Talking Sixties Drive-In Movies

In their heyday, drive-in movie theaters were considered entertainment venues for mostly less-discriminating filmgoers, and the movies they showed supposedly reflected that. Film historian Lisanti (Fantasy Femmes of Sixties Cinema) highlights some of the films and actors who appeared in what he considers to have been typical drive-in fare. Among such were the so-called beach movies, spaghetti Westerns, and the youth-oriented "B" films prevalent in the 1950s and a decade or so afterward. He has interviewed several actors who appeared in those types of movies, most of whom left little or no mark on Hollywood. They include Mimsy Farmer, Arlene Charles, Diane Bond, Steven Rogers, and Jan Watson, who reminisce about their experiences with directors, costars, and working conditions. The author also provides background information about many of the films. Obviously, what constituted a drive-in movie is very much a subjective choice on the author's part, and some readers may disagree on what is included.