Fargo Theater Stories

"Boogie" Man
While attending North Dakota State University in Fargo, several college buddies and I attended a screening of Boogie Nights in the beautiful Fargo Theater. It turned out that nearly all of people in the theater were college students, and it had a festive, raucous atmosphere.

In the last scene of the movie—and those who have seen the movie will certainly remember—there was a hushed silence throughout the audience. Then, when Mr. Wahlberg gives the audience a big surprise, some student exclaimed, "I love Play-Doh!"

I couldn't have said it better.
—Damien Riehl, St. Paul

"The Time of My Life"
I had many good life experiences at the FT. To start with, I went from working in the beet fields to the Fargo Theater, where my two sisters worked. I wonder if they ever regreted getting me a job there. I was 15, making $0.75 an hour, and challenged the system. Working as an usher, I knew the ropes—or should I say the exit doors. One night I let my boyfriend and his friends in the exit door. Oops!—I got caught. My manager John said, "You're fired," and walked away. I didn't leave, just kept working. I needed this job, and he needed me. Ended up working there till graduation! Worked with Bobby Vee's girlfriend. On our breaks we played music in the dressing rooms downstairs. It was the time of my life in the '60s. Thank you, Fargo Theater!
—Kirstin Juul, Minneapolis

Theater of Choice
I moved to Fargo in 1975. I was 5 years old. The Fargo was always the theater of choice. My friend Lois and I used to go to double features all the time. When you are 11, Arsenic and Old Lace with Carey Grant is really spooky. The popcorn was always good, and I lived to see the organ rise up out of the floor. He could have played the entire time.

Every time I went to the Fargo, I felt like I was a part of history. Many thanks to the Fargo for providing a wonderful backdrop for some great memories.
—Kirstin Juul, Minneapolis

Big-City Elegance
I remember going to the Fargo Theatre with my high school English class sometime in the mid '60s to see the movie Othello—yes, the one by Mr. Shakespeare. We didn't have a lot of live theatre to attend in those days, so seeing a Shakespeare play on the silver screen seemed like a pretty big deal to me. The Fargo Theatre knew how to play up to us: I won't ever forget the theatre ushers—the women in long evening gowns and the men in tuxedos—just to show us where to sit! It felt like a big-city experience to small-school students like myself—the Fargo Theatre still has that kind of elegance for me.
—Vern Goodin, Moorhead

First Date at the Fargo
My first date was at the Fargo Theater, although calling it a date is a stretch. I was 10, and the neighbor boy was 11. His allowance was $0.55 a week, and with that he bought both our tickets for $0.25 each and had a nickel left over to buy a box of candy. Our younger brothers and sisters were sitting as nearby as they could get to us, which took the pressure off. Instead of having to figure out how to act on a date, we could just act annoyed at our younger siblings.

The movie was a very sad one, All Mine to Give. A pioneer family has six children, then both parents die and the oldest child has to find homes for the others. Tears and laughter and then it was over.
—Mary Wroblewski, Eden Prairie

A Ton of Memories
I grew up in Moorhead, which is across the river from Fargo, and I have a ton of memories of the Fargo Theater! Where do I start? I remember my mom and dad bringing me to the theater to Silent Movie Night, and Lance Johnson would play the "Mighty Wurlitzer" pipe organ. The theater would be packed, and we would sit in the balcony. This organ is great, it plays all instruments wrapped up in one instrument.

I also remember when I was 10 yrs old my older brother brought me to the premier of Star Wars, the theater was awesome with its stereo sound and huge seating area.

I am very proud of the Fargo/Moorhead area in their dedication to keeping the wonderful historic theater around for more generations!
—Kelli Traaseth, Bemidji