No. 1 Drive-In
2546 Deans Bridge Road,
Augusta,
GA
30906
2546 Deans Bridge Road,
Augusta,
GA
30906
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I’d be willing to bet that on U.S. Highway 1 there were hundreds of drive-in theatres from Maine to the Keys. One such drive-in was the No. 1. It held 300 cars and was owned by Holland-Boston Theatres in 1956.
On March 7, 1953 it played Zane Grey’s "Nevada" with Robert Michum. The second feature was "Deported" billed "A Daring Story" with Jeff Chandler and Marta Toren. At midnight they played two shocking horror features, "Murder Mob" and "Man With 9 Lives".
Ray Hutto visited this site in the past and said he found old carbon thrown back in the trees. He said you can see some foundations left of the drive-in even today.
In a Metro Spirit interview with Mike Rogers, Ray Hutto spoke of his memories of the No. 1 Drive-In, " a friend and myself were walking from school at Murphy Jr. High when we saw a rather chubby woman cliping hedges at the old No. 1 Drive-In that had been closed for two or three years" Hutto explained.
He continued, "she asked us if we wanted a job at 60-cents an hour. Her name was Mrs. Horton, and she and her husband had bought the drive-in and wanted to make a go of it. So we took the jobs and did anything we could to help get family-type films on the screen. Sadly within two or three years it was closed for good".
Contributed by
Mike Rogers
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Recent comments (view all 9 comments)
When my Friend Bobby Matthews and I were hired by Mr Horton we had to help clean up the grounds, cut grass, and do other things to get the Drive In ready to open (60 cents an hour, we couldn’t beleive we were making a penny a minute). Before then we would walk through the Drive In and sometimes we would actually pull speakers off the posts just being destructive idiots.
Well, Bobby told Mr Horton that my Dad was an Electrician so Mr Horton had me to, yep, rewire all those Speakers.
Mr Horton worked hard to get the projectors and sound working and at first had a very large speaker setting just outside the Concession Stand for the sound. This was temporary. He soon had the car speakers working.
We helped them to hire some other friends of the same age (14-16 yrs) to work in the Concession Stand and Box Office. We cleaned up the Concession , mopped floors etc. I worked out a schedule for all of us on different nights as a rotating type schedule.Usually 2 of us on weeknights and 3-4 on Weekend nights. They charged 50 cents for 1 person (blue ticket) and $1.00 for a carload (red ticket).
In front, nearest the Highway was the No 1 Barbecue. A Disc Jockey Booth was there a was Broadcast on WGAC, They played teen records of that time era.The DJ there would also commnicate with another DJ at Lakeside. That was a simular Teen hangout. One DJ would check to see if the other had a certain 45rpm record to play as a request.
NOTE: If you go to Google Earth, then put in Augusta, Ga Econo Paint you can see the outlines of ramps in the open lot across from Econo Paint, and the cement slab that was the Concession and Projection Booth.
Those were some really great days…..
Thanks for reading this,
Ray Hutto
RAY, thanks so much for taking the time and help me with our city’s history of movie theatres. I’VE GOT AT LEAST 8 OR 10 GUYS I WORKED WITH AT ABC THEATRES AND GCC THAT COULD ADD SO MUCH,BUT I CANNNOT GET THEM TO WRITE A THING! I MEAN THEY WILL SIT AROUND FOR HOURS TALKING OF THE OLD DAYS,ENJOY READING WHAT I SUBMIT,BUT THEY WILL NOT LIFT A FINGER. BILL BARKLEY HAS TONS OF STORIES!
Ray, did you know Mrs.Hank Willams attened a promotion there.I wonder if she did this after Hank died,I did not have a date on the movie ad. It also stated the Drive in had a nursery for kids with a trained nurse on hand, I hadn’t heard of that in Augusta Drive in history.Parents could drop the kids off and enjoy the movie.
August 3 1953 NOW SHOWING “YOU AND ME” with PETER LAWFORD and JANE GREER.The second movie was “SINGING IN THE RAIN” This drive-in had a nurse on call to watch the kids,while mom and dad watched the movie.
Was this really No.1?
Yes, it was located on Highway one.U.S. Highway One from Maine to the Keys.
June 8 1957 and “GIRLESQUE” is playing with “SINFUL”.ADULT entertaiment 1957 style.LOL.
“PICK-UP” and “COUNT THE HOURS” is playing.Here.
AUGUSTA DRIVE-IN THEATRES now on Facebook plez join,