977 Eighth Avenue between West 57th and 58th Streets, 1936. (Photo courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York)
One of the last movies to feature shots of a Horn & Hardart automat was Whit Stillman's Metropolitan, which came out in 1990, a year before the final automat shut down. That's not a bad run, considering the first one opened around 1912.
Despite attempts to bring back the automat (remember Bamn?), New York hasn't seen a successful once since. Until someone decides it's time to bring back the casual dining, coin-operated system (and it's only a matter of time, right?), some filmmakers want to revisit the good ol' automat days.
(Photo courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York)
Here's the Kickstarter if you want to contribute to the documentary—the coolest reward is definitely for $2,500, where you will get your own Automat door (there's only one)... though if you prefer, you can also donate $5,000 for a lunch at Olive Garden :(
Check out a teaser for the film here:
