I’m still excited to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull this weekend, but it won’t be quite the same for me without the Belle Meade Theatre (above).

As a teenager in the 80s in Nashville, Belle Meade was the theater of choice for summer blockbuster viewing. I have fond memories of standing in long lines outside the theater to see The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Top Gun, Ghostbusters and many more. (I also can see myself holding a ticket with a $2.50 admission price in my mind’s eye, but that’s a story for another post.) Another local blogger has similarly fond memories of Belle Meade moviegoing (and I’m sure even cheaper ticket prices) as a youngster in the 40s.

What made the Belle Meade special? In addition to its legacy as a celebrity destination, the theater was enormous. Its screen projected movies in 70mm, double the typical 35mm size. I don’t know the exact dimensions of the screen, but as an adolescent, it seemed like I was practically inside a movie when sitting in the theater. The Belle Meade had a large balcony section, and sitting in the front row there (as I proudly did for Temple of Doom in 1984) was a prime position.

Though I wish the theater had never stopped showcasing films, I’m pleased that its beautiful and unique sign and marquee have been preserved through two overhauls of the property (though the theater building itself has become a casualty of the forthcoming Belle Meade Town Center). If you are curious to learn more about the history of this esteemed Nashville landmark, the Town Center Web site has several scanned news clips from the early 90s, including this Nashville Banner item announcing the theater’s closing. (The Banner, of course, would cease operations itself only seven Januaries later.)

The last movie I recall seeing at the Belle Meade Theatre was The Hunt for Red October in March 1990. I saw it there more than once, and at least once made out with my girlfriend during the show (during a subsequent viewing, I’m sure…). Little did I know upon exiting the theater that that would be the last time I watched a film in that beloved theater. I still love summer blockbusters (well, most of them), but I’ll always miss the Belle Meade.

Note: I’m proud to confess that I still remember seeing Raiders of the Lost Ark, too, but at the Belcourt Cinema when that beloved venue still showed first-run movies.