Toots

From mafia boss Frank Castello to baseball great Joe DiMaggio, from Ernest Hemingway to Frank Sinatra – everyone who was anyone could be found at Toots Shor’s Restaurant on West 51st Street. Former street brawler and bouncer Bernard “Toots” Shor ran this famous bar in the heart of Manhattan from 1940 to 1959. His irresistible charm, readiness to listen and famous warm welcome: all these are colorfully conveyed in this documentary made by his granddaughter, who also paints a spot-on picture of post-war New York. A world where alcohol flowed abundantly, a short but happy life was something to strive for and even the villains were cute. Wonderful archive footage of the Big Apple and from TV shows Toots appeared on, great anecdotes and drunken tales from old regulars at the bar (famous columnists, journalists and writers like Walter Cronkite and Mike Wallace), and a jazzy soundtrack conjure up the good old days. But we also see the downside of success: Toots may have been the best host in town, but he was also a terrible businessman. When the more radical 1960s ushered in a new era, the curtain finally fell on one of the most exciting venues in New York. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)