Fargo Theatre

December 1947 photo added, photo credit Clinton L. Voss. “Kiss Of Death” on the marquee.

This theatre was featured today on the Weather Channel when Mike Sidell broadcast in front of the theatre…could see the vertical marquee.

In 1993 the Fargo Theatre was the only Red River Valley area Theatre to boast a 70mm Projection system.Funded in part by a Grant from Great Plains Software.The first 70mm movie was “Lawrence of Arabia” The David Lean Classic.This comes from Boxoffice Nov.1989.

Brrr:
http://tinyurl.com/23oxuod

Thanks for posting the new pics of the Fargo Theatre’s interior, Lost Memory. Looked at the newer pictures of the interior of the Fargo Theatre—it looks just as cool inside as out. Loved them.

A really nice Art Deco theater, we were tourists in ND on May 18, 2008. We planned on a movie at the FARGO, but instead they had a wonderful stage event GASPER’S DANCE GALA. Lots of great dance, great costumes, pretty girls.

Here is a link to a photo circa 1933:
http://www.lileks.com/fargo/broadway/59c.html

Unless it recently went revival, most of the recent shots on here show movies on the arthouse circuit.

My original post contains an error regarding the first programming at the Fargo Theatre. The Fargo Theatre opened to the public on March 15, 1926. The local newspaper included a 12-page section covering details about the building. The entertainment for the first day included a slate of movies and vaudeville-type performances with live music by Chicago organist Ramon Berry at the Mighty Wurlitzer, as well as the theatre’s house orchestra. The theatre’s website states that “The King Cole Revue, a musical extravaganza with 15 entertainers, was the feature number. Sydney Chaplin, brother of Charlie Chaplin, played the title role in the feature film, ‘The Man on the Box’ (1925). A news reel, animated cartoon, and burlesque number completed the entertainment.”

May I ask if someone could arrange for me to buy a copy of the silent film videotaped some years back of Colleen Moore’s ORCHIDS AND ERMINE with the incomparable Hildegarde at the console? I was able to get a copy on Beta which became unviewable for some reason. Mr. David Knudson (sp) helped me in this effort. I would be happy to pay someone to obtain another copy of this film (on VHS or DVD) because of the score by Hildegarde. Thanks! Please send an email response to Cal Francis. is my email address. Please, someone, help me. Thanks so very, very much!

I recently visited the Fargo, and it is magnificent. This theater was built in 1926, but was remodeled in 1937 to it’s current art-deco style. The theater was recently restored and renovated. The lighting, sound, organ and fly systems have all been brought up to date. The theater is equipped with a Simplex 35/70 projection system and Dolby Digital sound. It currently plays first run art films and hosts many live events. If you ever get to Fargo ND, it is a must-see.

This is a most unusual and original Art Moderne (streamline) design, but I wonder if it is really all original to 1926, since there appear to be fluorescent back-lit fixtures on the auditorium walls, according to the many photos on the www.CinemaTour.com site. Also notable is the unusual placement of the retrofit air conditioning outside the auditorium wall with the compressors and cooling tower in an enclsure on the top soil of the adjoining lot, a lot that apparently had a building on it in 1926. The vivid color scheme of lighting as shown in their photos is memorable, but the small stagehouse will hamper any live-action use. Still, the large 4/21 pipe organ is in use and is a great asse