Celebrating its 75th anniversary next year, the Liberty Theatre remains an institution in downtown Libertyville. From its beginnings as one of the only places to cool off in the summer, to its present state as a place for inexpensive entertainment, townspeople continue to cherish the movie house.
Prior to the Liberty Theatre's construction, its owner, Fred W. Dobe, surveyed residents on their need for an independent theater building. With evidenced support, Dobe proceeded to enlist the help of architect E.P. Rupert. Rupert designed a modern 700-seat, single-screen structure which donned a large, vertical sign on its exterior.
According to an article posted on cinematreasures.com, the original facade “was of cream-colored terra-cotta, trimmed in dark blue.” Liberty Theatre opened on Aug. 27, 1937. Residents like Bonnie Quirke would argue that its best feature was its air-conditioning system. As Lou Small Jr. reminded us that few places had such a system in the late 1930s.
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Brando's Stint
Marlon Brando’s career in the motion picture industry started long before his 1951 screen debut in The Men. A few years after its opening, Brando was employed as an usher at Liberty Theatre. Always the prankster, Brando wrote of his antics in his autobiography, Songs My Mother Taught Me.
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“I enjoyed directing customers to a row of seats that was already filled. To see a line of a dozen people file down a row of seats in the dark, sitting on other people, stepping on feet and causing a general ruckus, then coming out the other side, was a hoot.”
He took issue with the formal wool uniform he was forced to wear. In the summer months, he became so hot that he sewed a pair of cuffs on the inside of his jacket and wore a dickey under the collar.
Unfortunately, another usher “squealed” on him, and Brando was promptly fired. As an act of revenge, he “chopped up some rotting broccoli” and “mixed it with Limburger cheese,” “ripened until it was pure bacteria, and stuffed it into the intake pipe of the air-conditioning system, flooding the theater with an odor that sent the audience out the street.”
It was rumored that later, on return visits to Libertyville, Brando would catch a movie at the theater. Perhaps one of the films starred Mr. Brando himself!
Hollywood Recognition
Through the efforts of the theater's next owner, Robert Collier, during WWII another popular actor graced the streets of Libertyville.
James Cagney was the special guest in attendance at a war bond rally held in Cook Park on Sept. 23, 1942. The people of Libertyville made an extraordinary contribution of $110,625 in war bond sales, the highest per capita of any town in the country!
As a reward for the town’s efforts, the world premiere of Desperate Journey was held at the Liberty Theatre. The event raised an additional $40,000 and was attended by many dignitaries including Governor Dwight Green.
Memories from the Fifties
By the 1950s, Liberty Theatre became a hang-out for local teens. Joe and Sandy Wilson recalled “dancing in the aisles to "Rock around the Clock and other songs of the day.”
According to Joe “the local Merchants provided a free movie on Thursday afternoons, 15 cent popcorn and 10 cent boxes of Good and Plenty.”
Many Patch.com readers remembered the tuxedo-clad 1950s theater manager, Mr. Archibald. Of the man, Lou Small Jr. wrote, “He was very stern, never smiled and would throw you out for the least infraction.” On the free Thursdays Mr. Archibald was especially tough. Sandy Wilson added, “[He] would get mad if we didn't buy popcorn and candy at the show, understandably so since he gave us the free movie!”
Later in its life, the theater was split into a two-theater venue. Also, the large vertical sign was removed from the exterior and wood paneling replaced the modern lines of the original facade.
In the mid-2000s, the theater was purchased by “C” You At The Movies. At that time, both the interior and exterior received improvements. Since its takeover, “C” You At The Movies has emphasized its commitment to high-quality customer service leaving a lasting impression on movie-goers.
For more on local history, please visit libertyvillemundeleinhistoricalsociety.org.
