Liberty Theater

KFSR 90.7 held an event, “The Fresno Grand Opry,” in May 2011 at the Liberty Theater (Hardy’s). They asked us to do a video tour of the balcony area since it would be closed to guests. Here’s our video if you’re interested in seeing what this amazing theater looks like inside!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS9eyhrd73A

Here is another photo:
http://tinyurl.com/yld63xh

The former Liberty Theatre, following a $50,000 remodeling job by Gerald Hardy, opened on June 24, 1931, as Hardy’s. The Fresno Bee said as a result of an agreement with the union it would employ five union operators, the same as the other Fresno houses. The Liberty Theatre was closed about two years earlier by Fox West Coast when Fox took over the State Theater. The Einstein Investment Company was the owner of the building and they were presently suing Fox for default on the lease. The Bee’s profile of Gerald Hardy said he started as a film salesman in San Francisco in 1928 and went on to operate theaters in Northern California. Hardy said, “It was his liking for Fresno that brought him back to the theater field here.” “We looked over the theater field in every part of California and found conditions in Fresno better than anywhere in the state.” A packed house greeted the premiere attraction, a comedy called ‘Caught Cheating.’
— In 1944 Hardy purchased the theater outright for $90,000. Mr. Hardy at one time or another also operated the Fulton, Sequoia, Lyceum and Mayfair theaters.
Some highlights of the Hardy years, mainly from 40’s thru the 60’s:
— For years Hardy’s was known as Fresno’s exclusive showcase for MGM pictures. This policy appears to have started in late 1947. They had success with pictures other than MGM as they also played United Artists fare almost exclusively. In 1958 UA’s ‘The Vikings’ and in 1959 ‘Some Like It Hot’ were held over for a fifth week. In cases of holdovers at Hardy’s, Hardy’s Sequoia Theatre became the showcase for MGM first runs. When there were no other films to fill the bill Hardy’s used product from Allied Artists, mainly B movies.
— The longest running MGM film to play at Hardy’s was ‘Ben Hur,’ which ran for 10 weeks from October to December of 1960.
— The local Warner’s played all Warner Bros. and mostly Columbia and RKO pictures offerings.
— The Fox’s Crest and Wilson played 20th Century Fox, Paramount and Disney films, with their Tower playing art films, road shows or hold-over attractions.
— The rules were changed when Cinerama and 70mm came along. In July of 1963 Warner Cinerama held the Central California Premiere of MGM’s ‘How the West Was Won.’ In September of 1966 Warner Cinerama premiered MGM’s ‘Doctor Zhivago,’ which was advertised as being just a Panavision presentation. There is no indication that Hardy’s was ever equipped even for 70mm. By 1966 Hardy’s was still showing the regular MGM fare but usually day and date with the drive-ins.
— The last MGM-released film to premiere at Hardy’s before its sale was ‘The Dirty Dozen’ in July of 1967.
— On November 30, 1967, the Bee said that Trans-Beacon Theaters, owners of the Warnor Theater (the spelling of Warner had changed to Warnor), had purchased Hardy’s for an undisclosed sum. After being closed for redecoration, they were scheduled to begin a reserved-seat policy on February 7 with ‘Camelot.’ At the time of the sale Hardy’s had been reduced to almost a grindhouse with films such as ‘The Glory Stompers’ and ‘Thunder Alley.’
— On January 20, 1971, a Fresno Bee story was headlined: “Troubled NY Theatre Chain Closes Hardy’s, Warnor’s.” Because of their bankruptcy, the Trans-Beacon theaters were under receivership and Fresno was one of their casualties. Gerald Hardy said at this time that he would be interested in reopening Hardy’s, and would make a decision in a few weeks.
— On December 31, 1971, a Bee story was headlined “Hardy’s Will Feature Spanish Film.” Gerald Hardy, who had reestablished himself as owner had given a five-year lease to Carmen Lopez. Lopez was the operator of the Esquire Theater in San Jose. The theater underwent a general refurbishment but the Spanish films lasted just five months and in August of 1972 the theater was leased again to National Cinema of Beverly Hills who planned to use it as a subsequent run house.
On May 3, 1976, the Fresno Bee story was headlined “Hardy Theater Sold For Christian Center Use.” Gerald Hardy had sold the theater for a second timeâ€"this time for $200,000.

Here is a June 1947 ad from the Fresno Bee:
http://tinyurl.com/mcg84k

Here is a 1981 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/cgcslq

showman – To answer your question from Sept 07… YES, I definitely think Fresno could support an independent/art house theater. But the city needs someone to spearhead such an effort. We have a local film group that shows art films monthly at the Tower Theater, but they don’t have an interest in starting a regularly operating art house theater. Feel free to contact me at bryanharley AT comcast DOT net

I don’t know why it was Otto in the first story and Ott in the second. Maybe he knocked a letter off his name when he hit himself with the pipe.

Interesting. Thanks.

“D”, I have a name for you…and a phone number.

Thanks again Tom. I’ll use the alernate address in the Future. I’ll be planning a day trip up to Fresno soon to get a feel of downtown and hopefully talk to other people envolved with its proposed re-development!! If I was end up with the theatre I hope you guys might re-consider installing an organ, I’d give it a wonderful home! I feel the organ could be part of that fresh approach, everything old is new!! I still need to work on a good concept for the venue but the addition of a “voice' would be most welcome…D

If you want to contact me directly try This is my secondary and generally unused address. It forwards to my main address which I won’t post here. I will make some calls and see what comes up regarding the Liberty.

At least in 1982, if you knew where to look, some of the original 1917 design was still in the theatre. The organ screen are really neat—all you can see is the “negative” from where the chambers used to be, but they had a distince half wagon-wheel design to the top of the screen. The organ must have really gotten out as there was nothing in its way.

We looked into the idea of possibly putting an organ back into the Liberty. But, with the lack of fly loft anymore, the stage use is not so great. The idea was that if the stage were useable for live programs the place would be a bit more versatile. The Wilson is now a church and not likely to be a “road house” again. Warnors is, and always has been, THE movie palace in town. So anything at the Liberty has to be new, fresh, and something to stand on its own. None of us wanted to put that much time into such a project.

There are photos of the original Liberty Robert Morton in a couple of versions of the “As ‘Pop’ Saw It” by “Pop” Laval. It was a very unusual and early Robert-Morton organ. I would not be surprised if it was not among the first half dozen organs the company built.

AS I recall, the organ screens are completly intact but are covered over with “modernization” plaster. Just a tiny portion of the original screens are visible—presumably to act as a ventilation duct. The chamber space was still on each side of the theatre.

Now you have to understand, this is how the theatre was in the early 1980s. Who knows what the endless parade of churches have done to the interior.

The windlines from the blower location in the basement were still intact in the early ‘80s. I had always heard that the upper portion of the blacony was not used because it was too steep. I can believe it. The original picture sheet, actually a framed in area of white plaster was still there on the rear of the backstage wall. When the upper part of the fly loft was torn out, somehow this “picture sheet” was allowed to remain.

I will be in Fresno next week and shall see what I can find out.

Also bear in mind, most of the building has a great deal of brick. In California, that 5-letter word can spell death to a building even though Fresno is relatively free of heavy seismic activity.