Did you know for 6-26-2026

Did you know for 6-26-2026 is a feature we run daily on the people, places, and events from the history of Heavener and LeFlore County.

Chill Wills, a world-famous movie star, appeared at the Liberty Theater in Heavener in March of 1943, A crowd of some 2,000 people attended. Wills and other movie stars, were making personal appearances throughout the United States to commemorate the 50th anniversary of motion pictures. According to IMDb, Colorful character actor of American Westerns. A musician from his youth, he performed from the age of 12 with tent shows, in vaudeville, and with stock companies. While performing in vaudeville in Kansas City, he married ballet dancer Betty Chappelle, with whom he had two children. He formed a musical group, Chill Wills and His Avalon Boys. During an appearance at the Trocadero in Hollywood, they were spotted by an RKO executive, subsequently appearing as a group in several low-budget Westerns.

The Liberty Theater, shown in the background, was a popular Heavener attraction until it burned in 1978.

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