Liberty Theater
405 E. First Street,
Heavener,
OK
74937
405 E. First Street,
Heavener,
OK
74937
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The Liberty Theater was in operation be 1920. It’s auditorium was destroyed by a fire in October 1979. The entrance and lobby remain, and have been in retail use.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 10 comments)
Memories of the Liberty Theater as well as photos of the aftermath of the fire in October 1979 that destroyed the theater can be seen here.
This is from Boxoffice magazine, January 1960:
HEAVENER, OKLA.-Paul Maxwell has taken over operation of the Liberty Theater on a lease from Ray Hughes, who along with his late father G.D. Hughes have provided motion picture entertainment here for 41 years.
Hughes turned the theater over to Maxwell January 3, the same day he closed his drive-in at nearby Poteau, and he and his wife left to spend the winter in Florida. The change at the Liberty was announced in the Heavener Ledger, which included a picture of the old Airdrome Theater in 1918 when it was purchased by G.D. Hughes from Dave Jackson. Later the Liberty was built on the site.
1985 photo of the Liberty Theatre.
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I don’t understand this one, Bryan said the building was destroyed by fire in 1979 but the above photo is from 1985 and when you google the building it is still there.
The theater portion of the building was probably “destroyed” but not the entire building. Here is a site with someone’s recollections of the Liberty.
Near the end it reads “The Liberty Theatre building has housed several businesses since the Liberty permanently closed its doors and it’s glory as a showplace is gone but I will always remember it with fondness for it showed me the world as it could be”. The building itself still stands.
the Heavener Ledger, August 5 1920, saysm the trial for the murder of Adam Wilkins Choctaw Indian Policeman was held in the Liberty Theatre Building through the profferment of Chamber of Commerce Manager Hughes because it was the largest in the city “but scores of people were turned away some time before the opening as the house was crowded to the doors"I think the seating capacity at that time was 300 .
Dec.16 1971 Starts the Christmas movie"THE HIRED HAND".Rated R.
roadsideoklahoma has recent picture of what little is left of the Liberty
http://www.roadsideoklahoma.com/node/392
The June 9, 1958, issue of Boxoffice reported that the Liberty Theatre at Heavener had been closed for remodeling on May 10, reopening on May 21 for an 11-day run of “The Ten Commandments.”
History of the Liberty Theatre up to 1948 in this trade article: boxofficemagazine