If you lived in the 40s and 50s in
New York City , Toots was the name to know, and his restaurant, Toots Shor’s, was the place to be seen. This documentary by Kristi Jacobson, Shor’s granddaughter, chronicles a life that was consistently and constantly about entertaining friends, family, celebrities, politicians, journalists, athletes and even mobsters. Like a character out of a Frank Loesser story, his ups and downs were in direct correlation to the ups and downs of his restaurant and the cultural legends who made it their second home (Joe DiMaggio ended his friendship with Toots over some off-color comments about Marilyn Monroe). Through the prism of one man’s life, the film serves as a cultural history ofNew York City in the 40s, 50s and 60s. Toots is a dynamic film that matches the energy of its subject. The intensity skyrockets during interviews with Jackie Gleason, Walter Cronkite, Mike Wallace, Lauren Bacall, Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford, along with many other writers, celebrities and assorted wise guys who share their memories of the man behind the bear hug.
Washington District of Columbia Jewish Community Center · Morris Cafritz Center for the Arts