As of 1974, Nashville had a total of eight adult theaters.
They are the Midtown, the Capri Art Theatre (1819 Madison), the Lamar Adult Theatre (1360 Poplar), the Cinema (10 S. Second), the Paris Theatre (2432-34 Summer), the Pussycat Theatre (2355 Lamar), the Cleveland St. Adult Theatre (12 Cleveland at Madison, unclear if its counts as an address), and the Sixth Avenue Cinema/Fantasy Cinema (118 N 6th) which the Sixth Avenue Cinema would have its own CinemaTreasures page soon.
First operated by General Cinema. According to this one article on Norbert Dannett, the manager of GCC, it appears that this later became a triplex as the Citadel Cinemas I-II-III.
I just found out that the Highway Twin Cinema was formerly known as the Ark Twin Cinema since the 1970s according to the Baxter Bulletin. It changed its name to the Highland Twin Cinema in 1990.
Yes there is. Hardy had a single-screener theater called the Ozark Theatre. The earliest attractions I can find dates back as early as 1938, but the opening date was lost.
Opened on November 16, 1937 with “A Star Is Born” along with a few selected short subjects.
CinemaScope was installed at the Chief on December 5, 1954 with “River Of North Return” as its first CinemaScope film. Exactly a year after its installation of CinemaScope, the Chief closed for the final time in January 1956. The nearby Palace would then had the chance to install CinemaScope later on.
The building was established in 1905, and the Palace Theatre opened on April 19, 1921 with a live “Minstrel Follies” show benefitted by the Boy Scouts of America.
On April 29, 1944, the Palace suffered major damage by a fire that first broke out at the projection booth, which the fire completely destroyed the booth costing an estimate $45,000 in damage. Right at the time of the fire, nobody was at the theater. The fire also suffered damaged at Homan’s Store with a $5,000 estimate. Owner Roy Creson rebuilt the theater with a cost of $25,000 and reopened in late 1944.
The Palace Theatre continued to run films as late as the 1970s.
The first fire occurred on January 29, 1950 according to the Ellis County Capital. It was suggested to be rebuilt as a new “fireproof” theater, but the “fireproof” process failed as the theater was once again devastated in another fire on the evening of June 24, 1958.
The comparison between both fires is that the 1950 fire destroyed the theater entirely, and the 1958 fire heavily damaged the building and the projection booth, but the projector was not damaged at all.
Opened on April 29, 1935 with Will Rogers in “Life Begins At 40”, along with a Columbia Color Rhapsody (“Make Believe Revue”), a Goofytone newsreel, and a normal newsreel.
The short-lived 300-capacity Y opened in October 1949 after M.A. Harris, F.B. Coffey, and R.H. Coffey, all of Oklahoma City, purchased a five-acre tract near junctions of 270 and 271.
The Y closed at the end of the 1950 season (December 16, 1950 with “Johnnie One Eye” and “Texas, Brooklyn, and Heaven” along with a comedy reel) in connection on competing over the nearby Tower Drive-In.
The only fact about the Y is that the theater was once burglarized on June 28, 1950.
Formerly occupied by a Central National Bank, this short-lived Ritz Theatre was operated by Spencer Kyle, and opened on March 23, 1944 (originally scheduled to open a week prior but rescheduled for unknown reasons), running an all-western film format.
The Ritz closed for the final time by O.K. Kemp due to price admission issues on November 1, 1947 after more than three whomping years in operation. After being leased by the Poteau Jewelry company on July 7, 1949, the 25x90 building was remodeled.
O.K. Kemp opened the Tower Drive-In on June 10, 1950 with John Wayne in “The Fighting Kentuckian” along with an unnamed cartoon and an unknown amount of unnamed shorts, chosen by Ray Hughes who traveled to Oklahoma City for selection. The theater originally had a playground in front of the screen, and its original capacity sits 250 cars.
