Pohatchee Drive-In Theatre
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The Pohatchee Drive-In was a drive-in theater located about 20 miles outside of Hill Valley in 1955. The terrain was mostly desert and mesa. It was chosen by Emmett Brown as the location to send Marty McFly back to 1885 as there were no trees in either time at that location and that it was far enough away from Hill Valley that there would be a small risk of the DeLorean being seen. A bear cave, however, existed in both times not far from the theater.
Following the 1950s, drive-in movies were in decline, largely due to land becoming too valuable for summer-only businesses like drive-ins. Even in a temperate region like California, where drive-ins could operate year-round, their decline was also attributed to improved conditions as traditional movie houses and the rise of television. Presumably the Pohatchee Drive-In had closed down by 1985, as it is not seen in that time era.
It was named for the Pohatchee tribe of Indians that inhabited the area in the 19th century.
Behind the scenes
- The drive-in was constructed in Monument Valley, Utah, and deconstructed after filming.
- One of the posters seen on the building is for Revenge of the Creature, which starred Clint Eastwood in his first movie as a lab technician where he said "I've lost my white mouse". The other poster is for Tarantula, which also had Eastwood in an uncredited role as a jet squadron leader.
- As a reference to being the concluding sequel in the Back to the Future trilogy, all three movies advertised on the marquee were films produced by Universal in the 1950s, all three were sequels, and all were the last of a series. These were Francis in the Navy, Ma and Pa Kettle in Waikiki, and Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy. Eastwood also had a small part in the first film.
- Doc had bought Marty a garish cowboy outfit which was adorned with atomic symbols, with possible reference to the 50s being the "atomic age" during which nuclear bombs were tested in the desert Southwest, Marty driving a nuclear powered vehicle, as well as the popularity of cowboy films in that era.
