Border Theater remembrances

Ron Langton recalls how long lines would form down to the hardware store, for the two nightly shows. Some people bought their tickets early and hung out in the cafes downtown.

The paper mill was running three shifts at that time and loggers came to town from their camps. The restaurants had three busy periods each day with each shift coming off work.

“I used to tell people there were more people out at midnight than you see at noon now,” Langton said.

At that time in International Falls there were 21 taverns plus the clubs — Moose, Elks, Free Masons, the VFW and the Legions. Seven cafes lined the same street — including the Rex Hotel Restaurant, Peoples Cafe, Boston Cafe, Nora’s Cafe, and Mrs. Roe Cafe, as Langton recalled.

The Border Theater housed a stage and was often part of the “Timbertennial” summer events for a queen pageant and talent contest, and for touring hypnotists and magicians.

Langton recalled Silver Dollar Nights on Wednesdays and Thursdays, when movie ticket holders would wait for the manager to draw three winning tickets for the winners of a number of silver dollars.

“People with a little gambling instinct would buy a ticket and didn’t go to the show,” he added. “They just wanted to be in the drawing.”

The movies usually changed three times a week. Featured were weekend shows plus the children’s matinees. New films began on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Langton recalled that the westerns always drew big crowds. “‘High Noon’ was a popular one,” he said.

Tim “Chopper” McBride and Chuck Lepper recalled that television appeared later in Borderland homes than elsewhere, so the Border Theater was the first place they knew of that put a TV in its basement lounge. People would go there to watch Green Bay Packer games before they watched theVikings. Its franchise began in 1961.

The Border Theater had a glassed-in crying room and natural air conditioning which processed outside air through a basement tunnel to cool the building. Movies were very popular on hot days, they said.

Betsy Jensen, president of the International Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, recalled that she would be allowed to go to the Sunday afternoon matinee as long as she went to church in the morning.

“The movies built my morals,” she said.

Mike Thiele graduated from Falls High School in 1972, and said the Border Theater and the outdoor drive-in theater were the places to be for teenagers. He said it is a sad thing to see the building disappear when it produced so many fond memories.

“I loved the inside decor,” said Thiele. “The sculpted plaster walls and ceilings, the multicolored sconce lights; I thought it was a beautiful, magical place.”

Thiele recalled that when kids were sick, sometimes their parents would get them a small bottle of coke syrup from the theater.

His movie memories begin as a student at St. Thomas Catholic School in the early 1960s, when the parish made arrangements to lease the Border Theater for an entire day of class viewings of “Ben Hur,” the MGM film starring Charlton Heston.

He said the students were led in a procession by nuns, to the theater. He recalled that Sister Mary Theresa, Sister “Dimples” Dympna, Sister Conrada, Sister Brenden (who he said the kids secretly called “Hoss”) went with them to see the film. He recalled feeling a little disappointed that the concessions were closed and that the theater lacked the normal popcorn smell. “We had to bring a bag lunch!” he exclaimed.

Thiele said that his parents took him to see the 1962 Universal Pictures film, “To Kill A Mockingbird” starring Gregory Peck.

“I was so worried for those kids being chased in the woods,” he said.

Even though the Catholic Digest film rating system frowned on the “B” movies of the day, the kids went to see many films during “Saturday Afternoon At The Movies.” He recalls “Robinson Crusoe On Mars,” “The Flesh Eaters,” and the 1953 version of “The War of The Worlds.”

“And, of course the time the whole theater turned around, en-masse, just to make sure ‘The Blob’ wasn’t oozing out of the projectionist windows in the back!” he added. “That has stayed with me for over 40 years!”

Jon Zeipen, a former resident who is now manager of patient safety and security at Minnesota’s Hazelton Clinic, said a highlight of his youth was getting free passes from his uncle, the manager, to attend Saturday matinees with his friend (last name Millard).

Steven Benedix of Clovis, New Mexico, said the Border Theater was a big part of his early life, and is the source of his favorite childhood memories at the weekend matinees. He and his brother and two sisters would watch up to four movies each weekend.

They all got in free because their mother worked at the Border Theater. She also worked at The Grand Theater, and the drive-in theater (where a Falls campgroundis today) during the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

Benedix would also go to work at the theater, first cleaning the building when needed, and then repairing seats. He would become an assistant manager in the late 1950s and work through the early 1960s.

“Many people don’t remember, but they used to have silver dollar nights sometimes to attract business,” said Benedix. “They also used to have serials such as Superman, Batman, etc. to entice you back every week to see the next episode.”

Cathy Nevanen, an account executive with Minnesota Public Radio in Duluth, said her first date was a movie at the Border Theater in May 1980. She would later marry her date, David, but said the movie, “The Long Riders,” was not as memorable as the budding romance that has lasted for 27 years.

“It was a good first date,” said Nevanen.

“I can tell you what I wore, but I can’t tell you much about the theater itself,” she added. “I’ve been in too many vintage movie houses to remember one from another. They all seemed to have a ‘ladie’s lounge’ downstairs.”

The ladie’s lounge was a room typical of theaters of the era. A wide staircase led to an open room with davenports — a bit fancier than the lounge for the men.

Ray VonderHaar moved from Alexandria to manage the company in the late 1970s. Stan Ewing took over as manager until the theater closed.

Pat Haney recalled that Ewing was always there when she went to see a movie.

“I remember the free matinee during Christmas school vacation,” said Haney. “I think that every kid in town attended. And after the matinee, we would receive a free bag of candy and goodies.”

Haney said this was a great gift to the kids.

“I always thought how very generous that was,” she added.