York Square Cinema
Encyclopedia
York Square Cinema is a former art house cinema located in Downtown New Haven
, Connecticut
, USA. The York Square was built in 1970. It housed three separate movie theaters in a renovation that connected several old buildings. The only live remaining owner, Robert Spodick, decided to close the doors of the York Square in July 2005 after several unsuccessful lawsuits with the large distribution chains.
The lawsuits concerned allegedly "unfair" and "unspoken" distribution agreements between the large movie distribution chains and the suburban cineplexes in the neighboring towns of Orange
, North Haven
, and Milford
. Although many people suspect that the opening of Bowtie Partners Criterion Theater a few blocks away was cause for the York Square's closing, those who ran the York Square adamantly denied that the competitive theater had anything to do with the decision to close.
In their farewell letter, the York Square Management stated:
Downtown New Haven
Downtown New Haven is the neighborhood located in the heart of the city of New Haven, Connecticut. It is made up of the original nine squares laid out in 1638 to form New Haven, including the New Haven Green, and the immediate surrounding central business district, as well as a significant portion...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, USA. The York Square was built in 1970. It housed three separate movie theaters in a renovation that connected several old buildings. The only live remaining owner, Robert Spodick, decided to close the doors of the York Square in July 2005 after several unsuccessful lawsuits with the large distribution chains.
The lawsuits concerned allegedly "unfair" and "unspoken" distribution agreements between the large movie distribution chains and the suburban cineplexes in the neighboring towns of Orange
Orange, Connecticut
Orange is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 13,233 at the 2000 census. A 2007 Census Bureau estimate puts the population at 13,813. The town is governed by a Board of Selectmen.-History:...
, North Haven
North Haven, Connecticut
North Haven is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut on the outskirts of New Haven, Connecticut.North Haven is less than ten miles from downtown New Haven and Yale University. It is near Sleeping Giant State Park and home the Quinnipiac University School of Health Sciences, the School of Nursing,...
, and Milford
Milford, Connecticut
Milford is a coastal city in southwestern New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, located between Bridgeport and New Haven. The population was 52,759 at the 2010 census...
. Although many people suspect that the opening of Bowtie Partners Criterion Theater a few blocks away was cause for the York Square's closing, those who ran the York Square adamantly denied that the competitive theater had anything to do with the decision to close.
In their farewell letter, the York Square Management stated:
- After 60 years of film exhibition in New Haven, I have decided to close the York Square. It’s been a good, long run, and we can happily reflect on our years of bringing to New Haven thousands of choices in the best in foreign and domestic film. We are no longer able to withstand the crushing pressure of the Showcase monopoly. We are simply not allowed to choose new films to play, and to upgrade and maintain our traditional relationship with our patrons. We have reached the point where we must say "Enough is enough." ...