News Article: AT THE MOVIES New drive-in theater opens in Frenchtown
(Dean Cousino The Monroe News 06/04/21)

The new Memory Lane Drive-In Theater in Frenchtown Township has opened on the site of the former Denniston Drive-In and indoor theatre off N. Monroe St. (M-125). The drive-in, which is open seven nights a week, was built by partners Todd Williams and Don Collins, both Lincoln Park natives. Four generations of the same family gathered for the opening weekend of the Memory Lane Drive-in Theater in Frenchtown Township. A family of four watch a movie at the new Memory Lane Drive-in Theater that opened this past weekend in Frenchtown Township. A classic old pickup drives by the marquee in front of the new Memory Lane Drive-in Theater that opened last weekend in Frenchtown Township. Todd Williams had a dream 12 years ago to open a drive-in theater and have his mother attend opening night. His dream came true when the Memory Lane Drive-In opened May 28 in Frenchtown Township on the site of the former Denniston Theatre on N. Monroe St (M-125). Unfortunately, his mother – Judy Broden of St. Ignace – died suddenly the day before. Todd, the youngest of three children who grew up in Lincoln Park, was devastated. “My mother was the kindest person I’ve ever known, very loving and a big supporter of what I wanted to do,” the 46-year-old Williams said Wednesday. “We had been planning for two months for her to be here after not being able to see the family because of COVID. "She was going to take the grandchildren and shower them with affection while I was working. The morning we were opening, I got a call about her death. It was tragic for me. I didn’t know what to do. I wasn’t sure if I was going to open or not.”

Both he and his boyhood friend and partner in the business — Don Collins — agreed to go ahead with the opening while Williams attended his mother’s funeral Tuesday. The two men had been working four years to get the 16-acre theater site in shape. The drive-in, which had closed in the late 1970s, is finally open again with the latest digital technology and available for shows seven nights a week through Oct. 31. The box office opens at 8 p.m. with the two shows starting at 9:30. The sound is broadcast on 88.5 FM radio for visitors to hear with. Through June 10, the movies “Raya and the Last Dragon,” an animated action film, and “Cruella,” a first-run live action film featuring Emma Stone, are showing on a big 40-by 80-foot screen. Starting June 11, “ET, the Extra Terrestrial,” the children’s classic from 1982 and directed by Steven Spielberg, and “Top Gun,” featuring Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis and Val Kilmer, will be shown.

Admission to the theater is $11 for 13 and older and $6 for children 5 to 12. Children 4 and under are free. Williams bought the property for the drive-in May 2, 2017, and has been preparing the site ever since. It’s been a long ordeal, he said. “This is a personal triumph for me,” he said. “I had depression and a lot of things to overcome first. I’ve been working seven days a week for five years to get to this point. My mom knew what I was going through and worried about me. I told her this is something I have to do and God knew I could do.” The screen was one of three solid steel screens the partners salvaged from the former Pontiac Silverdome, Williams said. They are currently in storage until the site is ready for installing them. “We still have a lot of work to do and a lot of elements to put in place,” Williams said. “Our goal is to have a three-screen theater. Our website is not ready yet. The concession isn’t ready, but we have a playground and vendors with food.” Two food trailers run by Matthew and Karen Nemeth will sell everything from elephant ears and deep-fried orioles to brats and hamburgers with soft drinks. Also working in the trailers are Matthew’s parents – Brian and Lesley Nemeth, both of whom just retired from their jobs at Ford Motor Co. and teaching, respectively. The theatre employs 20 people, Williams said.FONT Crowds have been decent so far, he said. The gravel parking lot has a capacity for 468 vehicles.

Sunday night’s turnout was the biggest so far under clear skies, Collins said. Among the visitors was a family with four generations present. “It was a beautiful setting, almost magical,” he said. “At night, it’s a totally different feel than during the day. It had a campground feel. We have an old school-like playground in front of the screen that is tilted so you can watch while you play.” Natalie Askar came Saturday night with her 9-year-old son, Amr. There were kids playing on the playground and both she and her son huddled with blankets to watch the movies. “It was nice to have a family thing to do,” Askar said. Williams, a married father of six children, said he was first inspired to build a drive-in when he visited a drive-in in Cleveland in 2009. “I just fell in love with the idea,” he recalled. “It changed my life. I saw the joys and people from all walks of life having fun outdoors. I knew then and started analyzing what it would take.” Both he and Collins also own an auto repair shop, a business that Collins will manage while Williams is running the drive-in. “There’s a big financial cost that we’re trying to recoup from building the drive-in,” Williams said. “But it’s worth it. It’s my dream to build this for families to get back together and have valued entertainment with each other. It could be a glorious thing to provide something for families to have a good time with their children. The American dream isn’t dead. You can overcome your fears and setbacks and have success.” (The Monroe News 6/4/21)