pamela DeVries Friend, is billed as the nation’s oldest drive-in that’s still owned and run by the founding family. Pamela’s parents, George and Elizabeth DeVries, opened the 300-car theater on April 19, 1950, on six acres of land that used to be surrounded by corn fields. It’s welcomed people every single year since then, and is the oldest in the state.
It’s not easy operating a business that could be considered a living relic, especially when streaming movies at home is a cultural norm. But The Star has endured because of the community’s support, DeVries Friend said. On opening weekend, locals who packed the place described it as a beloved gem they wouldn’t want to live without.
“It seems people like drive-ins, they will continue to love drive-ins,” DeVries Friend said. “And then we sell another item besides movies and concessions – we sell nostalgia.”
DeVries Friend grew up spending nights among the rows of cars at the theater. She held her first unofficial job there at age 5 restocking candy in the concession stand and helping clean up trash. As a teenager, she was promoted to working in the ticket office and selling popcorn and burgers. In 1979, when Friend was in her mid-20s, she began leasing the theater from her dad who no longer wanted to manage it.
“So I personally have run it since ‘79. I personally have been the only projectionist since 1984,” said DeVries Friend. Ironically, she doesn’t describe herself as a movie buff, but she’ll watch “Top Gun” any day.
Over the last seven and half decades, the film industry has undergone innumerable changes as in-home viewing has taken off, first with the advent of VCRs and videos and then with the pivot to digital mediums. The Star Drive-In adapted alongside the industry to survive.
In the 1980s, for example, DeVries Friend began broadcasting sound over FM airwaves so moviegoers could listen from their cars’ speakers. Unsurprisingly, the biggest update occurred in the projection room.
Originally, The Star used two 35-millimeter projectors made by Motiograph that required manually switching reels every 20 minutes or so, DeVries Friend said. In 1990, she moved to an automated film projection system before going digital in 2013.
“What happened was the same thing you’ve heard from every theater: You either went digital or you ran sub-run old pictures or you closed. There was no more film being made after that point,” she said. “I was probably one of the last ones to go, so I went and got a loan and that’s what I did.”
As technology evolved, so too did the way production companies work with theaters. DeVries Friend said she used to pay a flat rental fee to screen a movie; now, she pays a percentage of ticket sales.
Some challenges are unique to the venue. Being an open-air theater, The Star is at the mercy of the weather. That was never more clear than on May 19, 1974 when strong winds knocked down the drive-in’s original screen causing $25,000 in damage, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration records. Luckily, George DeVries was able to quickly replace it with the 80-foot by 90-foot screen made of tin panels that sits there today.
“That Sunday afternoon the radio station announcer was laughing on the radio, ‘You’re not going to believe what the drive-in’s playing tonight. It’s Gone With The Wind.’ My father could have killed him,” DeVries Friend said with a grin.
Despite how much has changed, many things remain the same at The Star. The concession booth, for one, is the same brick building that’s been there since 1950, outfitted with the original Hotpoint flat-top grill and Montgomery Ward refrigerator from the same year. DeVries Friend cuts all the potatoes for fries by hand, as she has for decades. And the only way to purchase something to eat is by using cash. (The Star accepts credit cards at the ticket booth.)
DeVries Friend also continually sources speaker boxes from other theaters as well as parts to ensure they work — an increasingly difficult task — to maintain the theater’s charm and authenticity. “Because a drive-in’s not a drive-in without speakers,” she said.
The Star’s appeal is undeniable and perhaps proof there’s room for an old classic in the modern world. Because admission is free for kids ages 11 and under, the drive-in is among the most affordable entertainment options for families, attendees said. And the atmosphere is less restrained than going to “hard-top” theaters.
Before the daylight fades, kids run around and play in a dirt area near the movie screen. During the double showing each night, they can scream and squirm without disturbing the folks nearby. The use of cell phones is permitted at the drive-in as are well-behaved dogs. The Star doesn’t sell beer or wine, but if you want to have a drink in your car “that’s your business,” DeVries Friend said.
Then, of course, there’s the nostalgia that is seemingly inescapable when chatting with moviegoers. When Charity Schiltz brings her kids to the drive-in she feels like she’s passing down a beloved tradition. Schiltz grew up patronizing drive-in theaters in Texas with her dad, who died when she was young. Her husband, Colin, grew up in Montrose and would sneak into The Star after dusk as a teen.
“It’s just really nostalgic and cool to be able to share something from my childhood that I valued with my kids,” she said.
Being outside is an added bonus. Last summer, the Schiltz family even caught a meteor shower during a movie.
The local love, however, may not be enough to sustain The Star long-term. As a multigenerational business owner, DeVries Friend always planned to pass the theater down. But her daughter, who was next in line to inherit it, passed away from cancer in 2020. The next year the City of Montrose designated The Star a historic landmark.
DeVries Friend, who turns 72 this year, plans to operate The Star as long as she is physically able. She does so gladly knowing what it means to both the community and her heritage. It’s sad to think of drive-in becoming a piece of the past, DeVries Friend said, especially after seeing generations of Montrose residents enjoy it. Perhaps it’s too much a part of the town to let it disappear.
“Maybe somebody will buy it. Time will tell,” she said.
