On this date in 1912, the Langdon Courier Democrat proudly announced that the Electric Theater was scheduled to reopen after an extensive renovation. Proprietor Harry G. Waldron assured the public that there was no finer cinema anywhere in the state. In fact, he was quite sure that the Electric Theater offered a moving picture experience superior to anything west of the Twin Cities.
Improvements to the theater cost no less than the princely sum of $3,500. That may not sound like much, but in today’s money it is equal to almost $1 million. Waldron installed an ornamental ceiling that was also fireproof. He increased seating from about 150 to 275 with every seat giving “a most satisfactory view.”
Waldron also updated the projection room, and installed a new plate glass mirror screen, saying “it gives the best and most satisfactory production of moving pictures that scientific invention has been able to obtain.”
New electric lights were installed with modern wiring and connections that were guaranteed to be fireproof. It was important for a movie theater at the time to be as fireproof as possible, since the bulb of the projector was so hot that it was fairly common for the film to catch on fire! The projectionist had to be quick-witted to repair burnt strips of film and keep the movie going. Patrons of a theater in Lisbon, North Dakota once sat through a three-hour movie only to have it catch on fire ten minutes from the end. It burned so badly that it couldn’t be repaired. The very unsatisfied customers had no option but to go home.
In 1911, a year before Langdon’s Electric Theatre reopened, Lisbon opened The Scenic Theater with the showing of “Nemo,” a ten-minute film. According to the Theater Historical Society of America, the Scenic is the oldest continuously operating theater in the United States. Lisbon almost lost this treasure when movies made the switch from film to digital. It was simply too expensive to make the upgrade. But grants and donations finally made the modernization possible.
The Fargo Theatre is another early theater still in business. Built in 1926, it’s on the National Register of Historic Places and has been fully restored.
North Dakotans do love their movies!
Dakota Datebook by Carole Butcher
Sources:
Courier Democrat. “Electric Theater Reopens.” 28 November 1912. Langdon ND. Page 1.
Cinema Treasures. “Lisbon ND – Oldest Movie Theater in US is in North Dakota.” http://cinematreasures.org/blog/2017/2/9/lisbon-nd-oldest-movie-theater-in-u-s-is-in-north-dakota Accessed 28 October 2018.
