The Ford-Wyoming Drive-In – Cars, Candy and Canoodling in the Motor City

The Ford-Wyoming Drive-In
128 Pages
ISBN 9781626195486

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.

Karen Dybis

About Karen Dybis (Detroit, Michigan Author)

Karen Dybis

Michigan native Karen Dybis is a metro Detroit writer who has blogged for Time magazine, worked the business desk at the Detroit News and jumped on breaking stories for publications including Corp! magazine, Detroit Unspun and Agence France-Presse newswire.

She is the author of The Ford-Wyoming Drive-In: Cars, Candy & Canoodling in the Motor City. Karen's favorite Better Made flavor is the Garlic Dill Pickle Krinkle Cut potato chips.