From the 1920s through the 1960s, America was experiencing the golden age of cinema. After the devastation of the Great Depression and before the havoc created by World War II, North Dakotans were craving normalcy, entertainment, and community. In Langdon, a movie theater was just the ticket. In 1936, towards the center of the business district, the Roxy Theatre was built. Designed by Devils Lake architect John Marshall, the tall, narrow building with its jewel-like marquee lights quickly became an anchoring force in this small community, a place where families, friends, and strangers alike were welcome to enjoy a movie while indulging in the buttery goodness of good old-fashioned movie theater popcorn.

In 1997, the Northern Lights Council purchased the Roxy with a simple goal: to provide a meeting place where area residents could find entertainment at a relatively low cost while also maintaining the heritage of the Roxy. Towards the turn of the twenty-first century though, times were changing for small-town theaters. In an era marked by the surge of digital streaming from platforms such as Netflix, the question became, would these treasured landmarks survive? In July of 2010, in the pursuit of an answer, the Roxy was thrust into the spotlight when a New York Times reporter penned an article titled “Old Movie Houses Find Audiences in the Plains”. Within weeks, the Roxy was famous, visited by film crews and national reporters. When the hoopla died down, the answer was clear, yes, the Roxy would survive.

In a town of just over 1,500 residents, it’s the dedicated volunteers that are keeping the Roxy’s neon glowing. For many, they’ve attended movies here for decades, some remembering a paralyzing Christmas blizzard during the early 2000s that wreaked havoc on holiday travel plans. That night, nearly 100 people braved the only path through the drifts to reach the theater for a showing of ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel’. This story is a testament to the Roxy and how, over the years, it became the heart and soul of Langdon.

Today, in addition to movies, the Roxy Theatre is a venue for musicals, concerts, and high school plays. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.