November 23, 2022
MOVIE: THE AUTOMAT
DIRECTED BY LISA HURWITZ
STARRING MEL BROOKS, CARL REINER
RATING: 3 1/2 STARS (Out of 4)
I first remember hearing about the Automat while watching Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) when Dustin Hoffman’s character is asked by his son, played by Justin Henry, if he watched The Brady Bunch as a kid. Hoffman says no but he did go to the Automat where for a nickel you’d get a piece of pie or sandwich from a small window. Having lived in Chicago myself AND growing up on The Brady Bunch I didn’t really know what Hoffman was talking about. It sounded pretty great though! Lisa Hurwitz’s documentary The Automat aims to open our eyes to the wonder of these establishments that were unique and at one time, very popular. New York had them, so did Philadelphia, but not Chicago – at least not in my neighborhood.
The film is a very loving tribute to what became one of the most successful chains in the U.S. after being established in 1902. Founded by Horn and Hardart, The Automat was a product of 20th Century mechanics and architecture. Small cubicles featured fresh food for the whopping sum of one nickel. There was no tipping involved and, as the film points out, they became not only tourist destinations but also places where mixed races and varying socio economic levels could sit side by side and enjoy a good meal. They served as sources for solid food during the Depression and a place where immigrants and women newly entering the workforce could comfortably have lunch.
All of this is told by a number of interviewees, most notably Mel Brooks but also some now deceased figures such as Carl Reiner, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and Colin Powell. They all speak about the elegant design of these restaurants featuring marble and brass along with its delicious coffee. Starbucks founder Howard Schultz talks about the Automat as being a source of inspiration for his own hugely successful coffee chain. (Although the fast, impersonal service isn’t quite the same.) For visual emphasis, Hurwitz includes numerous film clips from the early 1900s as well from major motion pictures through the 1960s (including Doris Day’s 1962 film, That Touch of Mink in which her friend, played by Audrey Meadows, worked.) By that point, the Automat was reportedly feeding 800,000 people a day.
Of course, all good things come to an end and the film does a nice job of tracing the start of the fall as competition grew and highways kept people away from city centers where the Automats were primarily located. Prices were raised (to a devastating 10 cents!) and homeless took up residence at their tables for many hours at a time. Today, as the film shows, only some of the old cubicles and equipment remain in storage facilities waiting for someone to discover them again.
The film also ponders whether we could ever have anything like the Automat today. It would seem that many people would love not to have to interact with other people and pick their food out of sophisticated vending machines. Some of these do exist, such as Yami Fresh vending machines, but they’re not easy to find and they’re not usually part of larger restaurants.
The Automat as a film serves as a powerful document of an America and passion gone by. Films like this often make me wonder about what future generations will look back on as fondly as the Automat. Blockbuster? Borders? Will Starbucks seem like a cute establishment after it reaches its inevitable demise? Time, technology, and needs march on. Still it is nice to be reminded of those satisfying and comfortable places that brought us joy for a period of time before they faded away.
The Automat is currently playing on HBO Max.
MOVIE: THE AUTOMAT
DIRECTED BY LISA HURWITZ
STARRING MEL BROOKS, CARL REINER
RATING: 3 1/2 STARS (Out of 4)
I first remember hearing about the Automat while watching Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) when Dustin Hoffman’s character is asked by his son, played by Justin Henry, if he watched The Brady Bunch as a kid. Hoffman says no but he did go to the Automat where for a nickel you’d get a piece of pie or sandwich from a small window. Having lived in Chicago myself AND growing up on The Brady Bunch I didn’t really know what Hoffman was talking about. It sounded pretty great though! Lisa Hurwitz’s documentary The Automat aims to open our eyes to the wonder of these establishments that were unique and at one time, very popular. New York had them, so did Philadelphia, but not Chicago – at least not in my neighborhood.
The film is a very loving tribute to what became one of the most successful chains in the U.S. after being established in 1902. Founded by Horn and Hardart, The Automat was a product of 20th Century mechanics and architecture. Small cubicles featured fresh food for the whopping sum of one nickel. There was no tipping involved and, as the film points out, they became not only tourist destinations but also places where mixed races and varying socio economic levels could sit side by side and enjoy a good meal. They served as sources for solid food during the Depression and a place where immigrants and women newly entering the workforce could comfortably have lunch.
All of this is told by a number of interviewees, most notably Mel Brooks but also some now deceased figures such as Carl Reiner, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and Colin Powell. They all speak about the elegant design of these restaurants featuring marble and brass along with its delicious coffee. Starbucks founder Howard Schultz talks about the Automat as being a source of inspiration for his own hugely successful coffee chain. (Although the fast, impersonal service isn’t quite the same.) For visual emphasis, Hurwitz includes numerous film clips from the early 1900s as well from major motion pictures through the 1960s (including Doris Day’s 1962 film, That Touch of Mink in which her friend, played by Audrey Meadows, worked.) By that point, the Automat was reportedly feeding 800,000 people a day.
Of course, all good things come to an end and the film does a nice job of tracing the start of the fall as competition grew and highways kept people away from city centers where the Automats were primarily located. Prices were raised (to a devastating 10 cents!) and homeless took up residence at their tables for many hours at a time. Today, as the film shows, only some of the old cubicles and equipment remain in storage facilities waiting for someone to discover them again.
The film also ponders whether we could ever have anything like the Automat today. It would seem that many people would love not to have to interact with other people and pick their food out of sophisticated vending machines. Some of these do exist, such as Yami Fresh vending machines, but they’re not easy to find and they’re not usually part of larger restaurants.
The Automat as a film serves as a powerful document of an America and passion gone by. Films like this often make me wonder about what future generations will look back on as fondly as the Automat. Blockbuster? Borders? Will Starbucks seem like a cute establishment after it reaches its inevitable demise? Time, technology, and needs march on. Still it is nice to be reminded of those satisfying and comfortable places that brought us joy for a period of time before they faded away.
The Automat is currently playing on HBO Max.