Ah, the Sheridan Drive-In! It had a movie screen so large that you could sometimes see, as far away as K-Mart, naked people (women, mostly) doing unthinkable things. This was one of the few great joys of my childhood in the '70s -- trying to see what was playing on the movie screen, even when we weren't actually at the drive-in, and hoping it was something I wasn't supposed to see.
I wish I had a list of all the movies I saw there. I must have seen at least fifty movies at the Sheridan, from the late '60s through the mid '70s. I know I saw several Planet of the Apes movies there. I also saw Enter the Dragon, maybe even The Chinese Connection. I saw Gus, the movie about the football playing donkey. I saw a lot of "women in prison" movies; these were usually the second movie, and I usually fell asleep during them.
What did you see there?
What are your memories of The Sheridan?
Let me know if you have any photos! I'd love to post them.
28 comments:
OMG - I remember the Sheridan Drive-In. One of the movies I saw there was the original King Kong. What a fantastic way to see that big hairy gorilla! I can't remember what other movies I saw there that were actually paid for. By the time I was old enough to go to the movies myself (without a chaperone, that is), the Sheridan was gone. We, like you, John, often watched the movies laying on the hood of dad's car in a nearby parking lot. (I hate to mention which parking lot, but if you know Burbank, it was a parking lot on the corner of 79th and Sayer). Back then THAT was acceptable for parents to do. Nowadays, though, parents would be arrested for this type of behavior! Ahhhh, the good ol' days...
Michele
I love this idea John! Great memories at the Sheridan! My family would go when we were young, my sister and I in our pj's, mom would pop a big bag of popcorn and we'd hit the double feature. Usually a family movie then we'd fall asleep by the time the second movie came on. Also as kids we'd go with the neighbor's and all their kids and we'd all pile on top of their station wagon to watch the latest Disney movie. Fun times back then! Remember the swings?
The older I got going to the Sheridan took on a whole new meaning! Better movies, date nights, fun times with friends, or just a place to hang out and drink!
I look forward to more of your posts!
I was too young to remember any of the movies I saw there, but I do remember it being there before they tore it down and built that shopping mall.
I do miss the drive-in
I remember the Sheridan as the place families went together. We would see movies like, Herbie the love bug, Benji, the Blob, Death Race 2000, Smokey and the Bandit, Little girl down the lane, Last house on the left, Valley of the Dolls, I could go on forever! Then when we got older we would meet our friends up there for a memorable night! Oh, there was always some guy who had to walk in front of the projector too! The Sheridan will always hold wonderful memories for me!
There was a hole in the fence where my friends would go through. It was a big deal...they would bring lawn chairs and a shopping bag full of snacks and drinks. I went on one of these runs one night to go see I believe Animal House. The lawn chairs: in place. The paper shopping bag filled with salty snacks: present. All we had to do was step through the magic threshold to make the transition complete...well, it had been raining earlier during the week...so the ground was still wet...and right before we went through the threshold, my foot sunk into the biggest mudbath in the burbank / oaklawn / bridgeview area. My shoe sunk into the mud like quicksand and my momentum wouldn't allow me to stop right away (i was very nervous to go through the "hole"). My semi naked foot now sunk deeply into another part of the mud fiasco. I had to watch the whole movie with a wet, smelly, mud-caked foot...to this day i still do not think Animal House was all that it was cracked up to be. Lesson: You get what you pay for.
Purple Rain in 1984 at the Sheridan Drive-In. Absolutely one of the highlights of my high school memories. The night was a crazy under-age promiscuous drunkfest with many classmates seemingly randomly there, but then all together. Drinking and smoking and having sex with Prince playing overhead. I will never forget you, Sheridan!
Don't forget the weekend flea market at the Sheridan!!! My buddy and I would frequent this place in our middle/high school days (late 70s through early eighties), looking through all those used records. Also got a used set of golf clubs. What are some other things some of you picked-up?
Thanks for doing this, John!
Ok John this is cool. Your on the daily blog roll. Reavis class of '84
Flea markets, the Planet of the Apes, nude, late night movies, the heavy speakers you put on the car...
I can't believe it's a strip mall now:(
Hey John, Crage here - I'm a friend of Crissy M.'s and one of Burbank's sons. I used to work the concession stand at the Sheridan back in '79. I also remember when there was a Dog N' Suds Drive-In right in front on Harlem. When I worked at the Drive-In, the box office would call me and say there was a carload of my friends at the gate, should they let them in? Of course, I had to sneak cheeseburgers & fries up to the booth in exchange for the favor. Watched a lot of submarine races there, too! LOL!
Great Blog site!
There was nothing better for me in the late 70s and early 80s than going to the Sheridan on a beautiful summer night. Half the time I have no clue what movie was playing because I was to busy walking around to see who showed up. Most of the time I was able to drive but I had my share of sneaking thru the hole in the fence. In my younger days I would go with my parents and see all the Disney movies and an occasional western. My father use to sell stuff at the flea market on Sundays so I spent a lot of time walking around looking for beer cans for my collection. We occasionally went to the Community drive-in on rt83 and Cicero and the double drive-in on Western but nothing compared to the Sheridan.
Theo
OMG! John you're too much! I know I flaked on the last email to you, but you know I love you man, and I think this is cool!
I snuck in the whole in the fence, I snuck in the trunk of a Chevy Impala, and I went as a kid with my parents!
I was the guy that walked in front of the projector!sorry...
Everytime I see the drive-In scene in teh movie Grease, I think of the Sheridan!
Reavis, Class of 83
Has there been a post about Auchan that came after the drive-in closed? Even though I think that was technically Bridgeview.
