Bemidji Theatre
5240 Highway 2 West,
Bemidji,
MN
56601
5240 Highway 2 West,
Bemidji,
MN
56601
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I worked for the Bemidji Theatres back when I went to high school at the original high school . From 1970 to about 1974 . I ran the 35 MM projectors at both the Cisco and at the Bronco Theatre . I started out as yard boy and worked inside , they trained me for the projectors . Just going by memory myself , I think the Amigo Twin was built around 1973 ? I’m not too sure on that . After high school , I went to Vo Teck in Wadena and worked some weekends at the Amigo Twin . At that time , side 1 was totally a person running the projectors , side 2 however was totally automated . That was kinda neat ! The projectionest just kept an eye on it while running side 1 . I miss those days !
The Amigo actually started out as the Amigo Twin, in approximately the mid- to late-1970s, I think. It was subsequently expanded in phases, first to a triplex, then to a five-plex, then to 7 and 9 screens as listed above. (I could be slightly wrong on the exact details, which I am repeating from memory.) For many years, adjacent to the Amigo theater was a drive-in called the Cisco; the projection/concessions building was still there as recently as a few years ago. I went to high school in Bemidji in the late-1980s, when the Amigo had five screens. I’m eager to see the newly remodeled theater.