The Ford-Wyoming Drive-In: Cars, Candy & Canoodling in the Motor City

By Karen Dybis

Shortly after World War II, three Dearborn brothers bought a vacant parcel to build a drive-in theater. Local groups opposed them, fearing such a place would elicit "immoral behavior." But the Clark family persevered to see its movie palace become a Metro Detroit mainstay, hosting celebrities, rock stars and a never-ending line of families with kids in footie pajamas. A handshake transferred ownership to movie magnate Charles Shafer and his business partner, Bill Clark, who expanded the theater to a massive nine screens. But blockbusters and hordes of teens couldn't mitigate the effects of Detroit's decline, auto company bankruptcies and Michigan's economic malaise. Despite it all, the mighty Ford-Wyoming kept the movies showing, bringing a bit of Hollywood glamour to the gritty Motor City.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The History Press
• Release date: Aug 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781625850805

Karen Dybis

Karen Dybis is a metro Detroit writer who has blogged for "Time"? magazine and worked the business desk at the Detroit News. She was born in Bad Axe (where she saw her first drive-in movie in the back of a Suburban), raised in Romeo and is proud to say her two children had their first drive-in movie experience at the Ford-Wyoming.

Book preview

��1^book_preview_excerpt.html�Z�r��}\��T-iKɗȉJ)��#�HK%�a�;��E8���]����M^�O�s�1?4eW��2�;4�O�>����U��&wn^~ѿz��ë��]����o�
~�'曋o��\_��w�(_���s��XS��&����b >4�w�{g�+����T6��|kSlks���`:[;�lv>����{W |>�d�ob���O�㫯�?�3����a����Ͷ�Ճ�);����:X��<g��ɾ ~�+��Pw�߫��߹6r���)Lr��.?���,_���}6�޷�>���c����Z�!97ld��xgߝ]�1�d��ǖ�_��2���d�]h��|oS�L��٢�[�;��578��=�c>D[��w�d>Xr��#5��2�ڻzlq��|e^~|�����/>�21�z��@�3�F`��w������Jh�-]�M$�0�v�C&�w�d����ӈ�z�=�iϿ|���6�i�it�x�F�Yq��Ξp�w���֙�s�v�nm���z®_Ƿ���C�mj�ۥ�`��' O��7�o�����ǟ��m춰�W�!��(���G��-�K;���@�OL$���8�!VȄ���/^�#C��FYae�
O����A<��S��S���:Nc5��u���{��x��c[���<�/9�sGSެ�#5w��)�CDh7��ژ%�'$G�09�s&��X
��:�����'P�Y��R������\��~~Fϸ��oO�Q&
��* ��>!�'���� �i�&��P2ӧb�R�kl���h�1�-�G�n����==&��#N�#־f\X�.ě��4�G0چ��}ٚ�=l�NR6[�����$<��]!�jL�Hz�*<)K��n�v�_�Й`��Q�$��ʮ�gpg�7{���"U$�$�n;�i�>Q��5��ܔb!T��a:���iw�e#�*�p�Qɜ�!_fҽH�,͈`z���"S� �%�.�."}�q�� �*�>�_Ŕ�V�0p/d�@�� �:�&��ZP ��"�����4.�^�~��p�/O�%��8a��W'4s��DMR�������u��%,D3��8V��V��i���
