drive in

Film buffs sit snugly in cars watching a drive-in movie, munching popcorn on a lovely recent fall night.

The hayseed county that begat Richard Nixon and the boysenberry also bestowed the Righteous Brothers’ “blue-eyed soul” and the drive-in church upon the world.

Built on the site of California’s first drive-in movie theater, the center played prominent roles in the 1995 film “Clueless” and the video for musician Tom Petty’s 1989 hit “Free Fallin’.”

Watching it, I felt as snug as being nestled in the backseat of my grandparents’ car at the drive-in.

Los Angeles, home of the nation’s first freeway and drive-in church, has long been ambivalent if not downright antagonistic toward paid parking.