The Automat(2022)

Name: The Automat
Director: Lisa Hurwitz
Genre: Documentary, History
Released: Feb 18, 2022
Cast: Mel Brooks, John W. Romas, Carl Reiner, Krystyna Romas, Alec Shuldiner

Independent

1h 19m
- Documentary
- History

Release Date: Feb 18, 2022

Documentary centers on the vending machine popularized in the 20th century that offered fresh cooked meals in a commissary-style eatery.

Official Website

Note: Distributed by Slice of Pie

Release Details

Original Release | Feb 18, 2022 | Limited

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Box Office Results

Results

Opening Weekend US & Canada:
$13,917
Total US & Canada:
$257,371
Total Worldwide:
$257,371

Current Showtimes

orround

Thu Aug 27
Fri Aug 28
Sat Aug 29
Sun Aug 30
Mon Aug 31
Tue Sep 1
Wed Sep 2

Director & Top Cast

Lisa Hurwitz
Director

Mel Brooks
Actor

John W. Romas
Actor

Carl Reiner
Actor

Krystyna Romas
Actor

Alec Shuldiner
Actor

Wilson Goode

Actor

Elliott Gould

Actor

Howard Schultz

Actor

Norris Horn

Actor

Steve Stollman

Actor

Roy Rosenbaum

Actor

Marianne Hardart

Actor

Lorraine Diehl

Actor

Lisa Keller

Actor

Edwin K. Daly Jr.

Actor

Bill Romas

Actor

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Actor

Other Details

Country of Origin: United States

Language: English

Summaries

Storyline

A profile of one of the most iconic of American restaurant chains for the bulk of the twentieth century (1902 - 1991), despite it only have existed in Philadelphia and New York City, is presented, it known primarily by the company name Horn + Hardart in Philadelphia, and by the type of restaurant they were in New York City, namely automats, the concept derived from different but somewhat similar restaurants in Europe. The iconic nature includes the visuals of the single serving portions of food sold at nickel increments, each item, shown behind glass doors, purchased by inserting the required number of nickels (in the early days usually either one or two) which allowed the customer to open said door to retrieve the food item. Interviewees, including celebrities, historians, and people directly or indirectly associated with Horn + Hardart, speak fondly about the automat, their memories arguably widespread, the reason for its success in lasting as long as it did. The creation of the restaurant chain by its two founders, Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart , the reasons for its success in the first half of the century, the probable combination of reasons for the decline of the restaurants' popularity including of the concept of the automat from the 1960s onward, and the demise of the chain and what happened to the company itself are discussed. — Huggo This 2021 American documentary was directed and produced by Lisa Hurwitz and written by Michael Levine. It is about the automat self-serve restaurants once operated by Horn and Hardart. It features an original song by Mel Brooks. The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2021. It was released in the United States on February 18, 2022, by A Slice of Pie Productions. Horn and Hardart, founded in 1888 by Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart, was noted for operating the first food service automats in Philadelphia and New York City. The restaurant chain was well known in the United States for serving food out of a vending machine for a nickel. The last New York Horn and Hardart Automat closed in April 1991.