Loew's Vendome Theatre
615 Church Street,
Nashville,
TN
37219
615 Church Street,
Nashville,
TN
37219
2 people
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Showing 51 - 72 of 72 comments
I have a copy of that article, with a picture of the inside after the fire, tisloews. I spent many a Sunday afternoon in the late 1970s at the Nashville library looking at old Tennessean Newspapers on microfish and would print out articles about theatres.
I am trying to get a copy of the August 9,1967 TENNESSEAN newspaper there are pictures after the fire and a story about it.
tisloews, I did enjoy seeing the two pics you posted. I had never seen the first one with the older marquee. I was most accustomed to the last marquee with just the word Loew’s on it. I wish there had been more pics. I even questioned my organ teacher’s son, at her death, to see if he had any pictures of her at the Paramount, or at the Hippodrome, but I never heard from him. I guess she had disposed of any memorabilia by the time of her death.
Yes,What was I thinking, The Miller Theatre here looks pretty small from the front,but it to fills up 1300 seats or so. Hope you can get Robin to do more for you. I sent a bunch of stuff to NIck, But as we know,Nothing.
Another note the TENNESSEE THEATRE was opened in the fiftys also on Church street it would be about one block east on the same side of the street as the LOEWS VENDOME.At one time the CRESCENT, TENNESSEE,LOEWS VENDOME, and the PARAMOUNT were all in operation on the same side of Church Street, all have been razed.
Also in the back of the first photo you can see the PARAMOUNTS vertical sign on the same side of the street as the “LOEWS” as it was known hardly anyone called it the LOEWS VENDOME as it was the only LOEWS in Nashville at the time. LOEWS picked up the CRESCENT after the fire at the Vendome and also the the MELROSE and MADISON theatres.
Thanks for posting my photos Robin.Mike this was a pretty large theatre 1600 seats.It did have a small entrance and lobby,but there was about a 100 foot walk from the box office to the auditorium,it also had another entrance and Box office on the 7th. Ave side that was “FOR COLORED ONLY” back in the day.
It looks so much like a small town theatre from the front.You expect big theatres in large cities. Thanks for pictures TLSLOEWS and Robin of course you are a blessing.
Here are tlsloews' photos of the Vendome.
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I have 2 photos of the LOEWS VENDOME and will post as soon as I can.
I have heard rumors that the 1967 fire may have been arson to collect insurance money,A friend of mine called it “Jewish Lighting” that had started the fire.I do not know this for a fact though.Looking at CT I have scene there have been many movie house fires over the years.
I saw Bambi there when I was very young,I remember that seemed HUGE and DARK and CREEPY and OLD, I guess because it was all those things. I was only 10 when it burned. My grandmother was upset because she had seen Gone With The Wind there many times.She had even gone to the World Premier of G.W.T.W. at the Loews Grand in Atlanta in 1939.It too had a fire in 1978,check its site out if you haven,t.
That must have been a great place to see a movie.
Church street Center was built on this site it was going to be the next big thing it was a bust.It only lasted about 20 years and was torn down. Our main Nashville Library is there now, it faces up Capitol Blvd. looking at the State Capitol Building. Just like the Loews Vendome did.
MORE HISTORY
The site of the auditorium of LOWES VENDOME ,Between 7th ave north and an alleyway off Church Street has been bought by NELSON ELAM , president of the White Way Laundry Co. The price was $50.000 and the transaction was listed as between LOWES THEATRES and Realty Corp of New York and Elam. Most of the theatre was destroyed in a fire in August 1967.
BOXOFFICE April 26 1970
After the Loews Vendome burned in 1967, Loews took over the lease of the Crescent down the street. We still had the weekly reports from the Vendome stored there as they were not distroyed in the fire.
The August 1967 fire was not the first fire to damage and eventually destroy the Loew’s Vendome. The Tennessean reported that the first fire occurred on January 2, 1902, when faulty electrical wiring in the upper boxes created a fire causing between $35,000-$50,000.00 in damages.
The theatre was repaired, remodeled, and reopened on September 12th, 1902. The boxes were ivory and gold, the walls were shaded with a red tint varying from a pale rose to terra cotta. The new ceiling mural, entitled “Love’s Awakening”, replaced “Aurora”, which had fallen in the flames (Banner).
The theatre closed as a playhouse and reopened as a movie theatre on April 14th, 1915 (Banner).
The theatre was once more remodeled and opened on March 22, 1920 (Tennessean) after $100,000.00 was spent towards upgrades. Vaudeville was still performed and motion pictures were shown. The organ was added at a cost of $20,000.00.
I remember this theater well..especially the balconies on each side.
The Vendome burned in the late 60s…I think shortly after or maybe about the time I finished high school(1967).
I do recall the marquee advertising “THE DIRTY DOZEN…Hottest Picture in Town!” at time of the fire.
I recall seeing the remains of this theater after the fire (but before demolition). It was as if someone sliced it in half down the center. I can stil see the two balconies with seats intact on the left side of the theater, as well as main floor & stage. I knew this had to have been a very grand dame in its heyday.
bobmarshall
Jack and Lost Memory, I’ve found an old image of the Vendome and have it in JPEG format. If you’d like a copy for your files I’d be happy to e-mail it to you. Feel free to contact me through my personal link below.
During the last years of the Vendome existence it was just simply referred to as the Loews.
Photos imply that the Vendome saw few changes over its 80 year life. The high victorian decor – wooden fretwork, heavy curtains with elaborate tie-backs and oversize fringe, fully enclosed balcony boxes are clearly visible in the August 9, 1967 newspaper photos along with the destruction caused by the fire.
The local pronounciation was VAHN-dohm.
The site is now Nashville’s astonishingly wonderful public library: surely the best brand-new neo-classical buildings I’ve seen.