CHESTER – A family favorite for decades, the Hilltop Drive-In Theater is appealing to the public for help so that it can make the expensive conversion from film to digital movies.
The drive-in’s ownership first raised the prospect of a digital transition in 2013 but was able to continue with 35 mm film through the end of the 2015 season.
Now the theater has reached the point of no return – it needs a digital projector or it won’t be able to reopen, said owner Katherine “Katie” Beaver. The word “closed” will appear on the marquee indefinitely, until the money is raised.
“We were planning on being open in April,” Beaver said. “We can’t continue with the old equipment.”
At 70 years old, the theater’s film projectors are obsolete. Digital is not just the way of the future – it’s the only way for the nation’s disappearing drive-ins to stay in business. Hollywood movie studios announced in 2013 that they were eliminating 35mm film and going exclusively to a digital format.
Beaver said she has a quote from a man in Florida that will get her a digital projector for $75,000. She needs to raise at least $10,000 toward a down payment before she can finance the rest.
The theater has raised about $3,200 so far through an April 30-May 1 “Trunk or Treasure” sale, a GoFundMe.com account and T-shirt sales, Beaver said. Two Chester businesses have made monetary donations.
“Everybody is starting to come together,” she said. “They’re saying, ‘We don’t want you to close.’ I’ve had such a good response.”
The next fundraiser is a poker run scheduled for June 11 at Tucker’s Tavern, 914 Henley St., Toronto. Motorcycle registrations will be taken through 11 a.m., and the ride will start at noon. Registration is $5. There will be a Chinese auction and a rigatoni dinner. Auction tickets are $1 each or six for $5. The dinner is $5.
Open since 1950, the Hilltop Drive-In has been under the same family ownership since Joe Danko bought it in 1988. Danko passed the ownership on to his daughter and son-in-law, Katie and Harry Beaver, of Rogers in 2014.
Beaver said it is her intention to keep the Hilltop open, mainly because there still is a demand for the things a drive-in theater has to offer – reasonable ticket prices, first-run movies, a family-friendly atmosphere and good customer service.
“The thing I get the most is: ‘People feel safe and our prices are right,'” she said. “They just keep saying, ‘We love you. There’s nowhere else to go.’ “
A man from Warren, Ohio – an hour away – comes mainly because of the personal service. “My people smile when they take his order. They don’t mind talking to him,” Beaver said.
In 2015, the Hilltop showed “San Andreas,” “Jurassic World,” “Inside Out” and other first-run movies.
The theater, located off Veterans Boulevard (state Route 8) just south of Chester, charges $8 for patrons 12 and older and $3.50 for children 6-11. Children under 6 are free.
Beaver said the acquisition of a digital projector is a “tall order” but not one that is out of reach.