The Port Jefferson Documentary Spring Series continues on Monday, April 11 with a screening of “The Automat” at Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson at 7 p.m.
Chock-full of rich archival footage of old Philadelphia and NYC, this everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-automats film is a lighthearted trip through the history of Horn & Hardart’s iconic and innovative eateries. Led by the irrepressible Mel Brooks, the film also features an impressive roster of celebrities (Colin Powell, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Carl Reiner, to name a few) waxing nostalgic on their experiences at the nickel-driven restaurants and their dreamy lemon meringue pie. Automats fed millions throughout the Depression and two World Wars, serving all comers in palaces of marble, silver, and steel.
Good food served cheap, and the enduring thrill of the automat machines themselves wins the Automat a place in our culture and hearts alike. More than just entertainment, THE AUTOMAT is a parable of how we once dined happily together before turning to the isolated and unhappy experience offered by fast food, a bad deal that no amount of advertising can disguise. Running time is 79 minutes.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Director Lisa Hurwitz moderated by Tom Needham, Host of The Sounds of Film at WUSB radio.
Tickets are $10 per person at the door or at www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com.
See a trailer of the video here.
