REG United Artists Pennsauken

May 15th, 1992 grand opening ad for the 11-plex in the photo section. Question: Did the original 1966 auditorium was unsplit? The ad said “South Jersey’s largest auditorium”

The Pennsauken theatre had one auditorium capable of showing 70mm. My dad and I saw ‘Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade’ in 70mm Memorial Day weekend in 1989.

I do not know whether it showed 70mm.

I’ve been there a couple times when I went to the Pennsauken Mart it was right next door I saw Serial Mom there

Former Pennsauken Police Chief, Ray Smalfus died in 2008.

Does anyone have any information as to what ever happened to former Sameric GM Dick Kane or his wife or daughter, (Lisa) who worked the concession stand at Eric Pennsauken? I have talked to former Eric II manager / projectionist at Pennsauken, Clem Newman who is now retired & living in Virginia. Is anyone aware as to what happened to former DM, Bill Bashista? Where is he now?

I take back what I said about Marie Robinson. She was there before I came and after I left, and who was I at 15 to usurp her authority?

Been thinking about the 5 since I picked up 52 Pickup on DVD…this played in Theater 5, and its UltraStereo phonics remain in my mind. Theater 5 was unique – when will a B movie ever again play in a 1000-seat house?

Ah, all those movies I saw in 5: Rain Man, The Color of Money, Indy3, Future2, Rocky IV, Shy People, Cage, Freddy’s Dead, Child’s Play, Uncle Buck, Angel Heart, Black Rain, Look Who’s Talking…but not T2, which I saw at AMC Deptford 8, or Jurassic Park, at the Marlton 8…

But I’m taken back to 2 these days, where I experienced Patrick Swayziness in RoadHosue, the movie where we carded a score of crispy-banged Jersey chicks. A fun weekend that was. Gawd forbid a “minor” was exposed to Swayze Bum.

That same house, #2, held the opening night of The Fabulous Baker Boys, and there was a publicist from the studio there, worrying about the less-than-crowded crowd there. Ooh, Hollywood cares about the numbers at a Jersey plex, how exciting I admit it sort of was at the time.

2 was where Do The Right Thing wound up its second weekend after 4 couldn’t hold the mass.

i was a manager at the moorestown theater when the mart theater closed, i was sent over with another manager to salvage equipment but it seems a manager who had just been let go and his friends had torn the place to pieces they threw a trash can through screen bashed in doors and destroyed projection equipment which is sad

on a plus side i left with bags of old trailers and posters which had been stashed over the years

Update… They are planning to build storefronts and low to mid-low income housing on this huge site. The Mart finally closed and will also be reduced to dust… Pennsauken has demolished alot of history in their town, starting with the leveling of the old Walt Whitman Theater back in the 80’s. They have no concept of historical value or memories… It’s sad

Travis

I have to agree with what travis said. Working at this place was an adventure in the least. Where else could you spend your Friday nights at working in between shows enjoying a beer on the roof over looking the mart. I worked there from the summer of 1992 till 1999 as an usher,projectionist,and a manager. I think I was the Anthony Monzo and myself were the bastard children of this place because of the fact we always kept managers busy watching to make sure were up to no good. We were once suspended for gluing everything in the break room to the floor. I also remember the riots and once witnessed a women swing a high heel shoe and it stick it in the
wall. But I loved that place and I’m said to see it gone.

ps
Yo travis I think Pete Andretta name should and will always remain Pistol Packing Pete

Dave Robey

Hi my name is Travis and I was an Employee of UA Pennsauken/Moorestown from 1992 to 1998. That theater was and is a part of me. You had to work(live) there to really appreciate it. I started working there when they did a mass hiring to fill the building with like 30 more employees. They just about to open the new 11 Plex layout. Me and about 15 of my friends from Pennsauken High School were hired for that Summer. Many of us lived there, working long hours on weekends, basically living most of our memorable years in that place. Everything in the stories above is true… the layout was awful, lobby was small and we always had to wait til Theater 6 ended before we could go to the stockroom that was located under 6’s screen. I have so many memories there, too many to mention but when us UA people get together we could talk about stories for hours. I was an Usher from 1992 til 1995, then I was transfered/promoted to Floor Supervisor at the Moorestown Plex. In 1997 I was promoted to Assistant Manager of Pennsauken 11… I was a Manager/Projectionist till Late 1998 when I was fired. By late 1997 the theater started showing signs that it was imploding in the higher ranks. The District offices were moved to the Booth area of the building to keep a close eye. Manager’s were brought in to “crack the whip” on the employees in stead of maintaining the building and it’s finances. Make the employees miserable that was our New Manager’s mission statement. We went at it many time until finally it went to the point where he could get rid of me… I always compare it to the scenes in Howard Stern’s Private Parts between Howard and Pig-vomit… The manager was like Howard, pushing the buttons of everyone in the building and the employees either took it or became enraged like pig-vomit did and then he snapped… Well that was me. So I was asked to leave, which was fine b/c I was able to finish college and move on.
By the time Regal got that building it was on it’s was out, it was a lame duck. I admit the building had it’s faults and uglyness but it was home for a long time… When I drove passed that building I saw: Usher Olympics, Mart Pretzels for breatk, Polyester Tuxedos, Gummy Bear Wars, Late Night Screenings, Trailer Marathons, Employee Parties, Softball Championships, Building films, Dropping Films, Premiere of DTS, Jurassic Park, Painting the Jurassic Park Logo on the front window, New Jersey Drive and Poetic Justice Riots, Theater 5 sellouts, Simultanious Theater 5/6&7 sellouts :o, Boyz to Men being cornered in our lobby and being forced to sing, Calling the Cops on Brandy, Selling Milk Duds to The Big Show(b4 he was the Big Show) Chuck Norris in our lobby, Armed Security, Calling the cops almost every Friday & Saturday Night, meeting my wife there when we were both 17 year old employees, make outs in the ice room and stock room, Sling Blade, Batman Returns, Projection Booth Ghost, POSTERS, etc.

I loved this place and a part of me died when they tore it down, it was like losing an old friend I just want to throw these names down b/c they were part of the heart of that place…

Anthony Monzo, Lana Poulos, Molly, Jim Schmincke, Marie Robinson, Marie Fusco, Eric Dorsett, Frank Iannuzzi, Wayne Agnew, Frank the Projectionist, Ron DeFeo, Brad Weatherby, Bill Hawthorn, Pete Gotthold, B.J. Johnson, Warner Twins, Pete Andretta, Bob Finnigan, Brian Baurele, Dave Robey, Tim Kenny.

John I will be contacting you sir.
Travis Fowler

I have had several replies and thank those who have visited this site, I also have met & exhanged photo’s & videos of several Eric Theatres, i look forward to meeting or hearing from others who either worked for or had any kind of connection with the Eric Pennsauken or other Sameric Theatres. My business phone number is (856) 228-1672. My email address is Thank You!