Dixie Theatre
5th Avenue N,
Nashville,
TN
37201
5th Avenue N,
Nashville,
TN
37201
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Thanks guys interesting history.170 seats pretty small theatre.
The Dixie was on Fifth Avenue, not Church Street.
It opened in 1907 and according to one of Tony Sudekum’s grandsons the seating was 170 so that at 5¢ a seat a full house brought in $8.50.
It is said that the Dixie had Nashville’s first curved marquee featuring twelve electric light bulbs.
The Dixie was built in 1907 next to the arcade, it only had 107 seats, so I believe the address in the header is wrong,and this Dixie was on 5th Ave. North.
By the way I do believe at least part of this theatres building is still there housing a check cashing quick loan store.This store is were the lobby would have been,the building is old I know I used to work at the Arcade and all the buildings around it are well over one hundred years old.
Saw a photo of this theatre last night on NPT it was located right by the Arcade Nashvilles First Shopping Center built in 1903,on 5th Ave North,The Dixie as stated above was built in 1907 by Crescent Amusement Co.as Nashvilles 1st “Movie Theatre”.They also had a photo of Tony Sudekum, I had never seen a picture of him but have heard about him many times.He built several theatres on 5thAve and Church Street and many others in Nashville and other cities.
According the Nashville Public Television this Tony Sudekum Crescent Amusement Co. theatre was built in 1907 on 5th,Avenue next to the Arcade Nashvilles first Mall that opened in 1903 and it still there,so the address in this heading could be wrong,there were several theatres built by this company on 5th Ave N. and Church Street over the years the early theatres had a short life span and many moved just a couple of blocks.NPT called it Nashvilles first theatre they may mean movie theatre I know of other theatres Leget that opened before then.
This theatre I think was located 1 block east of printers alley the site of a parking lot now.
I Think you are right Joel.
According to Bowers' “Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments” page 551, Tony Sudekum bought a Reproduco organ, made by the Operators Piano Co. for one of his theatres in Nashville.
The building (224) that sits on this lot dates back older than 1964. Could this have been located where the BellSouth mechanical building is?