This archive report was first published on 14 December 2019.
At 91, Toby Talbot is still going strong, dedicating her time to finishing her husband's memoirs in their sunlit apartment on Riverside Drive. The apartment is a treasure trove of movie posters, featuring films by directors like Bernardo Bertolucci and Claude Chabrol that once premiered in their theaters.
However, the closure of Lincoln Plaza Cinemas remains a sore spot for her. 'He keeps our name on the marquee,' she said. 'What nerve.'
Toby's passion for film has been passed down to the next generation, and she's rooting for New Plaza Cinema. 'I give them my blessing,' she said. 'I want them to succeed. This was our life's work. Dan and I were educating people, and why should that education have to stop?'
On a recent Saturday night, New Plaza Cinema was bustling with an eager crowd watching 'Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles,' a documentary about 'Fiddler on the Roof.' Ushers Naomi Rossabi, 83, and Ruth Mucatel, 91, took tickets and shared their thoughts on the cinema.
'We hate reserved seating,' Naomi said. 'What if we're stuck behind a tall person?'
'Young people are used to getting everything easy,' Ruth said. 'We know what it means to have to wait for things.'
However, their conversation took a gloomy turn when Naomi mentioned that she had heard the New York Institute of Technology was selling off its property in the area. 'We don't know if this space will always be here for us. Some of us are worried,' she said.
It was later confirmed that the school had put a 12-story campus building on 61st and Broadway up for sale, just down the street from New Plaza's auditorium. A spokesman for the university assured that there was no cause for alarm, as those plans did not involve their space, and New Plaza's arrangement was secure until May.
Despite this reassurance, the community remains vigilant, aware of the challenges that New Plaza Cinema faces. 'I hope this isn't all just a pipe dream,' Naomi said. 'Because something magic still happens when you go to the movies.'
