Originally opened as a twin in 1973. Expanded to 5 screens sometime in the 1980’s. Has recently had DTS Digital sound installed. This theater appears to have a bright future ahead of it.
Trying to find a picture of the Liberty’s old marquee is pretty rare, but I did find one in the September 22, 1982 issue of the Southern Illinoisan. If you look just behind the speed limit sign and “No Parking” sign there it is. Notice it bears no resemblance to the current one. It also appears to have the big black letters. And it has “LIBERTY” on the top.
the University Place 8 opened as a 8 screen theater on August 7, 1987. It previously had 4 screens and was known as the Univerity 4. That theater opened sometime in 1979-1980. the University 4 was previously located in the University Mall before moving to the University Place location.
I also forgot to add that in either April or May they had one screen running films, more than likely it was the new third screen they had just opened. The other two theatres were still being renovated at the time.
The Varsity burned on February 16, 1981. The third theater was already constructed at the time. The fire was caused by a worker’s cutting torch, he was cutting a piece of conduit that went thru the wall between the back of the main theater and the new one. Sparks from the torch went thru the pipe and ignited some seats stacked against the wall behind the main theater. the fire then spread to a curtain on the screen and went up into the attic. The main theater was completely destroyed. The second and third theaters suffered major smoke damage. The Varsity was closed for the next three and a half months. It finally reopened for business as a triplex on June 12, 1981. The following movies shown that night were Raiders of the Lost Ark, Breaker Morant, and Clash of the Titans. A newspaper ad for June 11 proclaimed the Varsity had new seats, new decor, new sound and projection equipment, and new transitional heating and air conditioning.
The last two movies shown the day before it burned were Altered States and Charlie Chan and the Curse of The Dragon Queen.
“Curtain down on Liberty Theater"
The Southern Illinoisan
September 12, 1998 by Thomas Beaumont, The Southern
As the credits rolled at the end of the 7 p.m showing of Halloween H20 on Thursday, the curtain fell on the Liberty Theater- for the last time. The 80-year-old-plus movie house, Murphysboro’s oldest, was closed because of slow business, Kerasotes Theatres general manager John Miller said. “There was no real factor other than the fact that it is the end of summer,” Miller said. “We’ve been evaluating our operations and decided, for this one, it was time.” The closure leaves Murphysboro without a movie theater and with a void along Walnut Street, where businesses and civic groups have battled the one-time epidemic empty storefronts for the past several years. Miller said the company has no plans yet for the building and that the five employees who work there likely will be offered jobs at other company-owned theatres throughout Southern Illinois. Henry Daniel, the theatre’s manager, has worked there since he was in high school. Kerasotes bought it in 1969. He described the summer’s box office as “pretty good,” but conceded that the start of the school year, the Du Quoin State Fair and the city’s Apple Festival, which starts next week, mark the annual slowdown in business. A person could see a first-run show for $1 at the Liberty, which was among 40 Kerasotes budget theatres. The company operates more than 100 theatres throughout the midwest, including theatres in Benton, Mount Vernon, Harrisburg, Cape Girardeau, Marion and Carbondale. The Libery, which sits at 1333 Walnut St., was built more than 80 years ago and used to be called the Tillford Theater. It offered stage shows before films became popular. As an Illinois Main Street Community, Murphysboro has made downtown revitalization one of its top priorities. The Liberty’s closing is sad, Murphysboro Main Street manager Chris Basler said, but it is not a setback that the community cannot handle. “There are possibilities for community theater,” he said, “or a business that could put that space to use.” An example of a successful theater recycling project is The Copper Dragon Brewing Co., a micro brewery and restaurant that operates in what used to be the Saluki Theater on Grand Avenue in Carbondale. Basler said there are no immediate prospects for the Liberty, considering Kerasotes has not announced plans for the building. He said Salem, in Marion County, which is also an Illinois Main Street community, suffered the same blow this week. There Kerasotes also closed the only theater in town, a two-screen show house. The Liberty was popular, Basler said, because it gave families an inexpensive form of entertainment, without leaving town. “I hate to see it go, that’s for sure,” he said.
There was a picture of the Liberty below the article, Kerasotes wasted no time removing the old marquee and the equipment.
According to the September 12, 1998 issue of the Southern Illinoisan, this theatre officially shut down as a movie theater on September 10, 1998. The movie showing that night was “Halloween H20”
Went out and got some up close pictures today.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bodkin1/4128471443/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bodkin1/4129243182/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bodkin1/4129245390/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bodkin1/4129247972/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bodkin1/4128481133/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bodkin1/4129253724/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bodkin1/4128485493/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bodkin1/4128487701/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bodkin1/4128489807/
This theater burned down?
Picture from October 1985:
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Picture from February 1985:
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Picture from February 1982:
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Picture from February 1982:
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Picture from June 1984:
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Picture from February 1982:
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(Ah-ha there’s your picture of the old marquee!)
Picture from April 1986:
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Picture from February 1985:
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Scratch the previous post, the Gateway was still a twin in 1988, it didn’t expand to 4 screens until March 30, 1990.-CB
The Beltline opened August 16, 1978 with the following movies:
Hooper
Grease
Animal House
The Beltline closed on October 15, 1988 and moved into the newly expanded Gateway Cinema 4.
