Did You Know There Was Once a Prominent Movie Studio in Augusta, Maine?

These days, pretty much anyone you speak with would tell you that Hollywood is the epicenter for movie production in North America.

Sure, there are people making movies and TV shows in Georgia or Canada because of the affordability, but the hub is still in the Los Angeles area.

It wasn't always like that, though.

Prior to the consolidation of the of the early 1920s, when all the major studios set up shop in California, the movie industry was spread across the country.  Yes, that included rural New England.

Movies Made in Central Maine

In 1919, silent film actor Edgar Jones came to Maine with an ambitious idea: make movies about the North Woods right here in the state.

Jones teamed up with William B. Williamson and Blaine Viles to create Edgar Jones Productions. They built a film studio in Augusta and, between 1919 and 1921, produced 25 films. Six of those movies have since been found in archives and digitized.

Jones focused on North Woods dramas, with stories involving things like Maine’s lumber industry. A lot of the filming was done outside, using the Kennebec River and the forests of Central Maine as the backdrop.

The idea was simple. If you wanted the movies to feel like they were really happening in the Maine woods, why not actually film them in the Maine woods?

And every one of Jones’ films debuted at Augusta’s Colonial Theater between 1919 and 1921. The theater was owned by Williamson, one of Jones’ business partners.

Where Can I See Silent Movies Made in Maine?

The 4th annual Up In Maine festival will take place on August 29th at the Colonial Theater in Augusta, a place where many of these movies were shown when they were new.

You can get more details from the KJ article.