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Toots (2007)
Director: Kristi Jacobson
Cast: Maury Allen, David Lawrence Brown, Dave Anderson
Runtime84 min
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The '40s and '50s were a classic period in New York City nightlife, when the saloonkeeper was king and regular folks could drink with celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Jackie Gleason. In this documentary, Kristi Jacobson profiles her grandfather, the king of kings: Toots Shor of the eponymous restaurant and saloon, which was once the place to be seen in Manhattan. Edward R. Murrow called Toots Shor the owner of America’s greatest saloon. He became the unlikely den-mother to the heroes of America's golden age. Politicians and gangsters, sports heroes and movie stars - Sinatra, Gleason, DiMaggio, Ruth, Costello, Eisenhower, Nixon, Warren - for 30 years, they all found their way to Toots' eponymous saloon on New York's West 51st Street.
Critical Reception & Ratings
Toots, the 2007 documentary directed by Kristi Jacobson, has received critical acclaim for its insightful profile of Toots Shor, the legendary New York saloonkeeper who hosted a who's-who of celebrities and politicians in his iconic establishment during the 1940s and 1950s. While the film has not received major awards recognition, its strong ratings on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes indicate that it has resonated with audiences interested in this vibrant period of New York history.
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Fans of insightful documentaries will enjoy Toots, the 2007 film directed by Kristi Jacobson that profiles her grandfather, the legendary New York saloonkeeper Toots Shor. Through rich archival footage and interviews, the film offers a unique window into the golden age of Manhattan nightlife, when Shor's restaurant and bar was the epicenter of where celebrities, politicians, and other luminaries gathered.
About
Toots is a documentary film which outlines the life of Toots Shor (1903–1977), Manhattan's premier saloonkeeper from the year 1940 to the year 1959. At 18, he relocated from South Philadelphia to New York and became a speakeasy bouncer. In 1940, he opened his restaurant, Toots Shor's at 51 West 51st St., which was frequented by sports heroes, actors, mobsters, cops, politicians, visiting dignitaries, and writers. The film is commentated by Shor's daughter, Frank Gifford, Peter Duchin, former sports writers, and others as the filmmaker mixes still photographs, archive footage, including an appearance on "This Is Your Life," and an audio-tape interview from 1975 to present a portrait of New York during and after Prohibition and of a lovable, larger-than-life, uniquely New York public figure.
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