*source: Evans A. Criswell
Originally opened as a twin in 1973. Expanded to 5 screens sometime in the 1980’s. Has recently had DTS Digital sound installed. This theater appears to have a bright future ahead of it.
If there is anybody who has a better picture of the old marquee, please post it. My memory of the old one is pretty fuzzy…
Wonder if there’s any way we can contact any former employees of the Liberty by any chance?
Trying to find a picture of the Liberty’s old marquee is pretty rare, but I did find one in the September 22, 1982 issue of the Southern Illinoisan. If you look just behind the speed limit sign and “No Parking” sign there it is. Notice it bears no resemblance to the current one. It also appears to have the big black letters. And it has “LIBERTY” on the top.
View link
the University Place 8 opened as a 8 screen theater on August 7, 1987. It previously had 4 screens and was known as the Univerity 4. That theater opened sometime in 1979-1980. the University 4 was previously located in the University Mall before moving to the University Place location.
Bought by the Kerasotes chain sometime in the late 1960’s. Kerasotes closed the Rodgers July 31, 1980 on account of slumping business.
In October 1981 the Grand was listed as still being a single screen.
However in July 1984 it was listed as a twin, so it was either twinned sometime in 1983 or early 1984.
I also forgot to add that in either April or May they had one screen running films, more than likely it was the new third screen they had just opened. The other two theatres were still being renovated at the time.
The Varsity burned on February 16, 1981. The third theater was already constructed at the time. The fire was caused by a worker’s cutting torch, he was cutting a piece of conduit that went thru the wall between the back of the main theater and the new one. Sparks from the torch went thru the pipe and ignited some seats stacked against the wall behind the main theater. the fire then spread to a curtain on the screen and went up into the attic. The main theater was completely destroyed. The second and third theaters suffered major smoke damage. The Varsity was closed for the next three and a half months. It finally reopened for business as a triplex on June 12, 1981. The following movies shown that night were Raiders of the Lost Ark, Breaker Morant, and Clash of the Titans. A newspaper ad for June 11 proclaimed the Varsity had new seats, new decor, new sound and projection equipment, and new transitional heating and air conditioning.
The last two movies shown the day before it burned were Altered States and Charlie Chan and the Curse of The Dragon Queen.
Mann Theatres was operating the Fox Eastgate in September 1980, Wehrenberg’s was operating it by July 1982.
“Curtain down on Liberty Theater"
The Southern Illinoisan
September 12, 1998 by Thomas Beaumont, The Southern
As the credits rolled at the end of the 7 p.m showing of Halloween H20 on Thursday, the curtain fell on the Liberty Theater- for the last time. The 80-year-old-plus movie house, Murphysboro’s oldest, was closed because of slow business, Kerasotes Theatres general manager John Miller said. “There was no real factor other than the fact that it is the end of summer,” Miller said. “We’ve been evaluating our operations and decided, for this one, it was time.” The closure leaves Murphysboro without a movie theater and with a void along Walnut Street, where businesses and civic groups have battled the one-time epidemic empty storefronts for the past several years. Miller said the company has no plans yet for the building and that the five employees who work there likely will be offered jobs at other company-owned theatres throughout Southern Illinois. Henry Daniel, the theatre’s manager, has worked there since he was in high school. Kerasotes bought it in 1969. He described the summer’s box office as “pretty good,” but conceded that the start of the school year, the Du Quoin State Fair and the city’s Apple Festival, which starts next week, mark the annual slowdown in business. A person could see a first-run show for $1 at the Liberty, which was among 40 Kerasotes budget theatres. The company operates more than 100 theatres throughout the midwest, including theatres in Benton, Mount Vernon, Harrisburg, Cape Girardeau, Marion and Carbondale. The Libery, which sits at 1333 Walnut St., was built more than 80 years ago and used to be called the Tillford Theater. It offered stage shows before films became popular. As an Illinois Main Street Community, Murphysboro has made downtown revitalization one of its top priorities. The Liberty’s closing is sad, Murphysboro Main Street manager Chris Basler said, but it is not a setback that the community cannot handle. “There are possibilities for community theater,” he said, “or a business that could put that space to use.” An example of a successful theater recycling project is The Copper Dragon Brewing Co., a micro brewery and restaurant that operates in what used to be the Saluki Theater on Grand Avenue in Carbondale. Basler said there are no immediate prospects for the Liberty, considering Kerasotes has not announced plans for the building. He said Salem, in Marion County, which is also an Illinois Main Street community, suffered the same blow this week. There Kerasotes also closed the only theater in town, a two-screen show house. The Liberty was popular, Basler said, because it gave families an inexpensive form of entertainment, without leaving town. “I hate to see it go, that’s for sure,” he said.
There was a picture of the Liberty below the article, Kerasotes wasted no time removing the old marquee and the equipment.
According to the September 12, 1998 issue of the Southern Illinoisan, this theatre officially shut down as a movie theater on September 10, 1998. The movie showing that night was “Halloween H20”
When exactly did the Varsity catch fire? i know it happened while they were twinning it, but exactly whe? This info would be appreciated.
Was this theatre operated by Kerasotes from day one?