1949 Detroit Lakes, Minnesota

Linda Isola

Born in 1941

Detroit Lakes, Minnesota

Interviewed on January 27, 2019

By Max Bottene

Still remember how excited I was to see A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.  I was 8 years old so the year had to have been 1949. On a side note: I was just getting over the measles but was not contagious at the time so I could still go to the movies. However, due to this, we sat in the last row of the theater. In the back row, I remember that the movie projector made a lot of noise. They did not have all the soundproofing equipment like they do today but it did not bother me at all. The theater was called the Detroit and I remember going many times during my childhood.

I remember I went to the theater with my mother Mary Glaholt. We lived in a small town in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, so we were able to walk to the theater. The theater itself was small too, probably around 125 people and had nothing fancy to it. It was very simple and plain but served its purpose with its large screen. The seats were not terribly comfortable, especially not compared to today’s standards. There was a concession and I am pretty sure I had popcorn, but they also sold various types of candy, such as Milk Duds which remain to this day to be a favorite of mine. I believe there were ushers because the movies I attended after had them. Another thing different back then compared to today was that lots of people smoked in the theater. My father smoked so it was normal to me.

The movie was starring Bing Crosby and was about how in early 1900, he bumps his head and awakes to find himself during the reign of King Arthur. He ends up falling in love with the King’s daughter who is to marry Lancelot. Trouble! Bing gains status in the town because he knows there is going to be an eclipse of the sun on a certain day and when it happens, people all think he can do magic and that he is a special godlike man. I believe Bing Crosby and the King’s daughter end up marrying although I am not entirely sure. It was a musical comedy and I remember laughing and chuckling a lot of times throughout the film.

The characters were wonderful. The princess was played by Rhonda Fleming. She was very popular at the time, as was Bing. They were both very skilled actors. I remember she looked beautiful in the dress and tiara she wore.  I was a young girl at the time so I definitely idolized famous movie stars like that. I think that every child aspires to one day be rich and famous and after watching these actors and actresses on the big screen, I hoped one day it would happen to me too.