One of two remaining drive-ins in Oregon, Dallas' Motor Vu mixes nostalgia with first-run movies

Jeff Mexico isn't positive, but he's pretty sure that the Motor Vu Drive-In in Dallas is one of only two remaining in the state of Oregon. Unlike its counterpart in Newberg, it's the only one left showing first-run movies and doing so seven days a week.

In January, there were four. Unfortunately, in February, or so rumor has it, high winds blew over the only other two in existence, which were located in Milton Freewater and La Grande, respectively. Then there were two.

So, if viewers didn't have reason enough to savor the behemoth image of "The Incredible Hulk" when it leaps off the extra large screen at the Motor Vu on Friday night, they can savor the fact that nobody else in Oregon is watching it quite as they are.

"Dallas is proud of its drive-in," Mexico says, and it's quite clear that so is he.

The theater entrepreneur, who also owns Albany's Pix Theatre and Star Cinema in Stayton, bought the Motor Vu last October, along with Dallas' Fox Theater and a nearby coffee shop. Since then, he's had his nose to the film reel, renovating the theater, which was originally built in 1953.

That meant putting new countertops and fixtures in the snack bar and bathrooms, landscaping the grounds and painting just about everything. According to Mexico, that included the marquee, the box office, and most importantly, the screen.

"The screen was shades of light green and brown, so we wanted to repaint the screen," he says. "We painted it a nice, bright shade of white."

Mexico also added an ATM. For anybody who's ever driven to the Motor Vu only to realize they were out of cash, then been forced to drive all the way back to either Dallas or Rickreall, this will come as a huge relief.

Other improvements include the menu at the snack bar, which mirrors the unconventional selection found at The Pix. In addition to staples such as popcorn and candy, nachos and ice cream, the Motor Vu now serves homemade caramel corn, White Castle hamburgers, pizza, corndogs, chili dogs and even pickles.

"Believe it or not, even at our other theater, people asked for pickles. I don't know if that's an old '50s thing or what, but people buy a lot of pickles," Mexico says.

The fixes were finished in mid-April, and by the end of the month, the Motor Vu was open for business on the weekends. In May, it opened full-time, going all week long with the debut of superhero flick "Iron Man."

Since then, Mexico says business has been good, and that the allure of the drive-in still is very much intact.

In comparison with the typical movie-going experience or - heaven forbid! - the home theater experience, drive-in movies continue to be the ultimate in social cinematic experience.

"It's more of a family outing," he says. "At the drive-in, you can still go out in a park-like setting. When there's a playground, there'll be kids playing and people talking and eating and having a good time. Then, they watch a movie - when it gets dark enough - in lawn chairs. It's just a nostalgic family gathering."

Check it Out

The Motor Vu Drive-In is located at 315 S.E. Fur Villa, in Dallas, about a half hour from Corvallis and Albany. It's open seven days a week, and the gates and snack bar open around 7 p.m. The gates close at the start of the second movie, and the snack bar closes about 20 minutes into it. Admission is $18 per carload, even if you're alone.

Some other important information to keep in mind:

There is no alcohol or drug use permitted within the Motor Vu. Minors caught drinking will be asked to leave.

The radio station to turn to for the audio portion of the movie is 96.5 FM. To cut down on noise interference, anybody listening to other music will be asked to turn it off. Obviously, you will need a radio to hear the movie, although Mexico says you can often hear the sound coming from other cars.

Those wishing to make out should park in the back row. If you're caught flagrantly making out in the middle of the parking lot, surrounded by families, you may be asked to leave.

There is a security guard on-duty to make sure that a family-friendly atmosphere is preserved.

Dogs are allowed, as long as they're not scratching or biting, and provided you clean up your pooch's mess.

For more information, see the Web site www.dallasmotorvu.com.