The Belle Meade Theatre was built by Tony Sudekum’s Crescent Amusement Company and was designed by Marr & Hollman, opening on May 1, 1940. Sudekum owned many of the movie theaters in Nashville at the time, including early theaters like the Princess and Knickerbocker, which started the silent movie era and were later converted to sound. Marr & Hollman were known for designing the Broadway Post Office, which is now the Frist Art Museum.

 

The Theatre was built in the suburbs at the time and reflected the changing landscape of Nashville. Neighborhoods grew and housing, retail, and some commerce moved out of downtown. The “Streamline Moderne” masterpiece, which included a substantial marquee with an 80-foot tower featuring 1,600 neon, fluorescent, and colored lights, is now considered one of the only remaining examples of this architectural style in the state of Tennessee.

 

Still cladded with gray and black Georgia marble on the front façade, the building is one of the few structures in the Belle Meade neighborhood that references the area’s early history. Most of the surrounding area has been redeveloped over decades, leaving very few remaining historic structures. Its unique style and rarity make it a significant contributing structure, a defining element of the area’s character.

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Aside from the venue’s architectural prominence, the once 1,100-seat Belle Meade started as a “neighborhood theater” eventually becoming a hot spot for movie stars, musicians, and politicians where classic movies such as “Gone with the Wind,” “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” “The Sound of Music,” and “Wilma” premiered. Culturally, the Theatre became an entertainment hub and destination for the neighborhood and surrounding areas for decades. Many current Nashvillians can recall fond memories of the beloved theatre.

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The owners of the Belle Meade Theatre have been faced with a changing business landscape over the last several decades. However, at nearly every turn, preservation-minded decisions were made regarding the reuse of the Theatre. In February 1991, the Belle Meade Theatre screened its last movie. By October of that year, a new bookstore, Bookstar, was opened, carrying more than 120,000 new books and periodicals. At that time, much of the front façade and marquee were refurbished.

 

By the early 2000s, developers turned the property into a mixed-use complex, including AmSouth Bank, Harris Teeter grocery store, 54 apartments, and other retails space. Over the decades, numerous businesses have operated out of the repurposed space, including Moon Drugs, FedEx Office, Mattress Firm, Top Hat Cleaners, and others.

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Photo Credit: The Tennessean