Belcourt Theatre

NPR ran a nice piece on this theater & the Executive Director . You can listen to the 8 min audio at marketplace.org/arts then search Nashville Belcourt Theatre. I am not sure how long it will be available.

First ad as Belcourt from November 2nd, 1962 in photo section.

David Bower’s “Encyclopedia of Automated Musical Instruments” p. 551 lists the Hillsboro in Nashville Tennessee as having a Reproduco organ, but there is no date. Wonder if the Reproduco preceded the Kimball or was there an earlier theatre with the same name? Reproducos were mostly of the photoplayer variety, rather than fully developed theatre organs.

The Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ, Vol.1, page 259, by David Junchen, published 1985, lists a Kimball Theatre Pipe Organ being installed in 1925. The organ consisted of two manuals/five ranks.

Vastor: I hope you saw the name “Hillsboro” on the cornice of the old entrance. If you had walked inside you could still see sort of an atrium near the back of the present establishment, which served as a small lobby to the Hillsboro.

Just returned from a trip to Nashville and was interested in M A Lightman’s first big venture into the motion picture business in Tennessee. MALCO is still going strong in Memphis and elsewhere in the region. Executive Director Stephanie Silverman was very kind to me and took me into the side hallways and upstairs to get the glimpses of the 1925 plasterwork. It was fascinating and they are very proud of the theatre and its history. However, there is really no chance of any of this being brought to light since there is so much mechanical and other between the newer walls and ceiling and the old and it is an operating and prospering theatre. But at least we can see it. And the 1925 proscenium has been recently refurbished. I posted several new photos. The theatre still offers occasional stage fare. I understand there was never any grand street display at either the original Hillsboro entrance or on the Belcourt side. Old photos have not surfaced. The competing theatre, I believe the Belmont was its name, down the block (which forced the Lightmans out of the Hillsboro) is gone without a trace.

DavePrice – I searched and couldn’t find the article. From some other searches, it seems Lou died in 1992 at age 81, and Mamie died in 2005 at age 92. It seemed like Lou knew almost everybody in town. He had the longest Christmas commercial reel of any Martin theatre, and the police would drive him to the bank to make the nightly deposit.

Thanks, TLSLoews. I’ve been here all along. Just haven’t said much lately.

There was a great article about Lou Rubenstein maybe twenty years ago in one of the papers. I used to run into him in the Shoney’s on Murphy Road when he lived nearby. Fascinating old Crescent man.

In the early sixties the Concession Stand area was given a “New Orleans"atmosphere.

Thanks Joe,thats the place alright.

Playing this weekend at the Belcourt:Meek’s Cutoff,Everything Must Go.Weekend classics: The Leopard.Midnight movie Fri and Sat. Billy Madison. Coming Soon:I Am. Queen of the Sun,National Velvet and Badlands.

Great news to read, iknow you are happy,tis.