Horn & Hardart - in Popular Culture

In Popular Culture

• Concerto for Horn and Hardart is a classical music parody written by Peter Schickele, one of many which he attributes to the fictional composer P.D.Q. Bach. The hardart in this composition is a musical instrument which is played by dropping coins into it to retrieve the implements used to actually play the notes. The hardart is inscribed Minor Labor Matris, Latin for the real Horn & Hardart slogan "Less Work for Mother."
• In the song "Colored Spade" from the musical Hair, the character Hud (a militant African-American) satirically assigns to himself various racial stereotypes including "Table cleaner at Horn & Hardart".
• Was mentioned in "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash" (a book of short stories) by Jean Shepherd when Ralph says to Flick, "I was down at H&H," later explaining that he was talking about Horn & Hardart in New York City. This book inspired the movie "A Christmas Story."
• Was mentioned in the 1989 film "When Harry Met Sally ..." in one of the "interview" vignettes. A man with a German accent says he was at " 'Orn and 'Ardart" when he first saw the woman who would later become his wife.
• In the Doris Day - Cary Grant comedy That Touch of Mink, the Audrey Meadows character works in an Automat in Midtown Manhattan.
• In the 1976 film "Rocky", Horn and Hardart is mentioned in a scene between Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) and Paulie (Burt Young) discussing Rocky's plans for Thanksgiving dinner.
• In the 1967 novel "Rosemary's baby", Horn and Hardart pumpkin pie is mentioned as the "best dessert".
• In the 1990 film "Metropolitan", pivotal plot points occur as the characters dine at a Horn & Hardart.