�����d���q��C${<����bd��*�t���Ix�vcn�+�h�x�D @��DV}�Z�q�`‘6U����R���6�Q��Q��L�h:�>5�5_c?��lmT�k9.�O�ډ+���F��Onl5��夵��A�uB_�l�x��H& 4��H � O\����3nX"��dFe���Sd� �v��a&D�U�$�P~�� X�G1�֊BQ�Zj�.�RaF�j�u���1�K�fR.�{��.ӑŧ��d*?�<��a9�;<��6J��=u����0H�x�+�y� � K�0��1ʹ�� Z�`b1V�d<%+|Sj�ߎ�Dd�,�������q+�u�èշ�m.8��L�� ̓�����8����ۖu�Tj��]�I
���G׶���0L�xM�W 8J솄%���I��]�����Qʔ��:� J�c�o!K�0ߙ����8q�Ve�� )zM߉Ä�I�{g�N����N��!��9�h���5H$�]������Н�qT7dcЂ�r xj�U���$߈K��������s�S��S�^q�c���⟓� �,�4-ъw��W�i����nJ�tT������&��4涅 R�_��S�3i���Wb�����IEF9�o �xmWf`���֕��K�6��+c{$T�\��m�����$Y�P����B$�r�K��γ�7���V�n��g��%�Xe�C�Gfp���-� ��9��TL�5���4@�����D ��z����!>PpF��28��T�Q�¡K�{����ݛ�٣�����k��������w��;ߗ�{uoC�b�T �%8X�x]
Wd@�y��x�Ą+\���p���!��n��oY�ή��������$��#)�!���&��ɋ?���(��ޱMPU9w�7��߼��*�ٓZi9`
Ү'�Y��B�uH�UW�6̠�,e�;��F���Z��v@ƴuɹ���Y,�X���L��s���) ԶGr#$��� �k$5�P�Nz�S ?��St�&(��8�T���О�1�n��*� (ְMx�Co���>U�g'�K�^k�e6�t9N��"q
�* ��)�oD��K��9{iu������B(�}.��c��i�K�P��"�j���s^�f��2؈A�a��(�Q�O}0�j5 �B��.�'�Zéyd��MS�{��!n�;.1�M觾@TX�[�v"YKx�-Yq 2�]"S{X��NQ8L%���*��2�K��7l3��$����T���w0��P�I���_~��,��kHdOg*�]��C�P`�fr*#.`a�@2�����< ��AB1s ��ٟ_��Q'N>��Ҹ ���+]ڜ�r�K!JSq�<�x�y{���>���TV\[�2�o�5�m̍�6���ܶd�tT'�:����
X�'���s\ں�v;L�Hp{�:�O��z��ܷ�Hͫ��n2�A�g>��.Bv�A��ƱT!*2Oywd��g�����^<��ͣ�0���8aq��A�"�Y�xP�\N0o����{h���e�I��t~!�`U�e25��2�h��;0�Z�tR�>z�:s����lƌm$�5��Y�g����n�^���t��sO�9��ǖ�E4�6�9�ﶜ(�ģ�u��T5Ml�7n��d���[>/㲋�^�$�ϭ!������h��Z�]�)Š09z��⠁k���k�m�N�)��ζO&�x����J�Ufmt��Lds�Fͤ�Iŗ&��ì'7��B^QRM65#$~|�O��k<`����TD&�Zas<�C�4���Q���$�Y�cgCu*�a�@�-,$���ΕŕIگ��l^G�C��å�wj�p�F���ϿZ�#Xm���a5>W� G�$���k�5�R�tC����x�T�T�I�� vq����C%/@$7��%�R΅�/Ɔ���78�Pߺ�N$�}�5�~�;�qY�۽i�v�����-~?��XhS]��v}P�˥�[�����P����R���ݿ�
����=�yYe}�U��2���D[zU(��aR�%�/� `q���%����
LZ�K��wF�R�R���)��K�e�����l��4��?�l-��o�e����p��Y'y_{荝�M�J�6�W�>s��d�5(�_1�� �#��b�I`>�Ͳ�i��k���j.�QT�x�oF�J��s��pX�������������WQ��� ����>E��U�G" N��_�ժ�[�ďS�\�w� Z�����g��+���I�� XCQ[���b���$գ��`�5�<�}��Q��ga���q��l#
ϥ9� �JG�Y��6+O�T{%�*����^����P��r���E�����Y���*�� ɖ����?ez&?��1 ���h�0�b2/�G��3�Y�>���3��(ʠ�^���})�9�P"x�+�{�m�{�Or��Yve,r���Z'��$$�G^�|`�̲�I˰D��w kN�V�N�?�;��}�|��}�f*ĭ��߬e��k�����\l�S�j�re�!,TnO6k�5
O��;Q��R+֘W������v��uA����H�e�H���tqR$��2�D�-ES.z����˶�n'��X�0P��j�J�fN�h+�/sqFC�&