Roxy Theatre
827 Meridian Street,
Nashville,
TN
37207
827 Meridian Street,
Nashville,
TN
37207
1 person
favorited this theater
The Roxy Theatre opened in 1938 with a seating capacity of 500. It was operated by Crescent Theatres. In the 1950’s it was renamed Woodbine Theatre, after another theatre with that name had closed.
It closed as a movie theatre in July of 1960. It sat empty until 1980 when it went through a renovation and reopened as the Roxy Production Center with a recording studio and a 240 seat theatre.
Contributed by
Chuck Van Bibber
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater
Recent comments (view all 22 comments)
Good I will check it out since I live pretty close.
Some confusion here with the Roxy/Woodbine connection. Woodbine is in south Nashville and the Roxys address is in East Nashville, maybe they just used that name Woodbine at the east Nashville location at some time. Any more info would be great.
There was another Roxy in Nashville but it was downtown,saw a photo of it last night on NPT Channel 8, I believe it was on 6th ave.It is not listed on C.T.
I am not familiar with another Roxy on 6th Ave. Any info is welcome.
I once nearly got kicked out of the Roxy by putting my feet on the seat in front of me.
Roxy Theater History
View link
Debie:
That is an excellent piece on the old Roxy and its neighborhood.
In 1923 my mother’s family briefly lived across Meridian from this property and she attended Glenn School nearby. Then some years later one of her sisters lived several blocks up Meridian from this point when she was married to Paul Roark, the son of the barber you mention. During those years I have attended the Roxy with my cousins, the children of the Roarks.
The Roxy business district used to be a very nice safe area and I hope the new owners will return that to the neighborhood.
@Debie…I live in the immediate area of The Roxy and wanted you to know that I ran across your piece today. I’ve had it distributed to the surrounding East Nashville neighborhood associations…so you may hear from some of them, hopefully. Thank you for sharing the history.
I’m not sure if you were aware of this when you wrote the piece, but here is a link regarding the Roxy in 2011. We ARE planning to see its “glory” return…hopefully. Here is a recent piece from The Tennessean on the plans…
View link
Lisa
You are welcome Lisa. I grew up in the area. I barely remember the theater being open but remember going to the speedwash that was in the building. My older brother and several of my uncles worked at the Roxy.
Dave, I had no idea that you had Northeast Nashville ties. I remember going to Mr. Roark’s home, after he retired, with my Daddy.
in 1915 a made in Nashville silent era movie entitled “ Sam Davis- A hero of the Sixties” played at the Parthenon theatre on june 5 1915.In part it was filmed at Travellers Rest plantation.Lillian Nicholson Sharon wrote the screenplay.My relative Joshua Brown was in the movie and was an actual Coleman Scout in the civil war.Looking for images from this historic movie.in Nashville paper 05-30-1915 article appears about movie and Hap Sudekum, Lucille Wilson Sudekum and Joshua Brown were shown as cast members. Lucille was wife of Harry Sudekum and Hap was brother of Harry.Talley Bailey
The Parthenon does not have a page here. It was at 411 Church St and only lasted about a year from mid-1915 to mid-1916.
Harry Sudekum died young in 1930. His widow Lucille did not die until 1954 but is buried or entombed with him in the old Mausoleum at Spring Hill. Harry managed the Princess in its early days.
Clarence"Hap" Sudekum was the youngest of the Sudekum brothers and managed the Roxy all through the 1940s.