Repertory Movie Theaters of New York City

For more than 30 years, New York's repertory movie houses specialized in presenting films ignored by mainstream and art house audiences. Curating vintage and undistributed movies from various countries, they educated the public about the art of film at a time when the cinema was beginning to be respected as an art form. Operating on shoestring budgets in funky settings, each repertory had its own personality, reflecting the preferences of the (often eccentric) proprietor. While a few theaters existed in other cities, New York offered the greatest number and variety. Focusing on the the active years from 1960 through 1994, this book documents the repertory movement in the context of economics and film culture.