It was a treat like no other. The whole family would pile into the car and head to the drive-in. Soon Hollywood idols filled the silver screen, shooting stars pierced the night, and the aroma of grilled hot dogs and buttered popcorn filled the air. There was nothing like a little movie magic while sitting in your 56 Plymouth or 57 Chevy.

The drive-in, where Milk Duds reigned supreme, hosted classic movies like East of Eden, Some Like It Hot, Vertigo, Ben Hur, Dr. Zhivago, Disney's Sleeping Beauty, and goofy horror classics like The Blob.

Teenagers who borrowed dad's car found the drive-in an ideal place for dates. At the evenings' end, corny cartoons warned patrons to replace the speaker to its rack before driving off. Still, many a teen drove off taking a speaker with him or worse shattering dad's driver-side window. The drive-in also tempted teenagers to catch a free show.

My friend and co-author, Robert Clark, grew up in Charlotte, and he remembers a night when he and some buddies hid in the trunk and sneaked into a drive-in. The theater owner was no dummy, though. He knew just what to look for. When the trunk popped open, Robert found himself peering down the barrel of a pistol. With a gun in his hand, the owner threw them out. "One of the scariest moments in my life," Robert said.

We can thank Richard M. Hollingshead Jr. of Camden, New Jersey, for the drive-in. In 1932, Hollingshead conducted outdoor theater tests in his driveway. After nailing a screen to trees in his backyard, he set a 1928 Kodak projector on the hood of his car and put a radio behind the screen, testing sound levels. Blocks under vehicles in the driveway helped him determine the size and spacing of ramps so all could see the screen. Soon, the drive-in was off and running into the annals of Americana.

The drive-in's popularity peaked in the late 1950s and early 1960s, particularly in rural areas, with some 4,000 drive-ins spreading across the United States. Among its advantages was the fact that a family with a baby could watch a movie without having to hire a sitter.

That cultural icon of the 50s, the drive-in, is an endangered species today. The ever-climbing price of real estate, affordable color TVs, daylight savings time, and the advent of VCRs and video rentals did the drive-in in, all right.

About 400 remain in the United States. There's one not that far from Lincolnton, though, down I-20 in Monetta, SC. When Richard and Lisa Boaz opened "The Big Mo" as it's known, in March 1999, they saved a cultural icon. The Wizard Of Oz debuted, and some 70,000 cars have since rolled in for family films and a return to the 50s.

It's an experience you old decrepit baby Boomers ought to relive one more time.

Dusk. The lights drop. Startled kids hustle from the playground to their parents' cars. The "Star Spangled Banner" plays to a chorus of patriotic car horns and an archaic 3,600-watt projector beams magic onto the screen. Cars from Augusta, Aiken, Columbia, Myrtle Beach, and points in between dial FM 94.3 for audio superior to the old window speakers. A few kids stroll to the concession stand in pajamas. All come to enjoy that one-time Mecca for wanderlust teenagers—the drive-in.

Many romantics will confess their first kiss and first drive-in went together. The drive-in still exudes romance. "Couples will have their first date here, and they'll come back a year later to get engaged," said Richard. "We catered a wedding with corn dogs and popcorn," adds Lisa.

Frequent patrons get Stargazer cards for prizes, and it's no exaggeration. The Monetta night sky, free of big-city light pollution, sparkles with celestial treats. One night a total lunar eclipse occurred, and "one year," said Richard, "Mars put on a fantastic show."

Rediscover what it's like to be 17 again at a 50's icon in Palmetto peach country, The Big Mo. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts around 8:15 pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights only. Call 803.685.7949 to see what's playing.

Take I-20 to Exit 33. Take SC 39 to Monetta (about 7 miles.) Turn right onto US 1. The drive-in is approximately one mile down US 1 on the right. Don't, however, put your friends in the trunk. It's not that expensive and the truth is we don't quite fit in a trunk like we did those many years ago.

Email Tom with feedback and ideas for new columns. tompol@earthlink.net