Star Drive-In employee Kaleb Lee sells tickets to the drive in to a motorist at the Star Drive-In theater in Montrose, Colo., May 4, 2024.
LEFT: A movie poster from 1957 details upcoming movies to be featured at the Star Drive-In theater in Montrose. RIGHT: A picture of the original movie screen built in April 1950, right, hangs on the wall with pictures showing the day a tornado tore it down on May 18, 1974. “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.
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. 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.
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. 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.
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