Tennessee Theatre
535 Church Street,
Nashville,
TN
37219
535 Church Street,
Nashville,
TN
37219
4 people
favorited this theater
Showing 76 - 93 of 93 comments
Jack, excellent photos! What’s even more amazing is that not only the theatre was torn down, but the 11 story ArtDeco office building was taken down too. Just before it was demolished (1987), I talked with the developer (long story) who was planning to take down the theatre and the Warner Building. I then walked the theatre with the maintenance man who had worked at the theatre for almost its entire existance. Both of them were absolutely convenced that neither could be economically renovated. The main reason they gave for demolishing the Warner Building was that it couldn’t be air conditioned because the floor to floor height was too close: not enough room for ductwork. I now know for certain that THAT was drivel. The Tennessee Theatre, of course hadn’t been used for about 8 years at that point. It was looking pretty dusty and time worn, but was still completely intact. When I saw it last, the seats and light fixtures were still in place.
Two big strikes against the Tennessee were its stage and its stage. The proscenium was only about 40 feet wide, narrow for concerts or touring shows. Not TOO narrow, but pushing it. Likewise, the stage depth was shallow, if it was 25 feet from the foot lights to the back wall I’d be surprized. Again, workable, but not good for trying to use the hall in a modern setting. Also, due to the fall of the land, the stage’s loading doors were about two stories above the sidewalk. (Interestingly exactly the same as the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville). It can be made to work, but it takes dedication and committment, neither of which anyone in Nashville was willing to apply to this handsome hall.
The auditorium was indeed interesting. The arches that crossed the auditorium from side to side had 3 different colored lighting circuits- blue, red and white. The murals on the auditorium’s side walls had black lights on the to make them glow in the dark. The main curtain and valance were reddish orange and “warmed” by the stage’s foot lights.
The Tennessee’s 2-story tall lobby walls were veneered in an almost-orange marble. All this orange obviously chosen by a University of Tennessee sports fan.
The auditorium was exceptionally long and narrow though. If I remember correctly, the last orchestra row was HH, making 32 rows (figuring omitting rows I and O as usual). Likewise, the balcony was very deep. While that was acceptible for movies, it is far from ideal for use in a modern stage-oriented theatre.
NOT that I’m defending the Tennessee’s destruction, only pointing out that had it been saved, we’d still have a hall that faced serious challenges for contemporary use. The greater loss by far was Nashville’s Paramount.
The building that stands on the Tennessee’s site now is fairly forgetable. It is taller than the Warner was, has air conditioning and is mostly residential (I believe). At least it isn’t a parking lot as is the case with the Paramount site.
I just reviewed the 5 photos and still can’t believe that THIS theatre was razed! Nashville should hang their heads in shame to allow this travesty to occur in their southern city.
Jack: Now that I have viewed the above photos that you have posted I am completely and thoroughly disgusted with the folks responsible for razing this art moderne theatre and having no regard for Nashville’s grand theatre history. And to make room for a new highrise is unbelievable. Perhaps someone could post what this highrise looks like in 2006 soon-to-be 2007!
Here are archive photos of the Tennessee: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Lost Memory: Your post on April 9th included a Tennessee Theatre ad that read at the bottom….“Showplace of the South” so I sure would like to think you could find a photo(s) of the interior and exterior of this former “Showplace of the South”! Thanks.
After reading about the many theatres in downtown Nashville being razed I’m not pleased with Music City USA and their decision to destroy their theatre history!
Any photos of this theatre which was Nashville’s last grand old cinema?
“It was Nashville’s last grand old theatre.” Such a sad comment regarding Nashville and their appreciation for historic theatres. If I ever visit TN, I guess I’ll have to visit Memphis and their beautiful Orpheum.
“Thank God the French Quarter is in New Orleans. Nashville would have torn it down and paved it over for Central Parking in the 1970s.” This is quite the quote by “Danny52” and so true after reading about the many theatres that Nashville HAD. From what I’ve read…..Church Street had the theatre district that should be there today, imo.
I did some research and found that the glorious Art Deco building that housed the Tennessee actually opened in 1932 with the theatre space incomplete. Due to WWII, the theatre didn’t open until 1952 (the year of my birth :). I also recall that the CMA Awards were held at the Tennessee sometime before it closed. It was utilized for live events during the period when the Ryman Auditorium was booked by the Grand Ole Opry and before the Tennessee Performing Arts Center was built. Previously, the Ryman hosted all the road companies of major Broadway shows.
Amen brother!
The Tennessee Theater was also used for live stage shows. Dorothy Lamour starred in “Hello, Dolly” at the Tennessee in 1968. A friend of my mother’s dumped me and her son at the Loew’s Vendome to watch “Yours, Mine and Ours” (starring Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball) while she saw Lamour in person. We had to sit through our movie twice before the stage production was finished down the street at the Tennessee. I believe Jimmy Stewart’s “Shenandoah” played at the Tennessee for something like two months! It was held over many times. The lobby of the adjoining office building was absolutely incredible with black and gray marble and lots of chrome accents. Very Manhattan. I always popped in for a look when I went downtown. Honestly, it makes me ill that developers in Nashville care so little for our architectural heritage. Thank God the French Quarter is in New Orleans. Nashville would have torn it down and paved it over for Central Parking in the 1970s.
After it apparently closed down as a regular theater, I went to the Tennessee Theater to see Johnny Winter, along with Billy Squire (who was opening…this was his pre-The Stroke days) on Tuesday July 8, 1980. At this time it still looked just like a regular theater, other than the necessary modifications to the lobby (for a concert hall). The only thing you didn’t see in the auditorium was the screen: the theater seats were still in place.
Now I was on vacation, from Houston, so I assume this is the same Tennessee Theater. It was only two years after the noted 1978 closing of it, and seeing how even in Houston a classic theater was turned into a concert hall, I know this place that I went to is the same as the one everyone else here is talking about. I’m glad I got the opportunity to go to it before it was torn down.
If not an EXACT replica, it’s a FINE sign which made me tear-up with joy when I saw it. Exact replica? Well… It is a joy to see it daytime or nighttime. I suspect the purists on this web-site would wonder where they got the LED’s in 1928 though. The street looks better today than it has in decades, largely due to the grand vertical sign towering over the marquee.
Dick Broadcasting, who owned the Tennessee in Knoxville from 1981 to 1996, also owned WKDF in Nashville. When the story that the Tennessee Theatre in Nashville was being torn down, the station manager for WKDF was told to check about the veridical sign. The idea was to have the sign moved to Knoxville to replace the old vertical sign that was taken down in 1956. To make a long story short, by the time they checked, the sign had been taken down by the demolition company, and sent through the shredder. We were disappointed at the time of the missed opportunity, but it turned out for the best. Now the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville has an exact replica of the original marquee and vertical sign. This might not have happened if the Nashville sign (which is art deco) had been relocated to Knoxville in the early 90’s.
Tony, the management of the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville investigated purchasing the Nashville vertical sign when it was announced that Nashville’s “Tennessee” would be razed. (The Knoxville theatre had lost its vertical in the 1960’s). Word was that it had been sold, but to whom or where, I just don’t remember.
The vertical “Tennessee” sign was nine stories tall. You could see it on Church street from several blocks away. It was gorgeous and a show in itself. Hundreds of white lights lit up the entire sign that would cascade down leaving the Tennessee neon red letters. Then the cycle would start over. Anyone know what became of it when the building was demolished?
The Tennessee was the “flagship” of the Martin Theater chain.