Toots

The toast of yesterday’s party gets forgotten in a New York minute. So this breezy documentary about Toots Shor, who ran a legendary 51st Street “saloon” of the same name in the 1950s, is a welcome reintroduction to the grinning bear of a man who could bring together Frank Sinatra, Joe DiMaggio, mob boss Frank Costello and even Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren to drink and drink—and drink. Ably directed by Shor’s granddaughter, Toots features glittering archival footage and fond recollections from the likes of Walter Cronkite and Yogi Berra. It’s a valentine to the halcyon days of New York nightlife.