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Admission is free. No advance reservations. Your seat will be assigned to you when you pick up your ticket at the box office. Seats are assigned on a first come, first served basis. The box office opens one hour before the event.
The Merry Cafe
U.S., 1936
Soon after a hungry Krazy Kat enters the “The Eato-mat Restaurant,” inspired by the famous Automat, the place comes alive with singing and dancing food.
16mm, b&w, 7 min. Directors: Manny Gould, Ben Harrison. Screenwriters: Allen Rose, George Herriman.
The Automat
U.S., 2021
Director Lisa Hurwitz’s documentary on the Automat brims with nostalgia for the fabled restaurant chain founded in 1902 and known for its iconic method of service. A chief booster, Mel Brooks wistfully recalls its famed five-cent cup of coffee and strawberry rhubarb pie, drawn from a behind windowed, coin-operated door. In its heyday, Automats in Philadelphia and New York served over 800,000 people a day but each ornately designed location felt decidedly local. Hurwitz’s extensive interviews make the case that along with fresh-made meals, Automats served up a sense of community, optimism and egalitarianism, qualities lost in our current fast food culture.
DCP, color and b&w, 79 min. Director: Lisa Hurwitz. Screenwriter: Michael Levine. With: Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Elliott Gould.
