Description

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Rick Winston's lifelong love of movies led to the creation of one of Vermont's leading cultural institutions, the Savoy Theater in Montpelier, Vermont. With humor and heart, he takes us behind the scenes of the hard and rewarding work of building a film venue over decades in a grateful community. Save Me a Seat is the story of how a vibrant film culture took root in unlikely surroundings, and the story of how a boy from the New York City suburbs landed in Vermont and became a preeminent film programmer and historian in the Green Mountain State.

About the Author

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Rick Winston grew up in Yonkers, New York, and became hooked watching old films on TV at a young age. He went to Columbia College and University of California, Berkeley, where there were many opportunities to catch up on films while putting off writing English Literature papers. He co-founded the Savoy Theater in Montpelier, Vermont in 1981, and was co-owner until he and his wife Andrea sold it in 2009. Winston’s previous book, Red Scare in the Green Mountains (Rootstock, 2018) won the 2010 Richard O. Hathaway Award from the Vermont Historical Society for “Outstanding Contribution to Vermont History.” He currently teaches film history throughout Vermont.

Praise For…

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“Winston’s book is an immensely engaging personal history that any passionate filmgoer will instantly relate to. By reliving his lifelong love of movies, he also allows us to relive our own.”
—Peter Rainer, Pulitzer Prize finalist in criticism, author of Rainer on Film: Thirty Years of Film Writing in a Turbulent and Transformative Era

“This memoir by one of the early heroes of film culture brings back the adventure of moviegoing in the glorious heyday of that phenomenon. Establishing a beachhead in Vermont, Rick has done it all as teacher, programmer, and finally running a theater and opening a video store. The bumps and joys of his journey, the portraits of the films and people he encounters along the way, make for a buoyant read. This is an irresistible feast for serious moviegoers.”
—Molly Haskell, film critic and author of Steven Spielberg: A Life in Films

“Author and film scholar Rick Winston tells us the genesis story of Vermont’s landmark Savoy Theater, which for decades has satisfied the cinematic hunger of Vermonters. But beyond starting the Lightning Ridge Film Society in 1973 that evolved into the Savoy, for so many of us Rick was the scholar and educator about a broader film culture. This outstanding memoir and history encompasses both the origins of the Savoy and the naissance of a film culture in Vermont that understood film both as art and entertainment.”
—Bill Schubart, author of Lila & Theron