Elite Theatre

813 Monroe Street,
Nashville, TN 37208

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Additional Info

Previous Names: Central Theatre

Nearby Theaters

AKA Central Theatre

Located up the street from the late State Theatre, the Elite, which opened in the late 1920s, was among the first movie theatres in the downtown Nashville area.

Contributed by Jack Coursey

Recent comments (view all 9 comments)

JackCoursey
JackCoursey on August 26, 2005 at 6:02 pm

According to the 1921-28 Nashville City Directories, this theatre opened as the Central and was renamed the Elite around 1928.

JackCoursey
JackCoursey on November 1, 2005 at 3:30 pm

Here are a couple of recent photos of the Central/Elite Theater.

bauhaus
bauhaus on February 8, 2008 at 11:13 pm

Not sure, but I think this was a movie house for African American movies back in the day when they had their separate venues.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on June 1, 2010 at 12:59 pm

I believe you are right Bauhaus, I think the building is still there,I will check as I live in Nashville.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on June 30, 2010 at 2:56 pm

Some confusion here,there was an Elite theatre on 5th Ave North,near the Arcade in the 20’s but it was downtown.The address on the header here says Monroe St.which at that time was out from town near Fisk University an African American school,I believe Jack Courseys photo is the Monroe street theater which may have had the same name.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on July 12, 2010 at 7:33 pm

Also there was an Elite Theatre on 5th Ave North,and on Church Street numbered 415 maybe that the 2nd, Princess later Crescent and Loews Crescent was located, I have heard that the 2nd Princess/Crescent was built in the shell of this Elite Theatre,anyone have any more info?

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on August 30, 2010 at 2:40 pm

I have just learned that there were 4 different Elite theatres in Nashville at one time.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on September 15, 2010 at 2:53 pm

That many.Only in Nashville.LOL.

DavePrice
DavePrice on September 18, 2010 at 3:10 pm

The Four different Elites were the one on Charlotte across from Richland Park, the one on the west side of Fifth Avenue which you can see on some older postcards, the one on Monroe, which building still stands, and the one on 2nd Ave South, which was torn down when the new Capitol was built on the site.

I imagine all four were pronounced EEE-lite.

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