This theater had a very interesting start. The Kemp Theatre’s original name was the K&H Theatre but immediately changed to the Kemp Theatre before opening its doors on September 1, 1937 with Jack Oakie in “Super Sleuth”. W.O. Kemp, former Victory Theatre operator, named the theater after himself.
Right when the 1950s rolled along, the Kemp Theatre was starting to fall apart on films. Films completely ended at the Kemp Theatre during the first week of 1952 and the Kemp started to shift gears towards special events and church services until ultimately closing in 1954. After sitting abandoned for three years, the building was placed for sale in June 1957.
This was first opened as the Comet Theatre on October 2, 1909, although some papers like to call it the Comet Electric Theatre for pretty much a short period of time. It was originally scheduled to open on September 30 of that year but was postponed to two days later.
Exactly 10 years and two days later on October 4, 1919, the theater reopened as the Victory Theatre with a 6-reel presentation of “Beneath of the Fire Boys”. Tom Blair was the owner of the Victory. It was a silent movie theater until July 11, 1930 when sound was installed there. This is mostly a first-run theater, but sometimes films there arrive much later than usual in portions of the 1940s, and the nearby Kemp sometimes gets a twist.
The theater was later taken over by W.O. Kemp, and later by O.K. Kemp, who had attempted to install CinemaScope there, and it did. “The Robe” was the first CinemaScope film there on May 30, 1954.
Its closing date hasn’t been found yet but still in operation into the 1960s.
The Orpheum Theatre was once destroyed by a fire on July 21, 1928, which caused an estimate loss of $5,000-$10,000. The fire destroyed the stage scenery, basement, boiler room (where the fire started), and dressing rooms.
Update: The Charles Amusement (or Charles Amusement Company) opened its doors on February 9, 1907 under a two-year lease with T.C. Charles being manager.
It was renamed the Bluebell Theatre later on during the year and closed for the final time before 1908 came in.
Correction: Not known as Wilson Theatre. The guy who operated the Electric back then known as Wilson left the Electric in late 1907 to make his own theater called Wilson’s Theatre.
But yes, the Electric Theatre was once known as Wilson’s Electric Theatre when Wilson took ownership.
The theater was designed by Axel J. Claesson of Boone County, near Belvidere. He has been in the designing theaters business for many years for the Marchesi Bros. Theatres of Amboy, the A.D. McCullom Circuit of Hoopeston, and the Anderson Theatre Corporation of Morris. He was also the one who started off his career as a designer for the Sheridan Theatre in Chicago. He former spent seven years in Sweden and later went back to Chicago to continue his work at the city’s Art Institute under Professor Edward Wimmer of Vienna, Austria. Glenn W. Roush of 631 Lucinda Avenue of DeKalb was the original manager of the theater, who has been living in DeKalb since 1933, the Anderson Theatre Circuit since 1934, and at theater business since 1929. He has a wife and three children all in the ages of 3, 9, and 11 (as of 1949).
The DeKalb Theatre as of 1949 contains the following: The entire theater was also built out of concrete and steel with the only wood being used in the construction being the birch doors, trim, and maple double-reverse floor over concrete on the stage. It was also a fireproof theater, and also contains a television lounge with the use of a Zenith round television. The air conditioning system with a press of a button starts in motion with an unusual way. The pressing of the button automatically starts in motion the intricate machinery that heats or cool which circulates, filters, humidifies or dehumidifies 70,000 cubic feet of fresh air each minute. An unnamed Donald Duck cartoon and a newsreel was added on its grand opening attraction.
Actually, the Ozark Theatre dates back as early as 1927.
The Ozark Theatre abruptly closed for the final time in 1962 due to many reports of teenagers vandalizing around the theater.
As of 1974, Nashville had a total of eight adult theaters.
