Behind you is only forest, and in front nothing but a big, bright, beautiful movie screen. A cartoon hot dog dances hand-in-hand with a box of popcorn across the glowing expanse of the screen and overhead stars twinkle as red airplane lights blink in the night sky. Cars crunch over a gravel driveway in search of a good spot and parents sit on lawn chairs huddled under blankets while children -- comfy in their pajamas -- snooze in the backseat. Somewhere a couple is making out and a just few yards away French fries are sizzling in oil and cotton candy is being spun into sweet, pink clouds. Out on the main road, cars zip by heading somewhere or other in a hurry, but you haven't got a care in the world; your seat is in the recline position and all you can hear is the upbeat '60s-era jingle extolling the merits of the snack bar coming in over your speakers.
Welcome to the Bengies drive-in theatre in Middle River, home of the biggest outdoor screen on the East Coast and a lot of fond memories for a lot of local movie lovers. The Bengies, only one of two drive-ins left in Maryland, hearkens back to the good old days when America was chock-full of them. In the '50s, at the peak of their popularity, American drive-ins numbered over four thousand. Today, there are just over 400 left and Bengies, which opened up for its 49th consecutive season just last weekend, is one of the proud and few to uphold the drive-in tradition.
Built in 1956 by Jack Vogel, the drive-in is now owned and operated by Jack's son, D. Edward Vogel. He is as much a good old-fashioned original as the drive-in, and his name has become synonymous with the name Bengies. Vogel, who runs everything from the snack bar to the projection booth, has owned the theatre since 1988 and his passion for the drive-in is infectious.
He leaves long-winded, if not downright enthusiastic recordings on the showtime phone line and has drafted a long list of rules for maximum enjoyment for all patrons, a one-of-a-kind list, which includes rules only a drive-in would ever have to worry about enforcing. One states, "SHOES MUST BE WORN AT ALL TIMES BY ALL PERSONS. NO EXCEPTIONS. Do NOT carry shoeless children," and another warns, "LASER POINTERS ARE FORBIDDEN anywhere in this theatre!!!" Other rules seem a bit old fashioned, like, "Obscene language or profanity WILL NOT BE TOLERATED," but Bengie's is nothing if not a nostalgic trip back to the times when kids respected their elders, a coke was ten cents and the most scandalous thing in the theatres was a poorly-shot zombie movie.
As an outdoor theatre, Bengies has a few more unique features. Every evening movies begin after dark, and show times get later and later throughout the summer.
Bengies is a unique Baltimore tradition that everyone should experience at least once, and this season might very well be your last chance. Vogel is seeking a zoning conversion in order to build a supplementary source of income on the site so that he may purchase the property that Bengies resides on and therefore ensure its place in memory lane for years to come. If you truly are a movie enthusiast, you can help save one of the last drive-ins in the country by simply attending the outdoor theatre. It certainly is a tradition worth saving, and its not everyday you get to help preserve a slice of Americana, while sipping root beer floats on a Saturday night under the stars.
The Bengies drive-in theatre is located at 3417 Eastern Boulevard in Middle River near Martin State Airport, about a half-hour from the JHU campus. Directions and showtimes can be found online at http://www.bengies.com or by calling the showtime information line at (410) 686-5627 or the directions line at (410) 686-4698. If you are interested in supporting the Bengies zoning conversion contact County Executive Jim Smith at jimsmith@co.ba.md.us.
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