ETV’s “Drive-Ins and Soda Shops” Takes a Nostalgic Look at a Bygone Era

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ETV’s “Drive-Ins and Soda Shops” Takes a Nostalgic Look at a Bygone Era

For Immediate Release
July 18, 2006

Columbia, SC...ETV crews spent this summer in a 1957 Chevy cruising the Palmetto State in search of that nostalgic time in America when soda jerks were kings of the drug store and tickets to the movies were by the carload. Along the way, they met hundreds of South Carolinians eager to join the ride and share their memories and memorabilia from the 1950’s and ‘60s.

The resulting program, Drive-Ins and Soda Shops, makes its debut on Saturday, August 19 at 7 p.m. (with encore presentations on Monday, August 21 at 8:30 p.m. and Friday, August 25 at 9 p.m.), replete with vintage music, clothes and other images from the era. By visiting the few remaining old-fashioned pharmacies and drive-ins that were once so widespread in South Carolina, ETV explores these links to the past that have had such a profound impact on people’s lives.

“Every place we went, we heard stories from people who had met, got engaged, or even stopped on their way home from the hospital with their newborn,” said Producer Steve Folks. “When you looked into their eyes, you could tell how magical these places were for them then, and still are to this day.”

The BEACON - Spartanburg

At the Beacon Drive-In restaurant in Spartanburg, Folks heard not only from longtime patrons of the restaurant, but also from longtime employees, such as J. C. Strobler, whose signature “Talk and Walk” greeting has been heard by customers for decades.

Others who visited with the ETV crews had been coming to this Upstate landmark since they were kids. They talked about how cars would spill out of the parking lot on Friday and Saturday nights after almost every football game; about celebrating birthdays “on the house” courtesy of original owner, John White; and cruising the parking lot looking for love.

Gregory Tolbert shared how he owes his very existence to the Beacon. One night, several girls hopped into a car full of boys. “This lady sat down beside this young man and before they got out of the parking lot they were holding hands. And that was my parents. That’s how my parents Jerry and Fran Tolbert met, and a year later they eloped,” said Tolbert.

The SNO-CAP – North Augusta

Family seems to be the over-arching theme behind the SNO-CAP Drive-In restaurant in North Augusta. From the owners, Rachel and Kenny Franklin, who think of their staff more as family than employees, to the folks who once came as children and now return with their own little ones in tow, it is this sense of community, not to mention the great food, that has been a constant since the SNO-CAP first opened its doors in 1964.

Mary Pate, who dropped by to share her memories with the ETV crew, said that she used to come to the SNO-CAP to buy a hot fudge sundae with nuts for 35 cents when she was only 13-years-old. “Now I bring my kids back. They love to come get foot-long hot dogs,” said Pate.

Another devoted fan, Shane Thompson, told ETV about his first visit to the restaurant just over 27 years ago. Only a couple of days old, his father was bringing him home from the hospital, “and before we actually made it to the house, we stopped by here at the SNO-CAP.”

The SKY VIEW - Florence

During the stop at the Sky View Drive-In restaurant in Florence, the unwritten rules of the “drive-in” were revealed by one of its patrons, Brenda Harrison: “On Friday night, if it was a good date you cruised the View to see who was dating who and to be seen. But if it was a blind date, and somebody you didn’t want to be seen with, you didn’t want to come to the View.”

Others turning out that day to share their memories included Earle Hotchell who talked about ordering his favorite drinks, the Clarinet or the Trumpet he was 10-years-old and how he can still order them today, and Jimmy and Brenda Rhodes who became engaged on a cold February night in 1965 at the Skyview.

“We were cruising through the View,” said Rhodes, remembering back to that night in his ‘55 Chevrolet. After pulling into a parking spot, his soon-to-be bride found the engagement ring hidden in his coat. “She was still a senior in high school. I was already out, had graduated the year before.”

The Highway 21 Drive-In - Beaufort

When Joe Barth came home and told his wife, Bonnie, that he wanted to buy the then-closed Highway 21 Drive-In Theater, her first response was, “Can’t we just get a bigger TV?” However, their hard work together has paid off and has made the drive-in a Lowcountry destination.

“We’ve got people that come from Hilton Head, Savannah, Charleston, Summerville,” said Bonnie Barth. “They make a special trip to come up, just to bring their family to a drive-in because that’s what they grew up doing, and they want their kids to have that experience.”

And family is what it is all about at the Highway 21 Drive-In. Said patron Erica Jones, “I like the drive-in because it’s the perfect atmosphere. You’re not crowded into a little theater. It’s just the perfect atmosphere to be with your family and have a great time.”

Terry Pass, another drive-in enthusiast, agreed. He told the ETV crew that, “when you sit out here and watch the kids on the playground playing, and the parents sitting around on the back of their trucks, enjoying the evening…it’s just perfect!”

The Big Mo – Monetta

Since re-opening in 1999, the Monetta Drive-In Theater, otherwise known as the “Big Mo,” has been a big hit with South Carolinians. Its status as one of two drive-in theaters in the state certainly lends to part of this success, but the great value and kid-friendly atmosphere is what keeps families coming back all summer long.

With a double-feature playing each weekend, a children’s playground, and a wide variety of items available at the concession stand, it is no wonder that cars start lining up hours before the movies actually begin.

“We’re here every week if there’s a new movie,” said John Hanyok, who has been coming to the drive-in since he was seven-years-old. Now he enjoys watching his own seven-year-old play with other children on the Monetta’s playground. “It’s just magical the way they play. It’s like a Disney World to them.”

Richard Boaz, the owner of the Big Mo, said what he enjoys most is the feedback he gets from his customers. Sometimes it’s during a movie when he hears an entire field simultaneously break out into laughter. Other times its through e-mails from folks who thank him for providing such a unique opportunity to reconnect with their families. “That to me makes it worthwhile. It sounds kind of corny, but it’s true,” he said.

Guerin’s Pharmacy – Summerville

Generation after generation of customers has helped make Guerin’s Pharmacy in Summerville the oldest working pharmacy in the state. Dating back to 1871 and still going strong, it seems unlikely that this staple of the community will lose its historical distinction anytime soon. Just as it has been for over a century, Guerin’s remains a favorite gathering spot.

“This where you see the old Summerville people,” said Charles Weber, a former soda jerk at Guerin’s. “It’s sort of like a reunion when you come in here and sit down and just see who all comes in. It’s just a nice place to be.”

Margaret Kwist, who spoke to the ETV crew while surrounded by three other generations of her family, remembers coming with her grandmother. “And she, much to Mama’s chagrin, would bring me around five o’clock every afternoon for an ice cream or a Coca-Cola. It would ruin my supper. But it was wonderful.”

Carolyn Buscaglia reminisced about coming to Guerin’s on Sundays for “the most delectable treat—a sundae for 25 cents, in a paper cup—two scoops of vanilla ice cream, wet nuts, chocolate sauce, a little bit of whipped cream on top, and a cherry.”

Drive-Ins and Soda Shops also includes visits to:

Hiott’s Drug Store in Walterboro
Pitt Street Pharmacy in Mt. Pleasant

South Carolina ETV is the state's public educational broadcasting network with 11 television and eight radio transmitters, and a multi-media educational system in more than 2,500 schools, colleges, businesses and government agencies. Using television, radio and the web, SCETV's mission is to enrich lives by educating children, informing and connecting citizens, celebrating our culture and environment and instilling the joy of learning.

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For more information, contact Rob Schaller at (803) 737-6556 or rschaller@scetv.org.