They are the Midtown, the Capri Art Theatre (1819 Madison), the Lamar Adult Theatre (1360 Poplar), the Cinema (10 S. Second), the Paris Theatre (2432-34 Summer), the Pussycat Theatre (2355 Lamar), the Cleveland St. Adult Theatre (12 Cleveland at Madison, unclear if its counts as an address), and the Sixth Avenue Cinema/Fantasy Cinema (118 N 6th) which the Sixth Avenue Cinema would have its own CinemaTreasures page soon.
First operated by General Cinema. According to this one article on Norbert Dannett, the manager of GCC, it appears that this later became a triplex as the Citadel Cinemas I-II-III.
Closed on November 1, 1972 with Slim Pickens in “Outdoor Rambling” as its last film. It was demolished during the first week of June 1973.
Opened in the Mid-2000s.
This either closed in the late 1980s or early 1990s. A 1994 aerial demonstrates its parking traces fading in.
I just found out that the Highway Twin Cinema was formerly known as the Ark Twin Cinema since the 1970s according to the Baxter Bulletin. It changed its name to the Highland Twin Cinema in 1990.
Yes there is. Hardy had a single-screener theater called the Ozark Theatre. The earliest attractions I can find dates back as early as 1938, but the opening date was lost.
Opened on November 16, 1937 with “A Star Is Born” along with a few selected short subjects.
CinemaScope was installed at the Chief on December 5, 1954 with “River Of North Return” as its first CinemaScope film. Exactly a year after its installation of CinemaScope, the Chief closed for the final time in January 1956. The nearby Palace would then had the chance to install CinemaScope later on.
The building was established in 1905, and the Palace Theatre opened on April 19, 1921 with a live “Minstrel Follies” show benefitted by the Boy Scouts of America.
On April 29, 1944, the Palace suffered major damage by a fire that first broke out at the projection booth, which the fire completely destroyed the booth costing an estimate $45,000 in damage. Right at the time of the fire, nobody was at the theater. The fire also suffered damaged at Homan’s Store with a $5,000 estimate. Owner Roy Creson rebuilt the theater with a cost of $25,000 and reopened in late 1944.
The Palace Theatre continued to run films as late as the 1970s.
The first fire occurred on January 29, 1950 according to the Ellis County Capital. It was suggested to be rebuilt as a new “fireproof” theater, but the “fireproof” process failed as the theater was once again devastated in another fire on the evening of June 24, 1958.
The comparison between both fires is that the 1950 fire destroyed the theater entirely, and the 1958 fire heavily damaged the building and the projection booth, but the projector was not damaged at all.
This replaced the 71 Drive-In.
Opened on April 29, 1935 with Will Rogers in “Life Begins At 40”, along with a Columbia Color Rhapsody (“Make Believe Revue”), a Goofytone newsreel, and a normal newsreel.
On June 24, 1958, the Arnett Theatre was heavily damaged by a fire. It was rebuilt and reopened later on. It was still in operation in the 1960s.
Opened on December 18, 1916 with an original capacity of 300 seats.
The short-lived 300-capacity Y opened in October 1949 after M.A. Harris, F.B. Coffey, and R.H. Coffey, all of Oklahoma City, purchased a five-acre tract near junctions of 270 and 271.
The Y closed at the end of the 1950 season (December 16, 1950 with “Johnnie One Eye” and “Texas, Brooklyn, and Heaven” along with a comedy reel) in connection on competing over the nearby Tower Drive-In.
The only fact about the Y is that the theater was once burglarized on June 28, 1950.
Formerly occupied by a Central National Bank, this short-lived Ritz Theatre was operated by Spencer Kyle, and opened on March 23, 1944 (originally scheduled to open a week prior but rescheduled for unknown reasons), running an all-western film format.
The Ritz closed for the final time by O.K. Kemp due to price admission issues on November 1, 1947 after more than three whomping years in operation. After being leased by the Poteau Jewelry company on July 7, 1949, the 25x90 building was remodeled.
