Loew's Crescent Theatre
415 Church Street,
Nashville,
TN
37219
415 Church Street,
Nashville,
TN
37219
2 people
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Showing 126 - 147 of 147 comments
Patsy same as all the other cities T.V. V.C.R.s suburb theaters.Not having to pay to park. A 31 story condo is built at the Loews Crescent site now next to the L&C tower Nashvilles first real skyscraper,also 31 stories. It was built in 1955. The Tennessees site is also a high rise condo.Also the Loews Crescent was by no means a movie palace,it had red drapes on the walls and over the screen,it did open and close though.I had a great time working there but that was 30 years or more ago.
How close were the Crescent and Tennessee Theatres? I’ve looked at photos of these theatres and they appear to be almost the same except for the marquee design though both were vertical.
Sad commentary when reading…..“The theatre was torn down in 1994 and replaced by a parking lot.”
Why did Nashville lose so many of its theatres?
tisloews: From what I’ve read about Nashville that city has lost many theatres especially the Tennessee, but at least Knoxville saved and restored their Tennessee. If you haven’t seen it, I urge you to go. I’ve seen it and heard the organ played by Dr. Bill Snyder.
tisloews: I just noticed that you have posted on the Louisville Palace Theatre and now learn that you are in Nashville so by all means do drive up to see the Palace in Louisville. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!
The Chain this house was built by the Crescent Amusement Co.Any ifo on them would be great!
Thanks Cinematreasures for the update for seating.It may have had more seating before it was updated for cinerama but it could not had had over 1000 seats.It wasn’t big enough.Love you site!
Also the seating numbers are wrong the Loews Crescent had 830 seats, 415 a side. I know I used to work there.
In the opening statement about this theater it needs to be corrected that Loews did not shut down the Crescent in 1972 it was more like 1980-1981, and Martin Theaters took it over for just a short time.Martin Theaters used to run several houses in Tennessee including the Tennessee Theater also on Church Street this was their Flagship house.
Here’s a page about the Reproduco organ:
View link
Apparently it was especially marketed to undertakers.
CWalczak,s pitcure of the Crescent you might not be able to see it in the picture but when Loews took over the Theater it had a neon Loews sign in stalled over the west side only if the Crescents vertical it would flash on and off. Church street was one way at that time running east I guess thats why the only put the LOEWS on that one side.Loews ussally had their mane many places on their movie houses.
1979 picture of the Crescent:
View link
I worked in this theater Loews Crescent in the late 70,s.We had the World Premier of W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings there, a Burt Renolds movie. It had lots of Nashville people in the movie and a shot of the theater is seen in the movie.It had 830 seats 415 on each side, it was a rather plain movie house but I had lots of fun there. I also worked at the Loews Melrose and Loews Madison.
According to Bowers' “Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments” page 551, the Princess Theatre was equipped with a Reproduco organ made by the Operators Piano Co.
Also, the “American” and “Cameo” theatres in Memphis apparently had Reproduco organs as well. I could not find dedicated pages for them, so I am putting this info here for the time being.
It was a Loews theatre before it was a Martin Theatre. This was Nashville’s only Cinerama Theater, but Cinerama didn’t last very long because of expense of production and lack of commercial appeal. Mary Poppins played there as did Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? And an off-duty cop shut the movie down and arrested the owner during the movie’s first night. The Baptists picketed outside. All because of the use of the word, “Goddamn.”
It was a Loews theatre before it was a Martin Theatre. This was Nashville’s only Cinerama Theater, but Cinerama didn’t last very long because of expense of production and lack of commercial appeal. Mary Poppins played there as did Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? And an off-duty cop shut the movie down and arrested the owner during the movie’s first night. The Baptists picketed outside. All because of the use of the word, “Goddamn.”
It was a Loews theatre before it was a Martin Theatre. This was Nashville’s only Cinerama Theater, but Cinerama didn’t last very long because of expense of production and lack of commercial appeal. Mary Poppins played there as did Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? And an off-duty cop shut the movie down and arrested the owner during the movie’s first night. The Baptists picketed outside. All because of the use of the word, “Goddamn.”
Picture is not the Loew’s Crescent. We called this theatre just the Loew’s. It was across from Harvey’s. The Loew’s Crescent was down by the L&C Tower.
The photo posted by RobertR on Jul 19 does not show the marquee that I remember of the Loew’s Cresent. The last time I was in the theatre was about 1990 (and we won’t talk about how I got in, okay?) The entire interior was gone: auditorium, stage, lobby, restrooms, walls, everything. The space was a large empty shell with a back-hoe sitting in the middle of the dark, sad room. However, the marquee was still hanging over the sidewalk. It no longer said Lowe’s Cresent, but the sign boards were still there, as were the border lights.
Someone needs to pull a copy of the Tennessean for Thanksgiving, 1965. I’ve yet to get a consensus as the whether this is the Loews Crescent or the Loews Vendome. Although the Vendome was razed in 1968, it continued to be a first run house up until the day of its closure.
Is this the Crescent?
http://www.wnpt.net/memories/popups/downtown3.html