blanche-2 Chasen's restaurant was the place to be when Hollywood was in its golden years, and this documentary covers its last days and says goodbye to an era. Famous for its chili, which Elizabeth Taylor had shipped to Rome during the filming of Cleopatra, their hobo steak, and a special drink called The Flame of Love, Chasen's has a permanent place in Hollywood history. Opened in 1936, it played host to every star in the galaxy. It was the place where the "Shirley Temple" was invented - for Shirley - and where the ladies room attendant inspired Donna Summer to write "She Works Hard for the Money." Unfortunately, times change. Lettuce is in; steak is out. Spago's is in; Chasen's is out. The stars stopped coming, the restaurant lost money, and its new boss, a businessman rather than Dave Chasen and his wife, decided to close.The people who work at Chasen's, it turns out, are as colorful as some of Hollywood's greats. There's Raymond who scoffs at a negative book written by an ex-employee: "He's doing his own thing now. He has a wife with a mustache (pause pause pause)...well, she does"; Tommy Gallagher, who had his picture taken with everyone from the Rat Pack to the Pope; (he died shortly after the filming); the hat/coat check woman, whom we are told has her secrets. "Didn't you tell me Tyrone Power hit on you?" one of the employees asks her. As they give their interviews, they're all soon to be unemployed, some there over 30 years and more.This is a well done documentary that leaves one with sadness and the unhappy realization that nothing is forever. Not even Chasen's.

inframan This must be the WORST documentary I have ever watched. I love Hollywood legends & I love old LA restaurants. Musso & Franks and Cantors on Fairfax were favorites when I was working out there. I never got to Chasens & would have loved to know more about it, but all I saw in this awful thing were a bunch of unhappy soon-to-be-ex-employees grousing repeatedly about their sad lot & the "good old days" but no evidence at all of the latter. 60 years of history, yet nothing at all about the menu, the decor, no details about the clientele other than that they were "celebrities". Well, maybe the medium is the message here & it was nothing but fame walking in & out the door & people sneeking a peek, but the food was really mediocre along with the decor. Lucky they lasted as long as they did I guess. Certainly the owners & employees I saw kvetching up on the screen didn't make me regret never going there.

DocJoe I have to agree that it´s a fantastic documentary. I was very surprised to watch it on German TV, because I just stayed at Raymond Bilbool´s place in Hollywood for the second time. If you want to know him better (and you should, because he is even more entertaining, when you meet him an his friends personally), you should definetely consider to visit his Bed&Breakfast Inn in the Hollywood Hills.

noahax This documentary is a great fun for pop culture buffs, or anyone who loves old Hollywood. Chasen's restaurant has been a Los Angeles institution for decades, and the filmmakers interview many of the waiters, cooks, bartender, etc. who've worked there over the years, along with interviews with numerous celebrities. Most memorable is a bitchy queen, Raymond Bilbool, who ran the wait staff for many years and has lots to dish about. Someone could write a sitcom based on this character.Overall, it's a very solid documentary that packs plenty of entertainment into its short running time.