O.K. Kemp opened the Tower Drive-In on June 10, 1950 with John Wayne in “The Fighting Kentuckian” along with an unnamed cartoon and an unknown amount of unnamed shorts, chosen by Ray Hughes who traveled to Oklahoma City for selection. The theater originally had a playground in front of the screen, and its original capacity sits 250 cars.
This theater had a very interesting start. The Kemp Theatre’s original name was the K&H Theatre but immediately changed to the Kemp Theatre before opening its doors on September 1, 1937 with Jack Oakie in “Super Sleuth”. W.O. Kemp, former Victory Theatre operator, named the theater after himself.
Right when the 1950s rolled along, the Kemp Theatre was starting to fall apart on films. Films completely ended at the Kemp Theatre during the first week of 1952 and the Kemp started to shift gears towards special events and church services until ultimately closing in 1954. After sitting abandoned for three years, the building was placed for sale in June 1957.
This was first opened as the Comet Theatre on October 2, 1909, although some papers like to call it the Comet Electric Theatre for pretty much a short period of time. It was originally scheduled to open on September 30 of that year but was postponed to two days later.
Exactly 10 years and two days later on October 4, 1919, the theater reopened as the Victory Theatre with a 6-reel presentation of “Beneath of the Fire Boys”. Tom Blair was the owner of the Victory. It was a silent movie theater until July 11, 1930 when sound was installed there. This is mostly a first-run theater, but sometimes films there arrive much later than usual in portions of the 1940s, and the nearby Kemp sometimes gets a twist.
The theater was later taken over by W.O. Kemp, and later by O.K. Kemp, who had attempted to install CinemaScope there, and it did. “The Robe” was the first CinemaScope film there on May 30, 1954.
Its closing date hasn’t been found yet but still in operation into the 1960s.
The Orpheum Theatre was once destroyed by a fire on July 21, 1928, which caused an estimate loss of $5,000-$10,000. The fire destroyed the stage scenery, basement, boiler room (where the fire started), and dressing rooms.
Update: The Charles Amusement (or Charles Amusement Company) opened its doors on February 9, 1907 under a two-year lease with T.C. Charles being manager.
It was renamed the Bluebell Theatre later on during the year and closed for the final time before 1908 came in.
Correction: Not known as Wilson Theatre. The guy who operated the Electric back then known as Wilson left the Electric in late 1907 to make his own theater called Wilson’s Theatre.
But yes, the Electric Theatre was once known as Wilson’s Electric Theatre when Wilson took ownership.
The theater was designed by Axel J. Claesson of Boone County, near Belvidere. He has been in the designing theaters business for many years for the Marchesi Bros. Theatres of Amboy, the A.D. McCullom Circuit of Hoopeston, and the Anderson Theatre Corporation of Morris. He was also the one who started off his career as a designer for the Sheridan Theatre in Chicago. He former spent seven years in Sweden and later went back to Chicago to continue his work at the city’s Art Institute under Professor Edward Wimmer of Vienna, Austria. Glenn W. Roush of 631 Lucinda Avenue of DeKalb was the original manager of the theater, who has been living in DeKalb since 1933, the Anderson Theatre Circuit since 1934, and at theater business since 1929. He has a wife and three children all in the ages of 3, 9, and 11 (as of 1949).
The DeKalb Theatre as of 1949 contains the following: The entire theater was also built out of concrete and steel with the only wood being used in the construction being the birch doors, trim, and maple double-reverse floor over concrete on the stage. It was also a fireproof theater, and also contains a television lounge with the use of a Zenith round television. The air conditioning system with a press of a button starts in motion with an unusual way. The pressing of the button automatically starts in motion the intricate machinery that heats or cool which circulates, filters, humidifies or dehumidifies 70,000 cubic feet of fresh air each minute. An unnamed Donald Duck cartoon and a newsreel was added on its grand opening attraction.
Opened on November 2, 1923 with the Midwest Premiere of Ruth Stonehouse in “Lights Out”, along with a performance by the theater’s Barton Grand Organ.