Used to work at the Dog N' Suds in 60's and my draw to the Sheridan was picking up the cash that would stick in the fence, having blown off trays. Still have a mug!
Thank you John! What great memories this brings back. I remember goin to the Sheridan in the 60s in the Winter when they had those heaters you could hang on your window. They never worked, so you had to move until you found one that did. Others would always get mad because you turned your headlights on interrupting whatever they were doing in the back seat. And afterwards you had to make a trip to A&W for a root bear float. I used to be a Carhop there. It used to be where the "bad boys" hung out. What a riot.
Nina remembers the Sheridan Drive-In and also recalls another drive-in located at 87th and Cicero. That drive-in was torn down and a store called E. J. Korvett's put in, I think. As kids we would sit on the wooden Hometown sign and try and watch a R movie.
wow, I remember our parents taking my sister and I there. Some how, we always ended up seeing the latest horror flick. Why my parents let my little sis and I watch these movies is beyond me. I recall being scared out of my mind over Amityville Horror. Usually, we would end up falling asleep in the back of the station wagon that my parents folded the seats down and it was like a bed back there. We'd have our pillows and blankets with us too. Good times!
Like my buddy Theo I was mostly unaware of what movie was playing. I remember seeing ET 6 times in the summer of 82 and not knowing what it was about until the next winter when I read the book.
My favorite was the Double on SW Highway. I always thought it hilarious that they called it the "Double" when it had 3 screens... We used to sneak in an entire car through the back exit off Kedzie, park the car quickly, hide in the concession stand and then sneak back out and move the car. I guess the VCR replaced the drive in movie theatre. What a shame... I wonder if kids would still get into going if a drive in were around today...?
I remember seeing the jungle book at the sheridan. I also remember indoor movie theaters and an outdoor drive in theater where chicago ridge mall is now. we used to go to that drive in more frequently and i can remember seeing the bad news bears there. then i believe chicago ridge mall opened around 1980.
I have a family pass for the Sheridan $1.50 a car load
Oh what I'd give to have that place back! We went every Sunday with my best friend's parents. Didn't matter what the movie was because our highlight was going to the refreshment stand. We felt so grown up.
Her older sister took over the "chore" of bringing us to the drive in some time around 8th grade and she was a bad, bad influence. She would buy us wine! Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill, to be exact! God that was so fun!
The very last movie I saw there was "The Jagged Edge" and the one before that was "Fast Times" - my best guy friend, and one of his friends and myself went in my VW Bug to see that. Oh such memories!
I remember that channel 7 would run the "Best Of The Class" each summer. It listed the valadictorians from Chicagoland High Schools. The Sheridan Drive-in marquee was used as the back drop. Anyone else remember this? If you are looking for a Burbank expert, Im your guy!
Does anybody remember the guy that hung himself behind the screen?
The Sheridan Drive In was a big part of our social lives in the 70's. Sneaking in behind the Burger King through the hole in the fence and meeting our friends by their cars. Lots of drinking, partying and good times. Our group was from Bogan and St. Lawrence We were there at least a couple of times a month and had alot of good times. Some times we even watched the movie.
Last night I attended the 25th Anniversary showing of Back To The Future at the Hollywood Palms in Woodridge. While getting Christopher Lloyd's autograph, I mentioned to him how I first saw the film in an appropriate 1950's manner--at a drive-in movie!
Betcha can't guess which one!
Loved this place. So sad that it was tore down to put up an Auchan (cant believe I remember the name, it was basically a French owned Sams Club.) and the rest of those crap stores. $$$ talks unfortunatly. Im 33 now and my family used to go there every weekend back in the early 80s. We would pack snacks and pillow and blankets. Sometimes sneeking in under the blankets.We would sometimes bring lawn chairs and sit in front of the car on nice days. I remember the speakers that would hang in the windows vividly. Instead of previews they would run cartoons before the feature. Woody Woodpecker was usually the cartoon. I also remember the concession stand cartoon in between features. It had a talking chocalate bar and soda or popcorn if I can remember correctly. My grandfather William Zavadil was a policeman for Bridgeview at the time and would work security at the drive in. He would bring us coca cola and popcorn while walking around. I remember that there was a small playground for young children there also. I can still remember the white pebble rock that coated the parking lot.Memories of waking,having fallen asleep during the last movie and all the cars making way toward the exits are still fresh in my mind. The last movie I remember seeing there was E.T. I miss the Sheridan. It was one of my greatest childhood memories.
Loved this place. So sad that it was tore down to put up an Auchan (cant believe I remember the name, it was basically a French owned Sams Club.) and the rest of those crap stores. $$$ talks unfortunatly. Im 33 now and my family used to go there every weekend back in the early 80s. We would pack snacks and pillow and blankets. Sometimes sneeking in under the blankets.We would sometimes bring lawn chairs and sit in front of the car on nice days. I remember the speakers that would hang in the windows vividly. Instead of previews they would run cartoons before the feature. Woody Woodpecker was usually the cartoon. I also remember the concession stand cartoon in between features. It had a talking chocalate bar and soda or popcorn if I can remember correctly. My grandfather William Zavadil was a policeman for Bridgeview at the time and would work security at the drive in. He would bring us coca cola and popcorn while walking around. I remember that there was a small playground for young children there also. I can still remember the white pebble rock that coated the parking lot.Memories of waking,having fallen asleep during the last movie and all the cars making way toward the exits are still fresh in my mind. The last movie I remember seeing there was E.T. I miss the Sheridan. It was one of my greatest childhood memories.
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