Belcourt Theatre
2102 Belcourt Avenue,
Nashville,
TN
37212
2102 Belcourt Avenue,
Nashville,
TN
37212
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Showing 1 - 25 of 36 comments found
David: I have the cut-out story but apparently failed to write down the date of it. A pic of Lou says “Banner Photo by Bob Ray,” so that tells us which paper. Mark Howard wrote the story caled, “Soft-Shoe, Popcorn Carts, & Marx Brothers.” There’s a mention on the back of Gov Alexander, so that helps with the date. Regards- Dave
DavePrice – I searched and couldn’t find the article. From some other searches, it seems Lou died in 1992 at age 81, and Mamie died in 2005 at age 92. It seemed like Lou knew almost everybody in town. He had the longest Christmas commercial reel of any Martin theatre, and the police would drive him to the bank to make the nightly deposit.
Another link repair: Photos of the Belcourt Theatre in Boxoffice, July 8, 1963.
Thanks, TLSLoews. I’ve been here all along. Just haven’t said much lately.
Good to see back on here Dave.
There was a great article about Lou Rubenstein maybe twenty years ago in one of the papers. I used to run into him in the Shoney’s on Murphy Road when he lived nearby. Fascinating old Crescent man.
I worked as a doorman for two summers when Lou Rubenstein was the manager. I remember very well the smoking seats in the second auditorium. We were supposed to charge 25 cents extra to sit in those seats, and often I would be sent in with a roll of tickets to collect the additional money.
In the early sixties the Concession Stand area was given a “New Orleans"atmosphere.
Thanks Joe,hope you were able to catch the Flick,Tis.
Thanks Joe,thats the place alright.
Here is an updated link to the 1963 Boxoffice article with pictures of the Belcourt cited in my earlier comment.
Playing this weekend at the Belcourt:Meek’s Cutoff,Everything Must Go.Weekend classics: The Leopard.Midnight movie Fri and Sat. Billy Madison. Coming Soon:I Am. Queen of the Sun,National Velvet and Badlands.
Taxi Driver will be shown with a new 35 mm print on May21-23 for a 35th Anniversary screening.We showed Taxi Driver first run for 12 weeks at the Loews Crescent.I plan to go to one of these showings.
Great news to read, iknow you are happy,tis.
Thanks Ken, that sure was a quick update.
Also the phone number to the Belcourt is 615-383;9140.WWW.Belcourt.Org.
Playing this weekend at the Belcourt,In A Better World,Potiche,Rubber,Mildred Pierce,and free screening of Freedom Riders.
I wonder what William Castle would say about all this?
This theater is the telecasting site for a special nationwide event which will beam a RiffTrax presentation of “House on Haunted Hill with Vincent Price to nearly 500 theaters on October 28, 2010: http://tiny.cc/a4qsi
The Hillsboro was operated by M A Lightman or “Malco” out of Memphis and had movies and vaudeville acts. It is said that Tony Sudekum built the Belmont on the next corner to run Lightrman out of Nashville and it worked.
The original entrance was on 21st and if you look at the tavern there called I believe the Villager you will see the name Hillsboro in the concrete and brick cornice of the building.
If you go inside the tavern and walk to the back you will see an atrium style lobby complete with a dome overhead. Worth the trip.
During the time when this was the Community Playhouse it also served as the Children’s Theater for plays directed at the younger set. If you went to these plays and saved your programs you could turn them in for admission to an Ice Cream Festival in the spring. I have attended many such.
One side of the Belcourt still has the beautiful proscenium arch and I believe the name Hillsboro can be seen in it.
And its still open.
Photos of the Belcourt Playhouse are here in the July 8, 1963, issue of Boxoffice. The theater had recently been taken over and remodeled by Rockwood Amusement Company, and was operated as an art house. Seating had been reduced from 550 to 344. The article says the house had also been known as the Children’s Theatre after being called the Community Playhouse.
Rockwood Amusement must have operated the Belcourt Playhouse for only a year or so, as by August, 1964, Boxoffice was calling it the Belcourt Cinema and said it was being operated by the Nashville Theatre Company. In 1968 it was part of Fred Massey’s Masco circuit, and the August 26 issue of Boxoffice carried the announcement of Masco’s intention to add a second auditorium to the house. The January 20, 1969, issue listed the Belcourt Cinema II as being under construction. I’ve been unable to find an opening date.
Here is a b/w photo.
When The Belcourt was known as the Hillsboro Theatre, a Mr. Benedict gave the opening performance on opening day, May 15th, 1925, on the Kimball pipe organ.
I also remember the addition of a 2nd theater. It had a smoking section of about 6 rows in the back behind a wrought iron partition. The chairs rocked. Very comfortable for its day. Much more comfortable than the smaller original theater. Saw “Easy Rider” and “Hello Dolly” there.