Saco Drive-In

969 Portland Road,
Saco, ME 04074

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Mike (saps)
Mike (saps) on August 28, 2024 at 1:22 am

This drive-in moved and has reopened.

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on April 2, 2023 at 3:16 pm

Boxoffice, April 17, 1948: “The Saco Drive-In, Saco, Me., which has the distinction of being the Pine Tree state’s only open air theatre, has been sold to Eugene Boragine of New York City. George O’Neill, who operated the theatre since it was built, returned it to its original owner last month, and he, in turn, sold it to Boragine. Included in the sale, which consists of 54 acres, is a hotel and restaurant. The new owner plans to operate the entire property, although the theatre buying and booking will be handled by Herbert Higgins. Boragine is in the interior decorating business in New York but he will spend the summer months on his new project. He is not a newcomer to the industry as 30 years ago he was the manager of a theatre in Providence for Martin Toohey, who brought his friend into the district to introduce him to the exchanges.”

Denny Pine
Denny Pine on August 28, 2022 at 7:00 pm

The Saco Drive-In is in the process of moving across the street next to Aquaboggin Water Park

rivest266
rivest266 on July 11, 2022 at 7:54 pm

Renamed Saco Open Air on July 22nd, 1939.

rivest266
rivest266 on July 11, 2022 at 7:51 pm

Grand opening ad posted.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on March 2, 2022 at 9:50 pm

The Saco Drive-In Theatre closed for the season on September 19, 2021 with “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” and “Candyman.” It was sold to a trailer dealer and did not reopen for the 2022 season.

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on March 21, 2019 at 1:43 pm

Looking through some 1940 issues of The Exhibitor, it generally referred to the theater as the Saco Drive-In.

June 5: “Drive-In Saco is operating full blast although a steady seige of rainy weather hampered.”

July 3: “Saco Drive-In here opened June 22.”

Aug. 14: “Saco Drive-In, after changing hands, has closed.”

Sept. 18: “Saco Open Air is closed.”

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on October 5, 2018 at 12:26 pm

Opened as Auto Drive-in on 15/7/1939 with “Forbidden music”. Name changed to Saco Drive-in(1950’s?). Won a digital projector in 2013.

Mike (saps)
Mike (saps) on August 12, 2018 at 10:05 pm

I’m heading up to the drive-in next week, does anyone know if the digital bulb is still as bright and clear as it should be? If they haven’t changed it since 2014 (as has happened at many locations, both hardtop and drive-ins) I will be disappointed…

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on September 20, 2017 at 7:48 pm

One more note – anyone interested in the history of the Saco should check out Camille M. Smalley’s 2014 book, The Saco Drive-In: Cinema Under the Maine Sky. It’s available in ebook and dead-tree versions at the usual places.

nritota
nritota on September 20, 2017 at 7:48 pm

You have to keep in mind that theater companies often overstated capacity as well. It allowed them to be offered “bigger” films since the distributor wanted to be exposed to the maximum audience.

On the flip side, a lot of independents understated their receipts in order to pay less of the percentage owed to distributors.

It was a delicate dance that played out all over the country in hard tops and drive ins.

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on September 20, 2017 at 7:41 pm

Mike is right that I’ve been going through so many of these that I started thinking that everyone knew all the abbreviations and notes of these books. My apologies, and thanks to DI54 for pitching in. The cryptic abbreviations (other than IMPA) are what appeared in the books, which provided different levels of detail in different yearly editions.

The numbers at the end are vehicle capacity. Some of them could get very specific, since a drive-in owner knew exactly how many in-car speakers he had to maintain. But the first “75-150” in the 1953-54 edition of the Motion Picture Almanac (not International yet) looked like a hand-altered “75-” added to a previously laid-out 150. Out of hundreds of drive-ins, there were probably fewer than a dozen hyphenated ranges listed. I’d say that it was surprising that this uncertain number hung on for two decades, but inertia was a powerful force for those Almanac folks. As DI54 implies, these references are informative but not definitive.

Drive-In 54
Drive-In 54 on September 20, 2017 at 6:16 pm

What he is doing is listing the owners/operators of the drive-ins that are listed in the Theatre Catalogs and the IMPA (International Motion Picture Almanac) both are reference books for theatre researchers. But there information can be quite dubious at times also.

Mike (saps)
Mike (saps) on September 20, 2017 at 5:18 pm

NeonMichael, I even put your post into Google translate, but I still can’t make heads or tails out of it. Care to elaborate…?

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on September 20, 2017 at 4:39 pm

Here’s what’s on my shelf:

*Theatre Catalogs

1948-50: Eugene Boragine, 300.

1952-56: A. C. O'Neill and Herbert Higgins, 300

*(I)MPAs

1953-54: E. Borazin; Higgins, 75-150.

1955-59: Higgins Circuit, 75-150.

1963: Madison Theas. Co., 75-150.

1969-76: 75-150.

1982: SBC Mgt. Corp., 600.

1984-88: SBC Mgt. Corp.

Mike (saps)
Mike (saps) on June 1, 2014 at 12:06 am

Just came from a few days at Ogunquit and made a special trip to this drive-in, and I am very pleased to report that the digital projection is effin' awesome!

This has to be the clearest and brightest drive-in presentation that I have seen in decades. It had the quality of a high-end hardtop. The screen is white and in great shape, with no noticeable flaws, and the sound was crisp and static-free.

X-Men looked sensational, even in the dark scenes, and the glossy Other Woman was as shiny as a new penny. (The movie itself was dreadful, but it sure looked swell on the big screen!)

This is how it should be done. Showmanship and professionalism it its best. Kudos to all involved.

gmelick
gmelick on May 12, 2014 at 4:57 pm

They’re opening Heaven Is For Real and Amazing Spiderman2 this weekend, 5/16/14.

They will follow that on 5/23 with X-Men: Days of Future Past and The Other Woman…

Then on 5/30 with Maleficent and X-Men..

Million Dollar Arm will be shown starting 6/6 with the 2nd week of Maleficent.

You can follow their programming on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/sacodrivein.

Hope you enjoy them all!

  • their booker, Greg Melick, Cinema Links.
SteveSwanson
SteveSwanson on May 11, 2014 at 8:55 pm

Yes they have. Opening film for May 2 was Rio 2. The week after featured an independent horror film festival with live music.

Mike (saps)
Mike (saps) on May 11, 2014 at 7:21 pm

Theater’s open for the season; have the digital projectors been installed?

antoniomontana
antoniomontana on September 12, 2013 at 11:14 pm

Great News, Saco drive-in will get new digital projectors courtesy of Honda’s ProjectDrivein contest. Thanks for the Votes!

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on July 28, 2010 at 8:45 pm

Saco Drive-in, billed as “The Showplace of Maine”.

nritota
nritota on November 28, 2009 at 9:26 am

Is this an independent now?

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on November 27, 2009 at 11:21 pm

Yeah, I thought that was an awful small lot,but i remember going through the Virginia mountains back in the early 70’s and i never saw such a small drive In located in those mountains it was tiny. My Almanac book could be wrong.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on November 27, 2009 at 10:38 pm

No i did not work here. I found a 1956 Motion picture Almanac in the old Miller Theatre and sometimes i get it out to help with infO.However, I did work at my cousin’s drive in free of charge when i was 16 and spent a couple of weeks there. I actually made a CHANGE OVER when the Projectionists got sick and had to visit the toilet. I did not to too bad, It was HOMBRE with Paul Newman. Non-union booth in Forrest City, N.C.. I heard that Drive inhad just closed up about a year or so.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on November 27, 2009 at 10:16 pm

Whats up Mike did you work at this drive-in too?