Bloomington drive-in theater one of only a dozen left in Indiana

With its original screen, projector and popcorn machine circa 1955, the Starlite Drive-in Movie Theatre has a rich history.

Troy Jarvis, who owns the drive-in with his wife Cindy, said he hopes it will have a rich future, too.

In 2003, the couple bought the Starlite from Ruth and Carl Stewart, who built the drive-in in their backyard in 1955.

“He built it when he was 33 years old, and we bought it when we were 33 years old,” Jarvis said. “It was the first drive-in built in the state, and he kept it immaculate.”

The Jarvises didn’t get into the drive-in business for the money — they had a soft spot for the nostalgic outdoor movie experience. They combed the state looking for an old drive-in to revitalize. The Starlite was for sale, and they fell in love with it.

When they gained ownership, the theater wasn’t showing new releases like other indoor theaters in town. Troy said he worked hard to obtain rights to show new box office hits, which he said really picked up the whole business.

The theater is open six months of the year — April through September — and shows movies Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

“It’s a hard thing to pull a weekly crowd all the time,” Troy said. “It’s not really worth opening it for 10 to 15 cars throughout the week, especially when that same crowd comes on the weekends.”

He said his loyal crowd is 70-percent regular drive-in moviegoers. Some even give him a call when they can’t make it to a showing.

Jarvis said the Starlite is lucky to be in Bloomington. He said, at one point, the state of Indiana had 117 drive-in theaters. Now, about a dozen are left.

“I’m not in fear as much as other areas are. Bloomington consistently holds a good crowd. It’s a big, good college town,” Troy said. “It’s a great, stable town for Indiana. I can’t think of a more stable town in the state.”

Jarvis doesn’t deny that he has competition, but it’s not other movie theaters he is threatened by.  He said he is competing for attendance with soccer games and baseball tournaments.

After all, the Starlite, run by Jarvis, his wife and two kids, is a family affair. He wants his drive-in to be another family-friendly activity for Bloomington residents in the warm months.

“When you come to the drive-in, you are coming for the experience,” he said. “You are coming for the movie, but you are coming for the outdoor experience, too, to be able to go to a show and spend the evening at a cheaper price than you would at the indoor theater.”

They opened last weekend with “The Hunger Games” and “Mission Impossible 4,” and drew in about 500 cars Friday and Saturday. The lot can hold more than 400 cars on any given night.

Jarvis plans to go digital this summer so he can show 3-D movies, which he hopes will draw more people to the theater. Starlite has a full concession stand and charges $8 per adult and $4 per child.

Jarvis said attendees can eat there or bring their own food. The gates usually open two hours before the show time, which varies depending upon when the sun sets. He said families make an evening of the drive-in, playing frisbee and enjoying the outdoors.

“I’m trying to create an atmosphere,” he said. “They might remember what they saw, but we just want them to have a great time going.”