Liberty Theatre

210 Raleigh Avenue,
Sheffield, AL 35660

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Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on April 14, 2018 at 10:33 am

I’ve seen sources saying that the Liberty opened in 1915, and others saying it was 1916. The book Screening Room: Family Pictures, by M. A. Lightman’s grandson Alan Lightman says 1916, which is more likely correct. However, it appears that Lightman did not control the Liberty continuously, as the April 6, 1918, issue of The Moving Picture World carried this brief notice: “SHEFFIELD, ALA. — M. A. Lightman has taken over Liberty theater.”

Lightman had more than one iron in the fire around this time. In November 1918, Motion Picture News noted that he was President of the Criterion Film Service, a film exchange (distribution company) that had been opened in Atlanta in September.