Off the screen and into one's heart, the legendary West Hollywood restaurant Chasen's and its sophisticated and inspiringly dedicated staff are the meaty main courses in Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini's tangy and not overcooked documentary.
The closing-night offering of the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, "Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's" was enthusiastically devoured Monday by a packed audience at the Directors Guild of America, including the likes of Rod Steiger and Martin Landau, two of the many Hollywood personalities seen in the film who made eating and socializing at Chasen's a regular habit.
In January 1995, the New York-based filmmakers fortuitously lodged at a bed-and-breakfast hosted by Raymond Bilbool, the longtime banquet supervisor at Chasen's; they learned the restaurant was scheduled to close April 1 of that year. Intrigued by the flamboyant Bilbool's stories of the countless stars and world figures that patronized Chasen's, they set out to film its final 12 days of operation.
With access to the staff, all parts of the restaurant, numerous Hollywood veterans and extensive archival material, Berman and Pulcini revel in the lore and ruminate about the significance of Chasen's closing. They get plenty of assistance from such passionate interviewees as David Brown, Chuck and Ava Fries, Tom Snyder and Michael Lerner.
Unfortunately, the founders and longtime operators of the initially modest 1940s eatery -- the late Dave and now elderly Maude Chasen -- are seen only in photographs and a few moments from a 1960 broadcast of "This Is Your Life". The high standard of personalized service to the wealthy and famous and Chasen's high-protein/high-fat specialties -- as well as the multitude of alcoholic beverages poured during the decades -- began with the Chasens and they are spoken of fondly by employees and friends in the film.
Among the many highlights that humorously underscore how seriously Hollywood likes to play and celebrate: bartender Pepe Ruiz prepares his "Flame of Love" cocktail for an attentive Ed McMahon; Rod Steiger consumes a massive quantity of food in a kingly repast; Quentin Tarantino heads the charge at Chasen's last Oscar party; and Fay Wray reads a personal lament she wrote about the restaurant's closing.
Most affected by the march of time (although Chasen's is reopening in a new Beverly Hills location April 18 and continues to hold special events at its Beverly Boulevard site) are Bilbool, Ruiz, and the other longtime staffers, many of whom worked there for decades. The film is dedicated to the late Tommy Gallagher, the fearless captain who is seen in a hilarious series of Zelig-like photographs with superstars and presidents.
As the fateful date looms, the staff grows nostalgic and the finale becomes a tear-jerker, while the filmmakers friskily scoot through the kitchen and restrooms and capture the lively atmosphere and heart-rending moments of suppressed grief.
A longtime denizen of Paramount and former producer of B westerns, A.C. Lyles elegantly professes his love of the movies and how Chasen's was part of this "fantasy world." In "Off the Menu", there's a healthy dose of reality, but in the spirit of Gallagher -- who was buried in his Chasen's uniform with a menu -- this historical and cultural feast of a documentary is unhesitatingly worth embracing.
OFF THE MENU: THE LAST DAYS OF CHASEN'S
A La Carte Films
Lobo Grande Pictures
Directors:Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Producer:Julia Strohm
Executive producers:Diandra Douglas, Alicia Sams
Co-executive producer:James Kimsey
Cinematographers:Ken Kobland, Sandra Chandler
Editor:Robert Pulcini
Music:Mark Suozzo
Color/stereo
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating...
The closing-night offering of the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, "Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's" was enthusiastically devoured Monday by a packed audience at the Directors Guild of America, including the likes of Rod Steiger and Martin Landau, two of the many Hollywood personalities seen in the film who made eating and socializing at Chasen's a regular habit.
In January 1995, the New York-based filmmakers fortuitously lodged at a bed-and-breakfast hosted by Raymond Bilbool, the longtime banquet supervisor at Chasen's; they learned the restaurant was scheduled to close April 1 of that year. Intrigued by the flamboyant Bilbool's stories of the countless stars and world figures that patronized Chasen's, they set out to film its final 12 days of operation.
With access to the staff, all parts of the restaurant, numerous Hollywood veterans and extensive archival material, Berman and Pulcini revel in the lore and ruminate about the significance of Chasen's closing. They get plenty of assistance from such passionate interviewees as David Brown, Chuck and Ava Fries, Tom Snyder and Michael Lerner.
Unfortunately, the founders and longtime operators of the initially modest 1940s eatery -- the late Dave and now elderly Maude Chasen -- are seen only in photographs and a few moments from a 1960 broadcast of "This Is Your Life". The high standard of personalized service to the wealthy and famous and Chasen's high-protein/high-fat specialties -- as well as the multitude of alcoholic beverages poured during the decades -- began with the Chasens and they are spoken of fondly by employees and friends in the film.
Among the many highlights that humorously underscore how seriously Hollywood likes to play and celebrate: bartender Pepe Ruiz prepares his "Flame of Love" cocktail for an attentive Ed McMahon; Rod Steiger consumes a massive quantity of food in a kingly repast; Quentin Tarantino heads the charge at Chasen's last Oscar party; and Fay Wray reads a personal lament she wrote about the restaurant's closing.
Most affected by the march of time (although Chasen's is reopening in a new Beverly Hills location April 18 and continues to hold special events at its Beverly Boulevard site) are Bilbool, Ruiz, and the other longtime staffers, many of whom worked there for decades. The film is dedicated to the late Tommy Gallagher, the fearless captain who is seen in a hilarious series of Zelig-like photographs with superstars and presidents.
As the fateful date looms, the staff grows nostalgic and the finale becomes a tear-jerker, while the filmmakers friskily scoot through the kitchen and restrooms and capture the lively atmosphere and heart-rending moments of suppressed grief.
A longtime denizen of Paramount and former producer of B westerns, A.C. Lyles elegantly professes his love of the movies and how Chasen's was part of this "fantasy world." In "Off the Menu", there's a healthy dose of reality, but in the spirit of Gallagher -- who was buried in his Chasen's uniform with a menu -- this historical and cultural feast of a documentary is unhesitatingly worth embracing.
OFF THE MENU: THE LAST DAYS OF CHASEN'S
A La Carte Films
Lobo Grande Pictures
Directors:Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Producer:Julia Strohm
Executive producers:Diandra Douglas, Alicia Sams
Co-executive producer:James Kimsey
Cinematographers:Ken Kobland, Sandra Chandler
Editor:Robert Pulcini
Music:Mark Suozzo
Color/stereo
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 4/14/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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