Paying tribute

When the Fargo Theatre begins its tribute to World War II veterans next week, its organizers hope to see the younger generations join the show.

"I hope grandpa and grandma bring their grandchildren," said Rusty Casselton, director of film studies at Minnesota State University Moorhead. "And I hope it opens up a dialogue about a very important part of our history."

The theater begins its five-day tribute Nov. 10 with "Casablanca," the first of five films scheduled for the series.

Tony McRae, a former college film professor and the current president of the Fargo Theatre's board of directors, said he first thought about the tribute last year -- the 60th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Except for a few choices that were out of print or extremely rare, such as "The Story of G.I.," McRae got most of the movies he had wanted for the series.

After "Casablanca," the schedule includes "From Here to Eternity," "Twelve O'Clock High," "Bridge on the River Kwai" and "Patton." Altogether the films received 27 Academy Awards, including four for Best Picture. McRae intended the lineup to chronologically cover the length of the war, the progression of public attitude toward it and both theaters of battle.

"We're certainly very pleased with what we have," he said.

Fargo resident Harris Peterson served in the Marines 4th Division from 1943 to 1945 in the Pacific theater. This year marks the 58-year-anniversary of his landing on Iwo Jima.

After hearing about the Fargo Theatre's tribute for the first time, Peterson said he planned to take in some of the shows.

"I think that's wonderful, wonderful," he said.

Retired Army Col. Edwin Clapp said he probably wouldn't go to the tribute.

"They're all good show's, but I've seen 'em all," he said.

Of the five films, "Twelve O'Clock High" comes the closest to real war, Clapp said. Based on his experience, though, he said the most true-to-life movies are the more recent ones, such as "Saving Private Ryan."

Clapp, who landed in Europe about a month after D-Day, still agreed with the theater's choices.

"War is a pretty horrible thing," Clapp said. "It's probably better to see some of the things that are more hero-worshiping."

The movies, which run Nov. 10-14, will begin at 7 p.m. after a short introduction by McRae. Event organizers also plan to show some of the newsreels and cartoons that theaters ran during the war years.

Though McRae said he intended the films to simply honor U.S. war veterans and to give people a sense of the times, Margie Bailly, the theater's executive director, said she saw a few other themes emerging from the tribute.

For one, by honoring heroism and American freedom, the films have become the Fargo Theatre's way of responding to the one-year anniversary of Sept. 11, Bailly said. And with the United States moving closer to war with Iraq, the films will give viewers another chance to think about war and all that it brings, she said.

The audience is free to make those connections, McRae said, but he'd prefer to keep the spotlight on the veterans.

"I hope we can really stay away from that and concentrate about great movies for World War II," he said.

Taken together, the five-day tribute also will commemorate the special bond that World War II shared with Hollywood and old-time movie houses like the Fargo Theatre.

During the war, theaters and their newsreels became a conduit for people at home to understand what was happening overseas, Casselton said. Movie houses often held bond rallies and supported them with cartoons and highlights from United Service Organizations tours. In Fargo, new recruits often spent their last night in town at the theater, Bailly said.

"There really isn't anything that can replicate that," Bailly said. "We could have the same series at the multiplex and it wouldn't have the same impact."

McRae said Fargo is fortunate to have such a historic theater still running today, almost 80 years after it opened. In New York City, where McRae is from, Radio City Music Hall is about the only surviving theater from the 1940s, he said.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Dave Forster at (701) 241-5538