Ford-Wyoming Drive-In Upholds Old Movie-Watching Tradition

They were drive-in movies–featuring playground swings, people sitting atop cars in the summertime, kids ever present in pajamas. Movies could be viewed in the midst of Fourt of July fireworks–and even with real meteors shooting across the sky, if you were lucky.

Drive-ins also were coined “passion pits” due to customers engaging in amorous adventures.

Dearborn's premiered in 1950 with one screen as the industry was accelerating. By the end of the '50s, Michigan had a hundred drive-ins–many with stylistic, memorable signs, marquees and colorful names like Blue Sky, Twilight, Algiers, Miracle Mile, Jolly Roger and The Cherry Bowl. The latter is still alive in its home near Traverse City.

The 1980s, however, felt the downward trend, fueled by emerging TV, VCR and video technologies, along with the expansion of daylight saving time. The value of land also had escalated, resulting in drive-ins being swapped for shopping centers and a variety of commercial development.

Nonetheless, in 1981 Ford-Wyoming had buyers–the new partnership of Charles Shafer and Bill Clark. The Shafer family had owned thriving theaters and drive-ins since 1930, in suburbs west of Detroit.

Charles Shafer grew up in this theater building atmosphere,  then headed off to World War II and the Normandy Campaign across France for two months of intensive battle in true Saving Private Ryan style.

Shafer suffered two battle scars, but couldn’t save 18-year-old Private Flickinger, who got shot in the head and died mere inches away from Shafer in the same foxhole.

“I was lucky,” said Shafer.

He was lucky again in witnessing  young employee Bill Clark (now age 62) emerge as an invaluable 50/50 co-owner of Ford-Wyoming. Clark became quite the builder in the design and construction of outdoor movie screens.

“I couldn’t do it all," admits Shafer. “We’ve never had an argument or disagreement in 30 years. That’s something.”

The twosome added eight more viewing screens to the Ford-Wyoming, and it became known as America’s largest drive-in, with nine screens and a 3,000-car capacity.

By the late '80s, Shafer had sold his remaining drive-ins and theaters to developers–except for one: Ford-Wyoming. It is now one of only eight in the state of Michigan. Why was it spared?

“I don’t want to retire,” declares Shafer. “No golf–I love the business.”

In 2010, Ford-Wyoming was pared back to five screens; the other four were bulldozed, as they couldn’t justify having nine any longer. There still remained 1,700 parking spots.

"The last two years have been the slowest–especially this year,” said acting manager Virgil Berean, who has worked for Shafer for 34 years–the last 24 at Ford-Wyoming.

He and the staff typically work a shift from 7 p.m.-3 a.m. Now that warmer weather is back, they’ll revert back to daily viewings.

And customers forge on, bringing their own popcorn, candy, drinks or buckets of KFC chicken. “Rain or snow won’t stop them," says Berean. "I don’t know why. Fog, one time last year, was the only time we ever sent home early."

“Midnight is busiest here," said concession manager Lamar Davis, a 15-year employee. “After they get out of the clubs or their jobs, some will even sleep overnight."

The cost of two first-run movies is $8.50 per person, which works fine–for most.

“About 10 years ago, someone smuggled a person in through the trunk of the car,” says Berean. “They couldn’t get them out of the trunk so police had to come and pry them out."

Reliable urban legend also whispers that some customers will reposition their cars and get four movies (for the price of two) by morning.

The employees don't seem to want to leave, either.

“Employees have stayed with me 30, 40 and 50 years," boasts Shafer, whose picture is painted on the side of a building–and who has a park named after him. “They’ve stayed happy.”

As so has the 89-year-old Shafer, who–with Clark–continues the good fight to keep Ford-Wyoming, and the drive-in tradition, alive.