Madison Theatre

This item from the August 10, 1969 issue of The Tennessean contradicts our current description of this house. It says that the Madison Theatre was opened by Martin Theatres. I notice that the grand opening ad uploaded by Mike Rivest doesn’t mention either Loew’s or Martin, but it must have been a Martin house first, later taken over by Loew’s.

Architects were the Columbus, Georgia firm Brookbank, Murphy & Shields. Predecessor firm Brookbank & Murphy had designed Martin’s Georgia Cinerama in Atlanta in 1965, and probably did a number of other projects for Martin during this period.

August 14th, 1969 grand opening ad in photo section.

I worked at this theater for about 4 or 5 years and it was named Loew’s Madison Theater, not Madison Sq. Theater. I remember Mr. Sokol and his train set he would get out at Christmas. I was manager of the concession stand and remember Johnny Cash coming in. He would load up the the kids in his neighborhood (he lived in Hendersonville) along with John Jr. and bring them all to Disney movies. The Loew’s Cresent was downtown on Church St. The Loew’s Melrose was in Green Hills ( a suburb of Nashville) on Franklin Rd. The pic you see above is the old theater; however, it is now remodeled into a church. Mrs. Cockrill was the older lady that worked the box office and Mr. Beard worked the door- both have been dead for many years. Imaxguy, I don’t know who you are, but I don’t remember a guy (if you are) that worked in the concessions.It was all girls. Kirby Jefferies was the manager when I worked there, as well as another guy I can’t remember. I still have the first Rocky poster and Raging Bull tucked away. I remember having the first ‘pong’ video game machine in the area. Mr. James Van Deuren was the projectionist- very heavy set dude. My younger sister also worked there too. Great times!!

TSLowes: I worked there in the 70’s also, in the concession stand. Johnny Cash’s “The Gospel Road” premiered there, and I still have the signed copy of a bible they were handing out.

The Madison Square Theatre building is now home to Covenant of the Cross church. The auditorium was extensively remodeled.

This theatre ran day and date with the Loews Melrose on Franklin Road,mostly Disney movies.

The audiotorium had blue drapes on the walls and had blue seats also.Blue carpet covered the lobby and ailses.The box office was at the front or course but was not enclosed from the lobby.It ony had about a 4 foot wall around the area the cashier sat in.The manager was to stand behind the box office during peak ticket sales to make sure no one could get to the cashier,the entrance was right left of the boxoffice with the doormans stand.The office was to the left of the entrance and has a glass wall in front that you could see the boxoffice and doormans stand from.Of course there were drapes in front of the glass wall of the office that we would close while counting the money and checking out.The concessions stand was at the back of the looby and the movie house itself was to the left of the lobby with a hallway that had the restrooms and of course the projection booth.This was the only theatre I worked which had Xenon lamps in the booth.We always ran one hour reels there. The booth also had a roof hatch and ladder mounted on the wall.Johnny Cash would bring his kids to the movies most every Saturday when he was in town and no one noticed of bothered him.

Of course we had more employees than that I just do not remember their names,Robert Sokol I know died a while back here had worked for Loews many,many,years,asfor Mr. Beard and Miss Crokett if they are still alive would be pretty old as my time there was nearly 35 years ago.

Former Employees if anyone cares: John Neal Manager,Mr.Beard who was in his 70,s at the time,was a doorman,a Miss Crokett old time cashier.And myself I worked there 2 days a week for about a year when I was the Relielf Manager,worked at all three Loews houses 2 days a week,till I got promoted to Manager of the Loews Melrose when Robert Sokol out city manager retired,and Joe Daniel took over his job at the Loews Crescent and I took over his job as manager of the Loews Melrose,back where I had started as a doorman in 1973.

<<< One area local recalled that this was the theater to see “Star Wars” during its initial run. >>>

This is NOT the theater in which “Star Wars” played during its original 1977 release. The first-run Nashville market bookings were at Cinema 4 North (27 weeks), Cinema 4 South (36 weeks), and Hermitage 4 (8 weeks).

The seating count on this theatre is not correct it is listed as 1016 this theatre was not that big,that maybe the seating for the Madison Theatre a different theatre on Gallitin Pike,that building is still standing also.The Madison Square Theatre was more in the 700 seat range with no balcony.Built in 1969,I have read elsewere that Loews built this theatre but I believe it was just leased by Loews. The Loews Melrose had 1000 seats including the balcony and was much larger than this house.The headed on this theatre is only about half correct,it it being confused with the older Madison Theatre nearby,this one was in the back of the Madison Squuare Shopping Center.

You are correct TheatreOrgan last time I was by there the building is still standing.And of course the Madison Square Theatre is a church now,I am thinking of going there to check them out and see how much they have changed from when I worked there years and years ago.It was still pretty new when I worked there in the 70,S.

The header on this theatre is wrong this MADISON theatre was built about 1969,there was another MADISON theatre on Gallatin Road that is an art store now it would have been built about 1940 as the header inplies,these were two different theatres although very close to each other.