Ellis Theatre Chain?

Radioinactive on April 7, 2005 at 9:46 am

Ellis owned a number of drive-in’s in Delaware including the Ellis in Wilmington and the Chester Pike and MacDade drive-in’s in Delaware County, PA

William on April 7, 2005 at 3:48 pm

In 1944 the A.M. Ellis Theatres offices were at 121 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia.
At that time they operated 14 theatres.
New Jersey: Camden: Liberty, Parkside
Pennsylvania: Philadephia: Admiral, Breeze, Broad, Dante, Dixie,
Doris, Erlen, New Penn, Renel, Rockland, Southern,
Victory

In 1960, their offices were at 1225 Vine Street, Philadelphia.
At that time they operated 21 theatres.
Delaware: Wilmington: Ellis Drive-In, Kerry Drive-In
New Jersey: Camden: Parkside
Trenton: Olden
Pennsylvania: Bala-Cynwyd: Bala
Coatesville: Coatesirele Drive-In
Eddystone: Chester Drive-In
Philadelphia: Admiral, Benner, Broad, Castor, Crest,
Ellis, Erlen, Regal, Renal, Rockland, Tyson
Lehighton: Classic
Upper Darby: Stonehurst
West Collingswood: N.J. Crescent

By 1968, they operated 19 theatres.
Delaware: Wilmington: Ellis Drive-In
New Jersey: Bordentown: Dix Drive-In
Pennsylvania: Bala-Cynwyd: Bala
Coatesville: Coatesville Drive-In
Eddystone: Chester
Pike Drive-In
Philadelphia: Benner, Castor, Crest, Ellis, Erlen,
Regal, Renal, Rockland, Tyson, Towers, Nixon
West Collingswood N.J.: Crescent
Allentown: Plaza

FoxFan on May 22, 2005 at 1:56 pm

To my knowledge all of the Ellis Chain was sold off twenty years ago.

cindykoons on October 6, 2006 at 4:10 am

My dad worked for the Ellis family for years as a film buyer. There were three brothers I think- Martin, Sidney and Eddie. I know there is a son, Michael who is a GYN at Abington Hospital. They owned a lot of theatres in the NE philly area and also a hosiery mill down south. They slowly sold off their theatres I think and I do not believe any of the brothers are alive. It was a very lively adn interesting office to work in , as I recall. My dad lost his job around 1980 when they decided to do booking out of a NY office.

rbcastanley on January 26, 2007 at 2:32 pm

I am looking for pictures of the Ellis Drive In that was south of Wilmingotn, DE

CAS

adam78 on December 29, 2009 at 5:29 am

I am a grandson of Martin (son of A.M. Ellis the chain’s founder). He passed away in 1981, and Sidney continued the business for only a few more years. Edmund (Eddie) was not involved in the business at all (to my knowledge), or certainly not since their father died in 1961. He lived in France for most of the ‘60s onward, and died in 2003 at the age of 83. The chain also owned a couple of bowling allies (called Bowlero), one of which was in NE Philly (Frankford Ave?). I have fond memories of accompanying my grandfather (as a boy in the early '70s) during the construction of the theatres at the Cinnaminson Mall, near my hometown of Moorestown, N.J., as well as to various movies at several of the other theatres (esp. “Silver Streak” at the Bala in 1976 or so). By this time, all of the theatres were second-run theatres, costing $1-2.

adam78 on February 3, 2010 at 5:56 pm

There were many theatres, Eric, and unfortunately I don’t have photos of any.

I do, however, have photos of both my grandfather’s and great-grandfather’s Patek Philippe watches, which I’ve inherited. I know that’s a non-sequitur…

IvanY on July 3, 2015 at 6:07 pm

My father worked for A.M. Ellis Theatre Company.

He did a lot of work for Martin Ellis, Sidney not so much
as he wasn’t around the office on Vine Street a lot. I think I meet Eddie once.

My dad was a manager and worked at the following that I remember:

New Jersey: Parkside

Pennsylvania: Philadelphia: Admiral, Broad, Renel, Castor, Crest,

                        Ellis,Tyson
                          Allentown:    Plaza (He helped to oversee the                   
                                        construction and ran it for awhile
                                        It was the 1st multiple theatre)
                          Bala-Cynwyd:  Bala
                          Upper Darby:  Stonehurst, Tower
                

(I grew up in Upper Darby)

Delaware: Wilmington: Ellis Drive-In

He also managed the Bowlero on Frankford Ave. in Phila, the one in Upper Darby for awhile, the one in Eddystone nest to the Chester Pike Drive-In, there was another one I can’t remember where that was also had a driving range next to the Bowlero.

The last theatre my dad worked for was the Bala under different ownership. I sort of remember when the theatres were all being sold off.

My dad died on June 23, 1989. I loved being able to go to the different theatres growing up and not having to wait in line or pay while people watched me go in and wondered who I was to get such treatment. :)

Something I won’t every forget and I got my work ethics from him.

It was an experience.