Go Digital or Go Dark For Abilene's Only Drive-In Theatre
By: Marlisa Goldsmith
Updated: November 27, 2012
What lies behind the control room doors at the Town and Country Drive-In Theatre will soon be history.
"You have the projector head right here where the light source goes through and then you have the optical head down here and that's where you would get the analog sound," explains Ray Andress, owner of the theatre.
The movie association is getting away from using 35 millimeter films, what Andress has been used to for decades.
He says, "It comes on a little bitty reel and then what we do is actually splice the reels together and put it all on this transport."
Soon the theatre will be going completely digital.
That is if they raise enough funds to do so.
"The community has really embraced it and kept us going for so long," says Melissa Green.
The drive-in theatre has been open since June of 1956, making it a very nostalgic place for many Big Country movie-goers.
Green says, "They see this as kind of camping out with movies, in their car. People bring their sleeping bags, bring their animals."
Much of the Abilene community is pulling together to make sure more than just the legacy lives on.
Green says, "We're going to fight til the bitter end."
To find out how you can help, check out the drive-in's Facebook page by clicking here.
"You have the projector head right here where the light source goes through and then you have the optical head down here and that's where you would get the analog sound," explains Ray Andress, owner of the theatre.
The movie association is getting away from using 35 millimeter films, what Andress has been used to for decades.
He says, "It comes on a little bitty reel and then what we do is actually splice the reels together and put it all on this transport."
Soon the theatre will be going completely digital.
That is if they raise enough funds to do so.
"The community has really embraced it and kept us going for so long," says Melissa Green.
The drive-in theatre has been open since June of 1956, making it a very nostalgic place for many Big Country movie-goers.
Green says, "They see this as kind of camping out with movies, in their car. People bring their sleeping bags, bring their animals."
Much of the Abilene community is pulling together to make sure more than just the legacy lives on.
Green says, "We're going to fight til the bitter end."
To find out how you can help, check out the drive-in's Facebook page by clicking here.
