Iconic movie house goes up for sale
MILLERTON, N.Y. — Many of the country’s Main Street movie houses have gone the way of the wrecking ball in the name of “progress.”
One that still remains is in Millerton, N.Y., and it’s called, quite appropriately “The Moviehouse.”
The Millerton theater had its ups and downs, along with the film industry, until it was purchased in the 1970s by Carol Sadlon and her late husband Robert. After an extensive structural and aesthetic restoration it was reopened in 1978 over Memorial Day week with Neil Simon’s “The Goodbye Girl.”
“It was embraced by the community from Day 1, so much so that when we closed it on Labor Day in 1978, after a successful summer season (we went back to our busy life in NYC) there was an outcry from the community,” recalled Sadlon. “The following Memorial Day weekend 1979, we reopened and from then on, The Moviehouse was open 365 days a year until March 15 of this year when we ran our final show before closing because of the pandemic.”
Sadlon has decided to sell The Moviehouse and the asking price is $1.195 million. One of the largest independent cinemas in the Hudson Valley, it has three theaters and a screening room with a total capacity of nearly 500 seats. It offers state-of-the-art Digital Cinema Package-compliant equipment,
a central Library Management System and satellites that help bring “event cinema,” like National Theater and Met Opera Live to the region. In addition, there is a café and gallery space for art exhibitions and other community events.
Sadlon believes the “time was right” to seek new stewardship for The Moviehouse. “This building has been the cultural heart of the community since 1903 and it’s important to start seeking the right people to take it forward. Since Robert died it has been a tremendous responsibility, which has only increased because of COVID-19.” She is looking for a buyer team with “real passion” and a “solid knowledge” for cinema, arts, community, presenting new programming, exploring innovative ideas with an ever
growing and curious audience. “I have always felt our extraordinary audience is our greatest asset.”
The couple purchased the building because of “our love for architecture and our interest in preservation.” She added, “The fact that it was also a movie theater cemented the decision as Robert and I were passionate about movies.”
The Moviehouse started as a single screen theater and was immediately successful under the Sadlons because, Carol Sadlon said, “what was missing for us was access to the wonderful independent, art and foreign films that at that time were only available in metropolitan areas. The second floor of The Moviehouse was unoccupied for 42 years so we made the decision to renovate the space, add a dedicated art screen, with an art gallery and a café for postscreening gatherings and discussions.”
They opened the new enhanced theater in the spring of 1980 with Louis Malle’s “Atlantic City,” “and with the help of his ex-wife our first art exhibition was the art of renowned abstract expressionist, Jules Olitski,” said Sadlon.
A third theater was added in the 1980s and in 2012, a 40-seat screening room was added to bring documentaries and independent films to audiences. It also provided a venue for live theatrical readings, lectures, and private rentals.
“Because of the diversity of our programs and our location on the Connecticut border, we have a loyal audience and draw from an exceptionally large radius in the tri-state region,” Sadlon said. “Our membership includes people from Dutchess and Columbia Counties in New York state, Litchfield County in Connecticut, and Berkshire County in Massachusetts.”
The Moviehouse has proven itself to be one of the most important drivers of the cultural regional economy, and as a result, Millerton is one of the only towns in the immediate area that has a vibrant, exciting nightlife. “Our restaurants, cafes, shops and parks are always crowded with people enjoying life,” said Sadlon.