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Update: I worked at the Plainfield Drive-In back in 1973. My first job ever. I was 16 years old and they paid me 99 cents a hour.
That was the year they had the huge riot. It was WGRD Night. They charged 50 cents per person. Alfred Hitchcocks' Psycho was
the film being shown. A local policeman drove through and after being pelted with stones and beer bottles and then having his
vehicle surrounded by our local patrons who began rocking his car, he made his way back out and then put out a call for any and
all nearby back up vehicles - a total 53 cars and 83 officers responded. The lights came up, the film was stopped and they streamed
in one after the other, lights flashing and just surrounded the place. Oh the memories. Hello to my fellow drive-in employees, Cindy
M., Dave D., Don C., Mark B. Thanks for the photos. (Bob 5/28/01)
Update: The Plainfield Drive-In is gone, replaced by a residential neighborhood, Paramont St. (6/12/02)
Update: The summer following my freshman year (1967) I entered the Plainfield drive-in in the trunk of an old Ford. Someone saw
us climb out and brought us into the managers office behind the concession stand. That night, the manager, Larry Gardener offered
me my first job. During the day I mowed grass, set the marquee, and fixed speakers with Larry(there were 911 operational
speakers at showtime). with Larry. At night I worked the concession stand, cleaned up, and directed traffic out following the show.
Almost every Saturday during summer Larry would take us all out for late night bowling at Chase Lanes following the show. You
are right, the Plainfield Drive-In was isolated from city lights and had best of summer nights, and the clearest screen. Drive-Ins
were my favorite thing in high school and I have been to all of them (now closed) in GR and surrounding areas - The Plainfield was
the coolest. I worked at the Plainfield -with a lot of fun times and a lot of great people- for about 3 years. I learned a lot and it was
one of the best jobs I ever had. I miss the Plainfield too. Let me know if I can provide any information or if anyone wants to talk
about this theater. (Dave Parish 6/25/04)
Update: I was researching things to do in Muskegon and stumbled onto your web site. I was looking at info on the Getty 5 and
clicked on a link for a list of current drive-ins open in Michigan. I couldn't believe there was a site for drive-in history! I thought
nobody cared but me! I grew up next to the Plainfield drive-in in Grand Rapids Michigan. The ticket booth was in our back yard.
We moved their in 1967 and my mom still lives their. These are pictures that I took just after they had closed. The back of the
pictures say they were developed in September of 1987. I think they were taken in the summer of 1987. I think the drive-ins last
year of operation was 1986. I will send you some pictures of some more memorabilia and write you some stories of what it was like
to grow up next to a drive-in when I get a chance. My mom is searching her photo's to see what she has too. Thanks for your web
site! (Greg T. 8/16/06)
Update: Here's a few more pictures of Plainfield drive-in memorabilia. The sign used to hang in front of the ticket booth. We always
thought it was pretty funny. The top 3 reasons people went to the Plainfield drive-in were to drink, play loud music, and shoot
fireworks! (Greg T. 8/20/06)
Update: I just spent the better part of an hour driving up and down Northville Drive and the street to the east of it trying to figure
out where we used to sneak in the "back way" to the theater through the woods. There was a trail right up to the field right behind
the back row and we would turn up all the back row speakers (since the rows were seldom filled) and build a fire on cool nights in
the woods almost in someone's back yard! We were usually on motorcycles and came to see all the biker flicks. We would ride from
Knapp Street and Dunnigan and group togeather on Bsa's, Nortons, Matchless and one fellow had a new Harley Sportster (it
sounded like rolling thunder). Then we would take 3 Mile Rd. to Bird Ave. and one night met up with Johnny Benson Sr. coming
the other way testing out his stock car in the dark at over a 100 mph! It's a wonder we weren't killed (he never saw us because we
didnt have working lights on half the bikes), so everyone left theirs off and we rode by moonlight. Ahh! the memories. Then we
would go west on Four Mile and cut over to Five Mile and through some white farmhouse's side drive that led up to the woods,
or the road behind the theater. There were new homes being built and they were "open houses" unlocked so you could walk
right in (maybe 1968-1972). Memory fails me for the exact years but the pictures are as clear as a bell. I remember there was
room to come through the back trail with a car also, but then someone put up posts in the middle of the trail and my buddy caved
in his Dad's Nash Rambler's bumper (boy did he get in trouble!). We also would come in the front way and pay admission when
funds would allow (usually with somone in the trunk though). Man, I would gladly pay double the admission today to go up to the
theater on the hill again, I miss it so. (Earl Gager 12/28/06)
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