The Gladstone Hotel, which first opened its doors in downtown Toronto in 1889, is the subject of an entertaining and informative documentary entitled Last Call at the Gladstone Hotel. The film, directed by Derreck Roemer and Neil Graham, will have its world premiere at the 2007 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival on April 22nd.

When it first opened in 1889, the Gladstone Hotel was a posh establishment catering to the elite. By 2000, the hotel, severely deteriorating from decades of neglect, had become a flophouse. The only way guests would leave the hotel now is when dragged out by the police or when the maid makes a gruesome discovery. In contrast, the hotel’s renowned Melody Bar catered to a much different crowd of customers, people who enjoy art and live musical performances. A deep rooted sense of community and camaraderie existed among the bar’s regulars, and the tavern just happened to be Graham and Roemer's favorite hangout.

After Graham and Roemer discover the Gladstone Hotel was about to be sold to real-estate developers in 2000, they decided to document the fate of the building, its residents and staff.  Little did they realize this process would take five years. The film begins in December 2000 as hotel staff members throw former owner Allen Appleby a going-away party. Allen’s family had owned the hotel since 1964. Appleby and his brother Herb eventually inherited the hotel and operated it on their own. Herb is nowhere in sight this evening because the staff -- who despise him -- never invited him. Allen wanted to buy the hotel from Herb but his brother refused to sell it to him. Instead, Herb sold the property to Michael Tippin, a real-estate developer he had just met while taking Tippin’s course in real-estate.

Tippin’s company purchases heritage buildings in Toronto, Canada, that are deteriorating or about to face demolition so he can restore them and make them profitable. He wanted to restore the Gladstone Hotel to its original splendor and make it a safe environment where guests can enjoy live music and art. Tippin expected the hotel to be vacant when he bought it. He was shocked to inherit the hotel’s staff and tenants, including Maryanne, a former bag-lady, who is extremely secretive and insists that nobody ever enters her room. And then there’s Marilyn, who has worked in the hotel for 11 years as its maid. She considers the guests to be like family and uses her own money to buy pictures and curtains to spruce up each room. Also, there’s Shirley Ann, the opinionated front-desk clerk who was hired after her predecessor left for lunch one day and never returned. She believes Tippin’s vision for the hotel will ultimately fail.

This documentary succeeds because Graham and Roemer have blended historical facts about the Gladstone Hotel with colorful human interest stories and humorous anecdotes. In the end, the film not only informs audiences about the hotel but also entertains them.

(Last Call at the Gladstone Hotel will be screened as part of the Canadian Spectrum series at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival on April 22nd with an additional screening on April 28th. For tickets or more information about the festival please call the box-office at 416-588-8362 or log onto the festival web site at www.hotdocs.ca.)