Belcourt Theatre facts for kids
 |
|
| Address | 2102 Belcourt Avenue Nashville, Tennessee United States |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1925 |
| Website | |
| http://www.belcourt.org | |
The Belcourt Theatre is a special place in Nashville's Hillsboro Village area. It's a nonprofit film center, which means it's dedicated to showing movies and teaching people about them, not just making money.
Contents
A Look Back: The Belcourt's Beginning
The Belcourt Theatre first opened its doors in 1925. Back then, it was called the Hillsboro Theatre. It was built by M.A. Lightman Sr. and his father Joseph Lightman. This theatre was a "silent movie house," meaning it showed movies without spoken dialogue. Instead, music or sound effects would play along with the film. It had the newest projection gear and the biggest stage in Nashville. The very first movie shown there was America by D. W. Griffith.
A Home for Famous Shows
As the neighborhood grew, the Belcourt Theatre changed to fit new needs. It became a regular home for two very successful performance groups. The Nashville Children's Theatre, which is the longest-running children's theatre of its kind, performed there. Also, the famous Grand Ole Opry shared the Belcourt stage during the 1930s.
The Opry's time at the Belcourt, from 1934 to 1936, actually shaped how the radio show works even today. Because the theatre was a cozy size, the Opry started playing each show for two different audiences. Performers ended up doing two 15-minute shows instead of one longer one.
New Ownership and Renovations
In November 2007, a group of local art lovers bought the theatre. They formed a nonprofit organization called "Belcourt Theatre Inc." and paid $1.4 million for the building.
Later, in September 2015, the Belcourt announced a big plan to renovate the theatre. On December 24 of that same year, the theatre closed for these updates. It reopened on July 22, 2016, looking better than ever!
The Belcourt Today: More Than Just Movies
Today, the Belcourt is Nashville's main nonprofit film center. Its goal is to "engage, enrich and educate" people. They do this by showing amazing films in their historic theatre, in the community, and even beyond.
What You Can See and Do
The Belcourt shows all kinds of movies. You can catch new independent films and documentaries, both from the U.S. and other countries. They also show classic movies that people love to watch again.
When you visit, their concession stand has classic movie snacks. But they also offer tasty local baked goods, tamales, and empanadas. For older visitors, there's a full bar with local craft beers and wine.
Learning Through Film
The Belcourt also has a very active education program. They share films with young people all over Middle Tennessee using their Mobile Movie Theatre. They often host special discussions after movies. These talks might feature filmmakers, experts on certain topics, or other special guests.
Modern Updates for a Historic Space
The theatre reopened in July 2016 after seven months of renovations. These updates made the theatre much bigger. They added a new, smaller screening room and a classroom space for film education. There's also a new elevator and larger, fully accessible restrooms.
The Belcourt is also home to one of the largest paintings by a famous artist named Harry Underwood. The painting is 4 feet by 6 feet and is called "Landmark Preservation." It's about how quickly cities grow and sometimes tear down old, historic buildings to build new ones.
