Liberty Theatre
612 Flynn Street,
Alva,
OK
73717
612 Flynn Street,
Alva,
OK
73717
1 person
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The Grand Opera House opened on January 3, 1908 with a live play, “The Isle of Spice.” Like many opera houses, Alva’s Grand would gravitate to lower risk and lower cost motion pictures. In 1918, the opera house was damaged by strong winds and was refurbished as a full-time movie theater. When it ws completed, the Liberty Theatre opened with a soft launch on April 21, 1919 with Margarita Fischer in “Molly of the Follies” and William Duncan in “A Fight for Millions” supported by live music by the Blue Grass Belles. A formal grand opening was scheduled shortly thereafter.
Ten years later, the theatre received Vitaphone sound premiering with “Alias, Jimmy Valentine” on June 7, 1929. A major refresh took place in 1932 bringing sound on film and cushioned seats. On April 26, 1933, the theatre suffered a major fire ending its life after its remains were razed.
Photo of theater uploaded, showing Wagon Master.
1910 Alva Opera House murder details;
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The marquee in the historic photo says “Vitaphone” on left end and “Movietone” on the front. The house was obviously equipped for both of these competing systems, as was not unusual at the time. It’s probable that neither Vitaphone nor Movietone was actually the name of the theater. The name Liberty might have been on the rooftop, out of the camera’s range in this photo.
In any case, this theater already has a Cinema Treasures page under the name Liberty Theatre. The same photo of it here is identified as the Liberty Theatre.
Local theatre 101 historians claim this was a Warner Bros/Vitaphone disk sound house. Since the name was Movietone (NOT Viataphone) it obviousely would have had the Fox sound on film system.
1907 color picture postcard view…
http://okielegacy.org/images/newoperahouse.jpg
Contemporary shot…
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Alva theatre history…
http://tinyurl.com/qodym
The Movietone was another incarnation of the old 1907 Alva Opera House, which underwent several name changes during its long run.
To see a vintage image of the Movietone click below, type in word “theatre”, then hit enter -
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