During the 1940's and 50's, 51 West 51st Street in Manhattan was where it was at. That address may not mean much to today's generation, but back in the day it was a location where celebrities, athletes, writers, mobsters, and politicians all hung out and rubbed elbows with the working stiffs. It was the place to be and standing at its epicenter was a guy named Bernard "Toots" Shor, the proprietor and saloon-keeper of Toots Shor's Restaurant.

Originally released in select theaters back in 2007, Toots is a fascinating documentary that could be best described as a labor of love. Crafted by his granddaughter Kristi Jacobson, Toots examines the man's life through not only his own words but also of those who loved him and called him friend. Celebrities climb out of the woodwork to contribute for this release (new and archival interviews), but probably the most captivating element of the whole documentary is Toots himself. Much of the narration is taken from pieces of an interview a couple years prior to his death in 1977, so there's a very personal touch to the whole affair and you'll really get the feeling that he's walking you through his life.

Toots' younger years were riddled with tragedy, but all things being what they were he found himself landing on the New York scene in 1930 where he got a job as a bouncer. His imposing height and mass made him a natural for the job, but it was his demeanor that helped him form the connections that would forever change his life. Toots was the kind of guy who could be friends with anyone and he just seemed to be born with a natural charisma that made him the life of the party. The network he established for himself helped craft a true "rags to riches" story during the golden age of New York.

His magnetic personality made him instantly famous when he had the opportunity to open up Toots Shor's Restaurant in 1940. With the iconic round bar in the center of the room, the cultural elite found a home there and it wouldn't be uncommon to see Jackie Gleason, Frank Sinatra, Orson Welles, Ernest Hemmingway, and Joe DiMaggio among the clientele. Toots had a way of dealing with celebrities by treating them as friends, referring to many as crumb bums, and creating an atmosphere which fostered camaraderie between everyone. It's even said during this documentary that it wouldn't be uncommon to see a chief justice and mob boss on opposite sides of the bar. Toots played a fine balancing act and though he wasn't gloriously wealthy, he sure lived like he was.

That lifestyle of excess is catalogued here as well and it really casts a shadow over the man. Heavy abuse of alcohol took its toll as did exorbitant gambling on horse races and whatnot. In Toots' own words, and in those of his friends, the darker parts of his life make their way into this documentary so it's not just a glossed over biography like we see in so many others. It feels gritty and honest and it paints the legendary man as human and flawed.

Jacobson's documentary succeeds at what it intends to do and the show feels like it was put together effortlessly. Interviewed celebrities such as Frank Gifford, Joe Garagiola, Nick Pileggi, Walter Cronkite, Yogi Berra, and Mike Wallace add a nice touch. The coup degras for this documentary is the wonderful selection of still photographs and stock footage of Shor and those that surrounded him. I particularly enjoyed the "This Is Your Life" clips for Toots which had his celebrity friends coming out of the woodwork and gave him some nice camera face time.

All in all, Toots is a very entertaining look at not only a prominent figure from the era, but New York itself. The height of Toots Shor's popularity was the golden age of New York and the material included here paints a perfect picture. If you ever wanted to know more about the legendary restaurateur or if you just want to see a documentary featuring New York in its limelight, this is definitely worth checking out. Hats off to Jacobson for putting together such a fine film.

Toots is presented on DVD with a 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio. Like most documentaries featuring modern interviews, archival footage, and still images, the video quality here runs the gamut. The more recent material looks fine with good clarity, accurate colors, and very little grain. However, the included segments taken from the past few decades all the way back to the 50's wears its age as you'd expect. There really aren't any surprises here, though I will say that some of these bits come across much clearer than you'd expect they would, such as earlier black and white interviews with Shor. All around it's a solid looking documentary, but due to its nature some flaws are inherent.

Much like the video, the audio for Toots suits the documentary, but it's nothing that is going to blow your socks off. Some of the recordings are very clean with fine detail, but there are others that sound murky or marred by static. Again, you can't really fault the documentary for featuring scratchy audio from half a century ago. The mix is fine otherwise and overall this film sounds good enough.

If you're a documentary buff, then you're undoubtedly aware that bonus features are typically hard to come by. Luckily that's not the case for Toots.

Included here is a timeline for events that covered many of the significant moments in Toots' life. In addition to that there are seven extra scenes that didn't make their way into the final cut of the film. These are mostly extended interviews and they feature more discussion with Peter Hamill, the waiters, and more about Frank Gifford. There are additional anecdotes, accounts on the first time at Toots Shor's Restaurant, and also about how sorely the man is missed. All in all the extra segments run about half an hour.

Closing out Toots is a commentary with Kristi, her mother Kerry, and Danielle DiGiacomo from IndiPix. The thing about this commentary that really stands out is the way Kerry and Kristi react to the film while they watch it. We get a lot of insight being the production of the documentary as well as some personal feelings and memories that didn't make their way into the film. If you enjoyed the documentary then you'll be pleased to know that the commentary makes it worth watching again.

Toots is a solid documentary about a fascinating time in New York City and in particular, a person named Toots Shor. Anyone familiar with Toots' name will definitely want to watch this documentary for the in depth look at the man through his own words and commentary by many celebrities. The fact that this documentary was put together by his family makes it feel deeply personal, but the quality of the content makes it a viable and informative film. Consider it recommended if you're interested in Toots Shor.

Check out more of my reviews here. Head on over to my anime blog as well for random musings and reviews of anime, manga, and stuff from Japan!