Liberty Theatre
315 NE 4th Avenue,
Camas,
WA
98607
315 NE 4th Avenue,
Camas,
WA
98607
4 people favorited this theater
Showing 16 comments
1946 photo added via Frank Griffin.
This November 29, 2015 article from the Columbian (Vancouver, WA) by Robert Burdick tells how the Liberty Theatre is making improvements and features several new photographs of the theatre. http://www.columbian.com/news/2015/nov/29/liberty-theatre-invests-in-improvements-to-broaden-its-appeal/
What a beautiful theatre. As an old showman I’d love to be a part of such an operation.
…Here and here, too.
A 2011 photo can be seen here.
This article includes the March, 2011 reopening of the Liberty/Granada as one of three new theater options that shall be available to the residents of Washington’s Clark County by the end of 2011: View link.
The Rootstock Capital Management LLC has just acquired the Historic Liberty Theatre in Camas and is in the process of giving this classic small town cinema some TLC in preparation for a grand opening in mid-March. The plan is to reopen as a traditional movie theatre and transition into food and “adult beverage” service during the first year. The theatre currently seats 342 in the main auditorium of which 80 seats are in the balcony. During the transition, the balcony will be turned into a 21+ are so that beer and wine can be served. A small second screen on the premises will be renovated with new seats and digital projection for showing specialty films and hosting private parties. When it reopens later this year it will be called “The Granada” the original name of the Liberty when opened in 1927. New phone number 360-859-9555, on the web at camasliberty.com and check us out on Facebook, Liberty Theatre of Camas and Washougal.
Nice looking theatre,looks well kept.
Here is an item in Boxoffice magazine, April 1950:
CAMAS-New carpeting in the lobby and aisles of the Liberty Theater is the first step in a modernization program inaugurated by manager George Hubbard.
Is there any information on when the Spanish styled iron work above the marquee was removed? Neither website list the year of the much older renovations.
Oddly the Liberty’s own website opens with an animated version/shape similar to what was above the maruee originally.
Also does anyone know what year the street out front was converted into a more mall looking configuration?
What a lovely little theater!
This seems to be a very nice “local” movie house. Is the pipe organ still there, playable and what make is/was it?
Here is a photo, circa 1935:
http://snipurl.com/vwyj
The $12,000.00 pipe organ mentioned above was a northwest-built William Woods organ of 2 manuals and 8 ranks of pipes. Billy Woods pipe organs were found only in northwest area installations.
probably a link to a OPERA HOUSE Website
Taken from the Camas, Post-Record, Friday,June 10, 1927.
Granda Theatre Swings Open
Artistic Finish Touches Are Given to Splendid Local Show House.
First Number Comedy
Beautiful Show House Vision Six Months Ago By Local Group is Delivered as Valuable Feature for the City.
To the nicety of the most minute details, the new Granada theatre building is this week virtually completed,and the structure finished throughout in the finest of architectual design applied to its class, has been handed over to its enterprising and progressive promoters, who are all Camas men and who months ago visioned something in the show house line for Camas that would be just a little bit better.
That vision has become a tangible realty and a substantial asset of which this city should and is going to be proud for decades to come. When the Post, several weeks ago, referred to the Granada interior as a dreamland of beauty, it is a small degree only visualized the new wonderfully beautiful features. The first impression of most people will be that reflected in the wrought and perfectly blended tintings. The general color scheme is a deep azure blue and rich gold, and this is carried out to the front in delightful effect for the arch-shaped ornamental work over the vestibule entrance.
Backround tinting of the front, which raises to a height of 35 feet, is a soft rich tan, with a harmonious blending of trimming tints, walls of the vestibule and base of the ticket booth are of tile construction, a pretty pattern of delicate Holland blue tint, floors are a neat mosaic pattern. The decorative work, front and interior was done by a crew of artists in that line under the lead of Chas. Anman of Portland.
Entering the spacious lobby, one treads upon, a rich and heavily padded carpet, which gives a first impression of walking on air, so soft and noiseless it is. The carpeting is extended to the foyer, down the main auditorium aisles and to the balcony floor and rest rooms above. A deadening cover is spread over the whole concrete floor surface.
The regulation chairs, body fitting and built for restful qualities, are anchored in segments of a circle, so that no matter what location one gets, his eyes focus directly on the stage. Seating capacity is approximately 800.
Outside building deminsions are 50x150 feet. The stage alone is 25 feet deep and 22 feet wide, with a drop curtain opening of 22 feet. At the instance of C.E. Farrell, owner of the lot,plans were drawn up late last fall by Architect P.M. Hall Lewis of Portland under whose supervision by the general contract, held by C.A.Knapp, was carried out. The excavation work started in December and draggedthru many weeks of mud and water obstacles, in fact adverse building weather prevailed until recently.
About January 1st, the Community Investment corporation was formed, composed of O.F.Johnson, RoyO. Young, A.L. Powers and F.W. Harrington, who were sponsoring the theatre project. All the interior fixtures and furnishings are provided by them. The cost of these placed at $30,000 for the two heaviest items being a $12,000 pipe organ and $6,000 for chairs. The entire cost is close to $75,000. The new structure has placed Camas in the forground of many more pretentious cities and is going to prove an enduring monument to the credit of Mr. Farell in undertaking a project of this type and magnitude.
While the name Granada is of Spanish origin, and a favorite show house name in the theatrical world, the general type of this one is Moorish, both interior and exterior. Its mammoth electric sign swinging across Fourth street is the equal in beauty and srtistic design of any in metropolitan centers.
Next Tuesday night is the date for formally opening the Granada, an especially attractive program is being announced. It features George Sidney and Charlie Murray in “Lost at the Front”, the greatest war comedy ever told-a roar and riot of laughter throughout-and everyone will be going.