A Bala Cynwyd theatre entrepreneur, show producer, critic, and dedicated Philadelphia sports fanatic, Hank Milgram, passed away at 96. He owned and operated nine local theaters including Milgram, Fox, and Stage Door Cinema wrote Gary Miles for The Philadelphia Inquirer.  

Milgram was also behind the production of live shows where musical masterminds the likes of Stevie Wonder and the Supremes performed. His stake in the Philadelphia theater scene made him a big shot, often attending red-carpet events and rubbing elbows with Hollywood stars like Grace Kelly and Henry Winkler.  

After his family sold the theaters in the eighties, Milgram continued his theater career with his son. They bought and sold films to independent theaters.  

The Philadelphia-born Army Air Corps veteran and former Wharton student also had a philanthropic side.

Milgram served key roles on the board of the Philadelphia chapter of the Variety Club. It’s a charity for theater owners to benefit sick children. He would often host telethons with famous actors to raise money for charity.  

While he had other hobbies, such as playing tennis and golf, film has been a prevailing passion throughout his life. His family is asking in lieu of flowers to go to a local theater and watch a movie in his memory.  

Those who seek to honor the Philadelphia theater legend could see his favorite movie, The Godfather.  

Read more about the mogul of the Philadelphia theater scene in The Philadelphia Inquirer.  

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