21: Every Day Was New Year's Eve
Even today, 21 W. 52d Street in New York is one of the world's toniest addresses --the home of 21, the restaurant catering to the world's most famous people. Kriendler's brother, Jack, founded the establishment as a speakeasy during Prohibition, and Pete, now in his nineties, recalls how there were sliding doors and chutes designed to ditch all the booze when the feds raided the place. The history of 21 is rich, and we're all at the bar to listen to the anecdotes. There's even a retelling of one of the most infamous Hollywood incidents, which was actually set in New York: the set-to involving director Otto Preminger and agent Swifty Lazar over who had the rights to Truman Capote'sIn Cold Blood. This is a fun and personal look at a bit of Americana; after all, who wouldn't want to sit at the bar and listen to stories like these?Joe Collins