Eric's Mark I Theatre
1800 Market Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19103
1800 Market Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19103
4 people
favorited this theater
The Eric’s Mark I was located in the basement of the Holiday Inn Hotel. The movie theater was opened by the Sameric Corporation, Philadelphia movie theater operators, on September 2, 1970.
After purchasing movie tickets from the ticket booth, people went on an escalator or stairway downstairs. The lobby had furniture and modern art including paintings. The theater’s interior was plush. The entire theater was carpeted, even under the seats. By the 1980’s, the color scheme of the entire theater was green.
The auditorium sat 611. A curtain was used before the screen. First run mainstream movies were shown on the very large movie screen, likely at least 40 feet wide for scope films. The auditorium was sometimes rented out in the morning for classes.
When the Mark I was built, Market Street West had many movie theaters, including the Fox and Stanley movie palaces. During the 1970’s and 1980’s many of the movie theaters were demolished, mostly for replacement with office skyscrapers. At night time and during weekends, Market West was dead to pedestrian life, with block after block of office skyscrapers and no retail or restaurants open in the evenings. Neighboring Chestnut Street West continued to have many movie theaters in the 1980’s, but as this theater become the only mainstream movie theater on Market Street, not enough moviegoers found their way to it.
In the 1970’s, some movies at the Mark I had reserved seating, In the 1980’s, because of its large screen size and overall comfort, with the main (Boyd) auditorium of the Sam Eric and the larger of the two auditoriums of Sam’s Place, the Eric Mark I was one of the best moviehouses of Center City for mainstream movies. The restored "Lawrence of Arabia" was shown here in in 70mm in 1989 and with long lines of ticket buyers. The Eric’s Mark I closed in October 1989, the hotel staff then informing the press that the hotel would use the space for other purposes. The hotel has since been remodeled, leaving no trace of the ticket booth and the escalator and stairs that went downstairs. The auditorium was stripped of seats, but the now bare space has remained. The hotel name has changed to Crowne Plaza Hotel, and then in 2012 became the Sonesta Hotel Philadelphia.
Contributed by
Howard B. Haas
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Recent comments (view all 17 comments)
Saw Star Wars, Barry Lyndon, and The Deer Hunter there. For 70mm, it did seem small compared to the Boyd. I just remember the then-new Dolby Stereo during the space battles in Star Wars and, yeah, it rocked!
I’ve today placed a rendering, in the photo gallery.
another photo http://www.flickriver.com/photos/recoveringscot/5632928708/
Howard, I love how every car in the 70’s was dented with a hubcap missing:) Have anyone been able to access the basement of the hotel to see what it looks like now?
Robert Ford who later worked at the Sameric (Boyd) posted at Facebook page for Friends of the Boyd, in reply to whether he had worked at other movie theaters & his recollections the following:
Also, to answer your question, I worked at all of the Eric theaters at one time or another. As a North Catholic high school kid, I was hired in 1977 for the first Star Wars movie which opened at a Eric’s place at 1519 Chestnut St.
Sometime after, I want to say maybe eight months to a year? The manager at Eric’s Mark 1 Took a liking to me and requested a transfer for me. The reason I mention this is because after all of those months of Star Wars at Eric’s Place, the movie was moved to Eric’s Mark 1. How’s that for luck? Funny thing is, I loved it! This time, at the Mark one it was in the stereo sound. Some people may not remember this, but at Eric’s Place it wasn’t in stereophonic sound.
Robert Ford also added this post- Ruth Louge and Joe Bright were the managers. They treated me like a son. Wonderful people!
Does anyone know if this is the Theater where Star Wars 77 first played in Center City?
nid3: Eric’s Place.
Thanks MSC77. Eric’s Place is where I saw Star Wars in 77.
Here is another photo I found: https://www.flickr.com/photos/willceau/27942027111/