by Lisa Horn
The Leavenworth Times
Sunday August 4^th, 2002

b Picture it now, a cool summer night, the car windows rolled down, the sky as your ceiling and the stars right before your eyes on the big screen, But, do you remember? 

Perhaps you were too young to experience the grandeur of the drive in era. While many drive-ins across the country have gone "dark," there is one particular drive-in just 30 minutes away that has withstood the test of time. 

The Boulevard Drive In in Kansas City, Kan., is the longest continuously operated drive-in in the Kansas City metro area. The theater has survived the popularity of television and video and the numerous floods which have ravaged the landmark over the years. 

"The Boulevard,"as it is lovingly referred to by owner Wes Neal, opened on June 30, 1950. Neal began working at the theater just four months later at the age of 26. He is reported to be the oldest drive-in owner and operator in the country. 

Admission was just 60 cents at the time. 

For Neal, it has been a love affair that has lasted for nearly 50 years. 

In addition to his work at The Boulevard, the 75-year-old Neal worked full-time for the Bayer Corporation until 1986. 

The Boulevard's season runs every night of the week from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but the theater often opens as early as March and stays open until as later as October with shows just on the weekends. 

Neal has kept the drive-in in pristine condition despite the decline of the theaters due to television, video and the resurgence of indoor theaters in the 1970s and 1980s. 

In recent years, however, the Boulevard has experienced a resurgence in popularity and its prices are still cheaper than any "moviehouse." 

The Facilities

Off of Merriam Lane, the neon marquee is like a beacon in the night, beckoning to new and veteran moviegoers. 

The driveway to the theater curves off of the main road and winds down through mature trees which drape gracefully overhead. The box office remains in the original condition and the "staked plains" of speakers can today hold as many as 900 cars. 

The snack bar is housed in the original building and was soon added onto after the Boulevard's first years were even more successful than anticipated. At the time of the theater's opening, there were already six drive-ins operating in Kansas City. 

Today, there are only three. 

Leavenworth Drive-Ins

The peak year for drive-ins in the United States was 1958. Four thousand sixty-three were reported to be in operation across the country and 125 theaters were in Kansas alone. 

Even Leavenworth had its own drive-ins. The Fort Leavenworth drive-in was located in the north part of town and the Skylark Drive-In originally stood at the corner of Shrine Park and Eisenhower Roads. Another lesser known drive-in was located in Potter, which was operated by Andrew Ernzen, the great uncle of Bark Ernzen of Easton 

"He didn't charge admission and during intermission, he would walk around and talk to people," Ernzen said. 

Neal says that meeting his patrons and just talking with them is his favorite part of the job. 

"I like to talk to the people a lot and they like to talk to me," Neal said. 

Especially when Neal relates some of his many drive-in experiences such as the 15 Mid-America Nazarene University students who piled into a Subaru hatchback and won season passes and $50 for the most people able to fit in one car. 

The event was held in conjunction with the drive-in's 50th anniversary celebration in 2000. In 2004, it will be Neal's 50th jubilee. Look for updates on the theater's website at www.boulevarddrive-in.com for the special events. 

At $6 a person, one can get in for one movie or stay for the entire double feature. Concessions are reasonable, priced at high school football game prices rather than the inflated prices at many indoor theaters. 

Heavy flooding from the adjacent Turkey Creek has also given Neal and his employees a tough battle to keep the theater running. A flood in 1995 forced Neal to purchase virtually all new equipment and another flood in 1999 forced Neal to purchase new sound equipment. 

Crystal Clear Sound

Neal chose to install digital sound, making The Boulevard the first drive-in theater in the world to have digital sound. The DTS sound can be listened to in the traditional window speakers, or through your car's own stereo at 89.7 FM. 

A low-powered transmitter from the sound processors on the projector to the car radio. In addition, a digital reader tells the unit where the sound is on the film and then is synchronized to the exact place in the movie. 

"We have the best sound, I'm sure, of any drive-in ever - anywhere. And our picture is as good as anyone. Even though we have to throw the picture almost 400 feet, it's still and excellent picture," Neal said. 

The sound truly is like no other drive-in and the crystal clear quality challenges some of the area's indoor theaters. The Town and Country Drive-In in Abilene, Texas, also boasts digital sound. It is the only other drive-in that Neal knows of in the country to have it. 

With digital sound, the crackling of the audio and the noise of reels being changes is completely eliminated. One movie generally uses two reels which are about one hour long. A dot in the corner of the screen alerts the projectionist as to when the reel needs to be changed. 

"It's about as good as a drive-in gets,aid David C. Glosenger, one of the two projectionists at The Boulevard. 

Glosenger, who met his wife at a drive-in, takes pride in providing the best drive-in experience each night when he comes in to work. 

"We really consider this a craft. But, Wes does, too, and we wouldn't be here if he didn't," Glosenger said. "It's a bug I can't shake," he joked. 

The original screen stood until 1971 when damaging winds tore part of the screen down. It stands at a massive 75 feet tall and is 100 feet wide. There are 600 speakers, but with car radio sound, the theater can accommodate many more. 

The theater is currently featuring "Austin Powers - Goldmember" and "Men in Black II." First run movies such as these cost the drive-in more than what concession and ticket prices bring in. 

Standing the Test of Time

On first run films, a movie company takes 70 percent of what the theater makes on tickets sold. A local broker arranges the booking of films for The Boulevard and two other Kansas City area drive-in theaters, the Twin and the I-70 Drive-in. 

Many drive-ins who do not show first run movies deal with the film companies themselves, Neal said. 

"So if you take in $10,000, the picture costs me $7,000 and that does not leave enough money to pay the help and the utilities and everything else. So, for every $6 that I take in, it costs me at least $7," Neal explained. 

"If it wasn't for the concessions, drive-ins wouldn't operate. And film companies are like the government. If you make any money, they want it, "Neal joked. 

In order to bring in revenue for the upkeep and the employees' wages, Neal, like many other drive-in owners, have instituted a Swap and Shop every Saturday and Sunday from 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Buyers and sellers come from all over to buy and sell their wares at what has become one centrally located garage sale. 

Admission for the Swap and Shop is currently $1.00 per person and is $7 for sellers in cars, $10 for trucks, vans or trailers. 

Why Does He Do It?

With all the adversity what has kept Neal from folding? 

He loves his job and wouldn't have it any other way, he said. 

"Well,I've worked here so long, I know it, I know the business and it's easier for me to handle," Neal said. "I love to see the people come in and have fun?and they love it so much - and so do I - that I've just wanted to keep it." 

While he may not be a star on the silver screen, Neal is a classic in his own right, entrusted with the care of a living piece of American history and an era that is as alive at The Boulevard's neon marquee.