Maine History Told by Mainers

Lowe's Augusta Drive-In Theatre

Submitted January 24, 2008 by Rick Violette

On route 202, in Manchester, Maine, on the location where J&S Oil now stands, E.M. Lowe's Augusta Drive-In Theatre once stood as a bastion of entertainment. In the early 50's Lowe's would exhibit first and second run movies, which provided a nights entertainment for a buck. I remember seeing Charleton Heston in all his Mosaic glory, telling the Pharaoh, "Let my people go!" and later parting the Red Sea.

The big screen was never bigger and all of this action piped through a speaker that was maybe three inches in diameter! No such thing as Surround Sound or Dolby 5.1! As a matter of fact, I remember having to move from one spot to another, because the speaker at a particular spot didn't work. Hearing Elvis Presly through that speaker was like listening to a scratchy 45-rpm played on a record player with a needle that had two nickels taped to it so it would track correctly! If you were lucky, you might not have a neighbor and you could get both speakers in your car, so you would have a "stereophonic experience" monophonic limitations never entered into the equation!

The show always began with previews of coming attractions, one to three cartoons, and maybe a humorous short subject. The first movie was usually the "A" movie, and the "B" movie was usually entertaining, but not as recent a movie or it was a real clunker, such as "Plan 9 From Outer Space". I'm not sure I ever saw the second feature of the Lowe's double feature.

During high school years, the first half of the 60's, the character of the drive-in definitely changed. The trips to the drive-in were with friends - no parents allowed! Oh the things that went on in the cars with steamed up windows! I had my first beer, a warm Colt-45, at the Lowe's drive-in. Also saw my first racy movie there - I believe it was "Fanny Hill" which would probably play on the Disney Channel today!

The phenomenon of the drive-in conjures up memories of innocent times spent with parents, cousins and friends. There was a certain sense of adventure that came with the drive-in, particularly during those high school years!

During the summer of 2005, I discovered that Skowhegan still has a drive-in and I believe I will ask my wife of 36 years, for a date to the "passion pit". Maybe we can gross out some teenagers when they see these 50-somethings necking!