Had a meeting out in Hermitage this week, so decided to drive by this theatre I helped open. Still sitting there. Wish I had the funds to whip this place back into shape, retrofit. Eight screens, and the closest theatre is 20-30 minutes away. People would come. There definitely needs to be some maintenance to the exterior. I’m sure the projection equipment were removed, who knows?
I visited this theatre in 1979, June I believe. I traveled down with a friend from Murray KY, we were trying to see how this theatre’s attendance was, as it had just opened in the prior year. The owner in Murray was worried that this theatre took away from customers traveling to Murray for a movie inside instead of a drive-in. We’re sure it did. The film I sat in on was “Wanda Nevada”. I recall the screen looked like it was ‘painted’ on the front wall… and was the size of a postage stamp, almost like a 16mm image, not 35mm. The film distributors verified they ran 35… but it sure didn’t look like it.
This theatre was built and operated by Consolidated Theatres of Charlotte NC. This was the same design as the Cinema North and Cinema South in Nashville, and the Valley Cinemas in Salem VA. I worked for Consolidated in Nashville, and competed with sales at this theatre. Carmike bought most of Consolidated’s screens in 1989, and this was one of them.
Mike, I know UA picked up some of Litchfield’s screens in the Carolinas, and perhaps the Atlanta area and Florida. UA has never operated in the Nashville/Middle Tennesse area. There were three locations that Litchfield built, starting with Courtyard in 1988. Indian Lake 10 in Hendersonville TN, and Stones River 10 in Murfreesboro TN were the next locations. I’m unsure if Regal took Stones River or not, but they did take Courtyard and Indian Lake… their entry into the market.
I think Consolidated operated this drive in for a period of time… definitely in the 80’s, and probably some of the 70’s. I remember the name from my Consolidated days.
Mike, wow, that reel…. I hope you didn’t leave it there.
Oh, and I think I remember Charlie telling me a new theatre was built, or was going to be built at the mall…. don’t know any specifics, though, but the theatre I was in was in need of some TLC at the time.
PatriciaNC, then it was in 1989. Charlie was here in Nashville at the Courtyard 8 from 1988 until March of 1989. Litchfield moved him back to take the Westgate Cinemas that spring, and left me as manager here. I stopped by the theatre on my way back home from Hilton Head, probably in 1990 to see them, went to grab dinner with Charlie, his wife, and David.
I met Mr. McKissick once, he came to the grand opening here in Nashville. I remember Charlie telling me of the plane going down, and signaled, once again, the end of Litchfield Theatres. I believe Regal bought them in 1991. I don’t know if the resort, Litchfield By The Sea, still remains.
I used to go to this theatre when visiting my aunt and uncle on the island. I remember seeing ‘The Hindenburg’ there. I’m glad to see that it was saved.
The Apollo ½ and Cross Creek Cinemas were part of the Consolidated Theatres chain, definitely in the 1980’s and before. Carmike bought most of Consolidated’s screens in 1989, is how they acquired them.
PatriciaNC… OMG, I just happened to be looking at the cinemas in Spartanburg, searching for the theatre that a friend, and former boss, of mine with Litchfield, had managed in the late 80’s, to early 90’s, and it was the Westgate. The manager around this time was Charlie Hopkins. I believe you mentioned a David Hopkins had seen some of this crime in process. David was Charlie’s son. WOW! I had no idea this had taken place…. but I had stepped out of the business in 1989, so kind of lost contact. Litchfield Theatres Ltd., had this theatre through 1990 or 1991, and Regal bought them after their owner, Foster McKissick, was killed in a plane crash at Pawleys Island SC. Body never recovered after it over shot the airport there.
I was in Murray a couple of times with the owner of the theatres here, Tommy Brown. At that time, there was a twin theatre in a strip shopping center, then name of that theatre was the Cheri 1 & 2. The Capri, at that time, had either 2 or 3 screens, which is the site for the current megaplex by addition. I’m sure the Cheri in the shopping center was closed. I’m guessing they changed the name of the Capri to the Cheri sometime in the 80’s or 90’s.
While H.P. Vinson had an interest in the theatres in Murray, the main man was Tommy Brown, who lived in Murray. H.P. booked the product for these theatres in Murray from his office at the Sundown Drive-In, in Columbia, TN. I worked for H.P. in Columbia. I recall being at the Murray Drive-In, in the summer of 1979. They were running ‘Grease’ and ‘Saturday Night Fever’ as a double feature. I remember they still were running carbon arc, but had adapted to larger reels, to only have 1 or 2 changeovers.
I think Songbird broke my foot in the lobby of the Polk, oh, around 1978.
The tornado was actually 2 blocks away. I believe the building was spared.
Updated the street view.
The address needs to be corrected. 705 Two Mile Pike in Goodlettsville TN is the correct address. Two Mile Pike is now Rivergate Parkway.
The street view shows where an Aldi grocery store is now. This is where Cinema South used to stand. The correct address is 3760 Nolensville Road.
The F5 tornado that hit Tuscaloosa yesterday probably took this building out. It was about a block away from a main point of devastation.
