MILLERTON — From the framed vintage movie posters that now hang in the lobby to the fresh paintwork and carpeting, The Moviehouse’s dramatic transformation is bound to surprise patrons, particularly those who attended the theater in its heyday with original owners, the late Robert Sadlon and his widow, Carol, at the helm.
Today, whether they decide to take that steep trek up the stairs or that long-awaited elevator ride, patrons will be just as overwhelmed by the changes made to the theater’s upstairs area, which officially opened to the public on Thursday, July 1.
Almost 44 years after the Sadlons first opened the iconic village theater, The Moviehouse, located at 28 Main St. in Millerton, received a fresh start this February when David Maltby and Chelsea Altman became its new owners.
With their renovation taking place in two stages, the couple first opened the two downstairs theaters for screenings on May 28, with plans of opening the entire theater (including the first floor) on July 1, after the more intrusive renovation work was completed upstairs.
By the time The Moviehouse premiered its first screening under the new owners, the theater had been closed for about a year-and-a-half. It shut down last March due to the pandemic.
Pleased by the seamless elevator ride up, movie-goers will appreciate the upstairs art deco style and how it intermingles the past with the future, creating the look of an old hotel. The red bamboo wallpaper lining the new bar lounge sets the tone for a swinging night at the cinema, as do the white leather lounge chairs in the lobby where Altman said patrons will be able to order a glass of wine, a beer or a bite to eat before the show or perhaps stay afterward to talk about the film they just watched.
Stepping into the lounge, the alterations made to the smallest screening room are sure to wow crowds between the rows of comfortable lounge chairs and retro movie posters. Behind the bar sits a selection of wines, beers and other beverages to please an assortment of tastes — thanks to a temporary liquor license — along with empanadas and other bites for customers to snack on.
Those who want a drink are advised to book their tickets in the screening lounge since the space is designated for alcohol. Once they do so, they’re free to share a bottle of wine or enjoy a beer as the movie plays out on screen.
Asked how smoothly opening the upstairs went compared to opening the downstairs, Altman said, “We’re still working on things. We did all of this very rapidly in a time where it’s difficult to get staffing and supply chains are tough and we got our liquor license last minute, so we are happy that our community is so supportive and understanding.”
With showing movies a top priority, Altman said that because of the tight renovation schedule, they had to make a choice in terms of opening the upstairs.
“We could wait until everything was perfect and not show any movies upstairs this summer or we could go with ‘good but still fleshing it out.’”
Regardless, Maltby said the community’s response has been overwhelmingly positive so far and they’ve gotten great feedback about the theater’s design. From the people who contributed to the elevator campaign to the disabled patrons who are now able to watch movies upstairs, both Maltby and Altman shared the community’s excitement in having a working elevator at their local movie theater. (Look for more on The Moviehouse’s new elevator in an upcoming issue of Compass.)
“We’re still tackling things,” Altman said. “It’s going to be an organic process — people give us feedback, we consider it. We have a lot of plans, things we’d like to implement but you can only crawl before you walk.”
Maltby added that with the community just emerging from the coronavirus pandemic, some people are still hesitant about going out for entertainment while others are ready to get out as they did before COVID-19 changed everyone’s sense of normal.
“It’s a learning curve for us and it’s a learning curve for the audience,” Altman said.
As they look to implement more event programming in the coming months, the pair said it hopes to host a classic movie series and plans to let patrons know about the ballet, the National Theater Live and other programs by Sunday, Aug. 1. Additionally, they said they’d like to start renting out the screening lounge.
To book tickets at The Moviehouse, go to www.themoviehouse.net or call 518-789-0022.
From the white leather lounge chairs to the new bar lounge, patrons are in for a swinging night at the cinema now that the upstairs of The Moviehouse has opened to the public. Photo by Kaitlin Lyle
‘Square Quilting painting' by ransomeAlexander Wilburn
