When the movie business changed, Arnold Gorlick adapted — and lived to spin the reel.
Gorlick, who lives on West Rock Avenue in Westville, was the host everyone chatted with before seeing films at the old York Square Cinemas. He left the theater shortly before its downfall (and several years before the building was renovated to become a T‑shirt emporium). Since 1999 he has been the proprietor of Madison Art Cinemas, a popular moviehouse that has outlasted both chain and independent competition.
In the latest edition of Castaway, the Independent‘s occasional podcast series, Gorlick dishes about his past in the cinema business, the rise and fall of York Square, the founding of his business in Madison, the future of the business, and why it’s important to serve coffee in the lobby.
“People lament the depersonalization of their daily lives,” he says. “People will pay more, travel a further distance, and even bypass other venues, for that experience.
“My dog was at the theater.”
Click on the play arrow to hear the interview. Comment below.