Had a meeting out in Hermitage this week, so decided to drive by this theatre I helped open. Still sitting there. Wish I had the funds to whip this place back into shape, retrofit. Eight screens, and the closest theatre is 20-30 minutes away. People would come. There definitely needs to be some maintenance to the exterior. I’m sure the projection equipment were removed, who knows?
Wait, that was some other movie I was thinking of at Christmastime… Ishtar was May of 1987…. was still dumped, though.
@KingBiscuits = dat true, lol! I was stuck with that as one of my holiday flicks that Christmas. It was quickly dumped in the 200-seater!
The Powell Twin was always a twin. Consolidated operated the theatre in the 1980’s, and Carmike got it in 1989 through the buyout.
I visited this theatre in 1979, June I believe. I traveled down with a friend from Murray KY, we were trying to see how this theatre’s attendance was, as it had just opened in the prior year. The owner in Murray was worried that this theatre took away from customers traveling to Murray for a movie inside instead of a drive-in. We’re sure it did. The film I sat in on was “Wanda Nevada”. I recall the screen looked like it was ‘painted’ on the front wall… and was the size of a postage stamp, almost like a 16mm image, not 35mm. The film distributors verified they ran 35… but it sure didn’t look like it.
This theatre was built and operated by Consolidated Theatres of Charlotte NC. This was the same design as the Cinema North and Cinema South in Nashville, and the Valley Cinemas in Salem VA. I worked for Consolidated in Nashville, and competed with sales at this theatre. Carmike bought most of Consolidated’s screens in 1989, and this was one of them.
Mike, I know UA picked up some of Litchfield’s screens in the Carolinas, and perhaps the Atlanta area and Florida. UA has never operated in the Nashville/Middle Tennesse area. There were three locations that Litchfield built, starting with Courtyard in 1988. Indian Lake 10 in Hendersonville TN, and Stones River 10 in Murfreesboro TN were the next locations. I’m unsure if Regal took Stones River or not, but they did take Courtyard and Indian Lake… their entry into the market.
I think Consolidated operated this drive in for a period of time… definitely in the 80’s, and probably some of the 70’s. I remember the name from my Consolidated days.
Mike, wow, that reel…. I hope you didn’t leave it there.
In the 70’s and 80’s, this was part of the Consolidated chain.
I’m thinking Consolidated had this theatre for a period of time… and Carmike got it when they sold out to them.
Edwards Theatres is part of the Regal Entertainment Group.
Oh, and I think I remember Charlie telling me a new theatre was built, or was going to be built at the mall…. don’t know any specifics, though, but the theatre I was in was in need of some TLC at the time.
PatriciaNC, then it was in 1989. Charlie was here in Nashville at the Courtyard 8 from 1988 until March of 1989. Litchfield moved him back to take the Westgate Cinemas that spring, and left me as manager here. I stopped by the theatre on my way back home from Hilton Head, probably in 1990 to see them, went to grab dinner with Charlie, his wife, and David.
I met Mr. McKissick once, he came to the grand opening here in Nashville. I remember Charlie telling me of the plane going down, and signaled, once again, the end of Litchfield Theatres. I believe Regal bought them in 1991. I don’t know if the resort, Litchfield By The Sea, still remains.
Mike, that’s probably the Coligny Theatre, used to be The Island Theatre.
I used to go to this theatre when visiting my aunt and uncle on the island. I remember seeing ‘The Hindenburg’ there. I’m glad to see that it was saved.
The Apollo ½ and Cross Creek Cinemas were part of the Consolidated Theatres chain, definitely in the 1980’s and before. Carmike bought most of Consolidated’s screens in 1989, is how they acquired them.
PatriciaNC… OMG, I just happened to be looking at the cinemas in Spartanburg, searching for the theatre that a friend, and former boss, of mine with Litchfield, had managed in the late 80’s, to early 90’s, and it was the Westgate. The manager around this time was Charlie Hopkins. I believe you mentioned a David Hopkins had seen some of this crime in process. David was Charlie’s son. WOW! I had no idea this had taken place…. but I had stepped out of the business in 1989, so kind of lost contact. Litchfield Theatres Ltd., had this theatre through 1990 or 1991, and Regal bought them after their owner, Foster McKissick, was killed in a plane crash at Pawleys Island SC. Body never recovered after it over shot the airport there.
I was in Murray a couple of times with the owner of the theatres here, Tommy Brown. At that time, there was a twin theatre in a strip shopping center, then name of that theatre was the Cheri 1 & 2. The Capri, at that time, had either 2 or 3 screens, which is the site for the current megaplex by addition. I’m sure the Cheri in the shopping center was closed. I’m guessing they changed the name of the Capri to the Cheri sometime in the 80’s or 90’s.
While H.P. Vinson had an interest in the theatres in Murray, the main man was Tommy Brown, who lived in Murray. H.P. booked the product for these theatres in Murray from his office at the Sundown Drive-In, in Columbia, TN. I worked for H.P. in Columbia. I recall being at the Murray Drive-In, in the summer of 1979. They were running ‘Grease’ and ‘Saturday Night Fever’ as a double feature. I remember they still were running carbon arc, but had adapted to larger reels, to only have 1 or 2 changeovers.