This image is the cover for the book The Saco Drive-In: Cinema Under the Maine Sky, Landmarks

The Saco Drive-In: Cinema Under the Maine Sky, Landmarks

Families, teenagers, friends and sweethearts piled in their cars and filled the lot of Maine's first drive-in on opening night in 1939. A newsreel and cartoon rolled before the feature presentation, "Forbidden Music," cast the first outdoor movie spell over the town of Saco. Families came for the fresh-air movie experience, while visitors in the 1950s and '60s enjoyed the dimly lit privacy. The community rallied to save the Saco Drive-In in 2013, voting to fund the transition to digital projection. Now, families and couples of the future can continue to enjoy cinema under the Maine sky. Join local author Camille Smalley as she recounts the history, films and memories of the Saco Drive-In.

Camille M. Smalley

Camille Smalley is the collections and research manager at the Dyer Library and Saco Museum where she also researches, designs and creates exhibits. Smalley formerly served as the library and museum program and education manager. She is a founding member and the executive vice-president of the Saco Bay Center for Civic Engagement and serves on the fundraising team and promotions committee of the Saco Drive-In.

The History Press