ShowmanshipĬement, steel, glass, and film do not by themselves make a theatre. Young and old face the screen to pay tribute to our flag. It is a long-time Vogel tradition started by Paul Vogel, and is taken very seriously by staff and patrons alike. Bengies starts each evening with the playing of the National Anthem. Although some of the exterior features have changed through the years, the essence of Bengies has remained the same, making it (as its telephone recording states) a “real-live, honest-to-God, all-American, drive-in movie theatre.” It even says “All American Drive-In” on the marquee. The space that was once auditorium seating is now utilized for storage and offices. The original marquee was changed to the present marquee in 1973. Through the years, the appearance of Bengies has changed a little. At the time it was built, the drive-in had a capacity of 1000 cars. Most drive-ins are designed with a roadway between each ramp, whereas the Bengies features double ramps to allow maximum capacity in a limited space. The layout of the car ramps was unusual also. The restroom facilities were unusually large for a drive-in of its era. Twin auditoriums flanked each side of the concession stand to accommodate walk-in patrons. Theatre Designīuilt with streamlined efficiency and customer service in mind, the brand new Bengies not only sported the perfect and largest CinemaScope screen tower, but also featured a large, well designed snack bar with two serving lanes. Hank Vogel personally managed the Bengies from the day it opened until his death in 1978. President Benjamin Harrison (nicknamed Bengie). It was named the Bengies Drive-In Theatre to reflect the name of the surrounding Bengies community, which had been named to honor the 23rd US. The drive-in opened on June 6, 1956, exactly 23 years after Richard Hollingshead opened the very first drive-in theatre. Jack was the sole architect for the project and the Vogel Building Company, with Hank at the helm, did the actual construction. The Bengies Drive-In Theatre was the result of a collaboration by Jack, Hank, and Paul Vogel.
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