Erlen Theatre

kencmcintyre on April 13, 2009 at 9:15 am

Here are some 1980 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/ckrk9d
http://tinyurl.com/d3ql9t

HowardBHaas on July 22, 2007 at 12:27 pm

A friend emailed me the following:
“I took a trip there after most but not all of the demolition was completed. There was still a frame of iron girders around the proscenium arch….I went there late at night, and walked out to where the orchestra pit should have been.”

(That really was from a friend. I never saw the theater).

mediagy on November 8, 2005 at 6:49 pm

I browse this site once in a blue moon and was SO VERY saddened to hear of the Erlen’s demise. Born in 1935 I grew up at the movies in the Erlen, Renel, Lane, Yorktown and Keswick…all reachable by trolley and/or bus during the war years of WWII. What a time that was! The films were glorious and the theaters were also. My favorite was the Erlen. It was the only “atmospheric” in Philly I ever saw. It was GORGEOUS…with faux Spanish style garden on a small roof that stuck out about six feet along the sides of the auditorium. Yes…the proscenium was VERY much like Radio City Music Hall….beautiful gold leaf sunburst framing the stage. They had a VERY attractive and art deco modern waiting room with comfortable chairs. It was a glorious theater. I live in Connecticut now…and have seen the demise EVERYWHERE of the great palaces of the past. Thank God that the Friends of the Boyd apparently have saved it. NO NYC center city Broadway theater exists from the golden age, except Radio City which is not strictly speaking a movie theater today. SOOOOOOOOOO sad…..

Here in Connecticut many of the great palaces and atmospherics like the Erlen…HAVE been saved…..like the Keswick was…..by turning them into legitimate theaters. As the sun seems to be setting on movies because of the poor prints, lousy projection, end of continuous showings, no short subjects, cartoons or ANY sense of LIFE and community….theater seems to be booming. The 3,000 Palace in Waterbury, CT, which, like the Erlen, was closed for decades and rotting away, roof collapsing, etc….was restored last year TOTALLY….and today is a SMASH with touring Broadway shows, concerts, ballet, singing groups. WHY was a MAGNIFCENT theater like the Erlen allowed to die?

Philadelphians for many years….most of my life…..had NO appreciation for theaters and even as other cities began to save them, renovate them, and use them…Phildelphians just let them rot until they were torn down. To have lost the Keith/Randolph, the Fox, the Stanley, Stanton, Arcadia, Aldine, and Karlton/Midtown as well as the Goldman is just heartbreaking. And the MASTBAUM…operated for awhile by Roxy Rothafel himself….the loss of that INCREDIBLE structure was a CRTME.

My mother used to say that the rich in Philadelphia…those on the Main Line….and elsewhere….were the least supportive people in America of the arts. Yes…yes…the Art Museum….but WHAT ELSE from the golden age survives besides that and the Academy of Music. The GORGEOUS Erlanger legitimate theater is gone….as is the Locust. How sad….when other cities preserved their heritage by adapting it to new forms.

There will never be another Erlen….it’s likes in Philadelphia will never be seen again….and more is the loss for Philadelphia and its northern suburbs.

raymondgordonsears on April 1, 2005 at 4:44 pm

Saturday May 6,1961 this theatre featured “BEN HUR” in its roadshow format. 2 shows daily 1:30 & 8pm. YES Moshe your right. The BEST matinees for kids was the Renel. Cartoons, 2 reelers, serials and a double feature. Life was GREAT> rg

veyoung52 on January 21, 2005 at 9:08 pm

I dimly remember the auditorium had something like the “sunrise” effect proscenium similar to Radio City. In 1960, it was one of the few theatres locally to show a 35mm print of “80 Days” after its downtown roadshow run.

GrandValleyHoldingsLP on November 16, 2004 at 6:22 am

Here is some more history on the Erlen. My dad used to work in North Philly and he took me past the Erlen often. I was never in it however I know it was an Atmospheric Theatre. This info is from the City of Philadelphia:

12/13/84 AM Ellis Theatres sold property to United Gospel Network Corp for $50,000. Ellis Theatres held a mortgage in the amount of $40,000.
2/15/85 The church borrowed an additional $18,000 against the property.
7/18/85 The church borrowed an additional $24,500 against the property. Both 1985 notes were held by a private party.
1995-1996 The property was listed for sale with an asking price of $575,000 and $375,000
2002 – The property was on the market for $250,000
4/1/02 – The property goes to Sheriff Sale for non-payment of taxes. City buys the property for $800. City demolishes the structure as it is beyond repair.

raymondgordonsears on November 12, 2004 at 1:26 pm

As a kid living West Oaklane the Renel and this theatre were in walking distance. It had a blue ceiling with clear lights, so you thought you were watching the movie under the stars. It was neat. After it closed it sat for a long time and then it became a church. The condition was very bad do to the bad roof. I was able to get the pop corn machine from the church before they moved. Today it is an empty LOT for sale. rg