“If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor” – Albert Einstein
Monty Hall of Let’s Make a Deal fame recounts that a group of his generation was sitting around a table at dinner one night and the conversation turned towards the fashion that each man had on. One by one they opened their coats and looked at the label and they all had Jack Taylor’s name on them. Bada bing baby.
The ninety-ish Jack Taylor still comes into the shop everyday. He’s not an optimist towards his own profession, as he knows there a dying breed. Taylor is a tailor who still custom makes suits. A dying breed indeed. When you can go to your local corner store and pick up a suit cheaply, custom made is an industry that is gasping its last.
Jack would tell you that those suits your getting at the corner store are garbage and maybe he’s right. To describe Jack as a tailor might be a bit of a stretch since Mr. Sam is the man who actually cuts and sews the cloth. However, Jack is the raconteur who’s the front man for the shop and designs the styles. Many a famous face has walked into Jack shop.
The most famous might be the Rat Pack, consisting of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis, Jr. Jack recounts the phone call from Nancy Sinatra to tell him that Frank was buried in one of his suits. Another famous face and also a master of stylish attire was Cary Grant.
Jack has also made suits for Jackie Gleason, Sid Caesar, Charles Bronson, Edward G. Robinson, Jack Lemmon, Danny Thomas, Elvis Presley, and the Duke of Windsor. Don’t let the famous names fool you since Jack will make a suit as long as you pay the bill.
Also don’t go thinking that if you’re paying the bill that you can boss Jack around either since he’s very vocal about what he’ll do and won’t do. Certainly don’t ask to have your pants cuffed. What sets Jack apart and adds to his legend is that he’s a natural storyteller and still has the gift of gab as the documentary cameras follow him along.
Some of the current customers and interviewees include Jason Schwartzman, Monty “Let’s Make a Deal” Hall, comedian Jan Murray, and fashion photographer Dewey Nicks. I’ve always been fascinated with the Rat Pack era and would like to be a clotheshorse.
I’m a bit too frugal to actually take up the bit and unfortunately tend towards the garbage that Jack puts down. Mea culpa, Jack. Besides the plane fare to California is a bit much as well. What I did like is spending time with the documentary and seeing a true master at work.
Jack Taylor of Beverly Hills is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Special features include a commentary by director Cecile Leroy Beaulieu. There are also 17 minutes of deleted scenes, a timeline of Taylor’s store locations, and previews of other Indiepix films.
Taylor is a bit crusty, but don’t argue with a man who dressed the Rat Pack. If you want cuffs you can go to somebody else. He still comes into the store every day, long may he continue to sew and design. It’s really a fascinating look at one of the last of his kind and that there’s so little attention paid to our clothes these days makes us all a little uglier.
Jack Taylor of Beverly Hills is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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