Gem City Jewel: Drive-in had 2 speakers per car

The Belmont Auto Theater opened at 2060 County Line Road on August 7, 1947. In 1954, the Belmont became the first drive-in in the area to introduce CinemaScope movies.

At first Twentieth Century Fox refused to release C-Scope films to any drive-in that did not have a stereo sound system. This meant each car had to have two speakers, and a hefty investment would have to be made. Seeing how well CinemaScope films were being received in downtown theaters, the Belmont owners agreed to purchase the stereophonic sound equipment.

Unfortunately, Twentieth Century Fox soon changed its mind and began allowing drive-ins without stereo systems to show CinemaScope movies and Belmont’s monopoly of this type of movie came to an end.

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