Contributed by Teresa Douglass, Genealogy Specialist
Hop in the car and head to the drive-in! Specifically, Sky-Aire Theatre near Corydon. Nothing was better than throwing on PJs, piling into the family car, and spending the evening under the stars watching Hollywood stars! Onscreen action mattered little, with focus mostly on the swings, playing tag with friends, and the wonderful assortment of items available at the snack bar. Staying awake through that last late flick never quite happened. Ahhh, those were the days.
Sky-Aire Drive-In Theatre opened about 1.5 miles northwest of downtown Corydon in September 1948. It had a 40-ft-wide screen and could accommodate 700 automobiles. Sky-Aire opened on a Thursday night, and the first film shown was “Golden Earrings” starring Ray Milland and Marlene Dietrich. The show ran for three nights, then RKO Pictures’ “Honeymoon” with Guy Madison and Shirley Temple took over the screen. Admission was 49₵ (tax included), and children under 12 were free. There was no charge for the automobile.
Here is a list of movies showing at the Sky-Aire Drive-In in the late 1950s. Two features were presented each night, the first starting at 8:30 and the second feature began around 10:30. Note that some films were “in color” and/or “cinemascope.” A cartoon was shown every night, and each Wednesday was “Horror Night,” with classics such as “The Werewolf” and “The Creature Walks Among Us.”
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