The Liberty Once Upon An Autumn Day


Our Big Parade For 1959

A local friend made my day when he brought by this wonderful image of our Liberty Theatre from a 1959 high school yearbook. Occasion was that year's Fall Harvest Parade, occasion to show latest farm equipment and whatever beauties had lately been crowned at homecomings. We had many such events in then-North Wilkesboro. Parades, especially at Christmas, brought out the whole county, the Libertywide open in case anyone wanted to unwind with a movie and concessions. The Thursday-Friday bill paired King Of The Wild Stallions with Little Rascals Varieties, latter a group of Our Gang shorts that included Pinch Singer, Reunion In Rhythm, and The Our Gang Follies of 1936 and 1938. Both these attractions were "new" to extent of Varieties being compiled in 1959, while King Of The Wild Stallions was a May release of that year. Close inspect of the front door reveals a figure that I'm satisfied is Colonel Roy Forehand, ever-present manager of the Liberty. There was at that time a display of posters between the entry and exit doors on the right and left. It would be taken out when they re-did the front in the mid-sixties, a regret because sometimes there would be three-sheets there which afterward had no space large enough to hang. Note the Liberty still using newsreels in 1959, and touting Cinemascope plus Stereophonic Sound. Serials were still a mainstay at the Liberty, Jesse James Rides Again having recently played off when this picture was taken. To right of the main marquee is North By Northwest, which would begin on Sunday and play till Thursday. Blink and you could miss a great show at the Liberty.

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