My Grandparents had a Hotel
Encyclopedia
My Grandparents Had a Hotel is a 1991 documentary film
by Karen Shopsowitz that takes a nostalgic look at a Jewish-cultural icon that is now gone. Shopsowitz shares the story of the Montieth Inn as a representative Jewish resort
. Although it is Canadian, the inn is similar to Grossinger's and the Concord Hotel in the Catskills, which also saw their heyday in the mid-20th century
.
With playful 16mm home video footage, interviews with people who once worked and vacationed at the family-run inn, and the filmmaker's father's own memories of the family's prized hotel
, the film recreates the magic of this spot while telling the history of how the phenomenon
came to be, how it flourished, and, finally, why it declined.
hotel
industry. When someone with a Jewish-sounding last name called to make a reservation, hotels would often lie and say they had no vacancies.
Recognizing that Jews needed a place where they could get away without having to worry about antisemitism, one Canadian-Jewish couple sold their deli and bought a beautiful 150-room hotel on Lake Rousseau
in the Muskokas, just north of Toronto
. The Monteith Inn became a popular vacation spot, where guests could relax in the countryside and enjoy the steady stream of talented entertainers that passed through.
The film shares numerous vacationeer's anacdotes. For example, one old man laughs at his young self, recalling the time he and his teenage friends once stirred up trouble by showing up to the formal dining hall wearing dress shirts, ties, and suit jackets — but no pants.
For better and worse, things have changed. Eventually, the government
cracked down on the antisemitic practices that made Jewish resorts necessary. Social reform and a terrible natural disaster spurred the decline of the Monteith Inn, but it and other hotels like it have left their traces in old family videos and memories.
award. Shopsowitz won a Peabody Award
for another documentary based on her father's home movie footage, the 2000 National Film Board of Canada
production My Father's Camera.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
by Karen Shopsowitz that takes a nostalgic look at a Jewish-cultural icon that is now gone. Shopsowitz shares the story of the Montieth Inn as a representative Jewish resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
. Although it is Canadian, the inn is similar to Grossinger's and the Concord Hotel in the Catskills, which also saw their heyday in the mid-20th century
Century
A century is one hundred consecutive years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages .-Start and end in the Gregorian Calendar:...
.
With playful 16mm home video footage, interviews with people who once worked and vacationed at the family-run inn, and the filmmaker's father's own memories of the family's prized hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
, the film recreates the magic of this spot while telling the history of how the phenomenon
Phenomenon
A phenomenon , plural phenomena, is any observable occurrence. Phenomena are often, but not always, understood as 'appearances' or 'experiences'...
came to be, how it flourished, and, finally, why it declined.
Summary
Segregated Jewish resorts thrived for only a short time. In the 1930s, restrictions against Jews were common in the North AmericanNorth American
North American generally refers to an entity, people, group, or attribute of North America, especially of the United States and Canada together.-Culture:*North American English, a collective term used to describe American English and Canadian English...
hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
industry. When someone with a Jewish-sounding last name called to make a reservation, hotels would often lie and say they had no vacancies.
Recognizing that Jews needed a place where they could get away without having to worry about antisemitism, one Canadian-Jewish couple sold their deli and bought a beautiful 150-room hotel on Lake Rousseau
Lake Rousseau
Lake Rousseau is a reservoir on the Withlacoochee River in central Florida, USA, on the boundary of Levy County to the north-west, Marion County to the north-east, and Citrus County to the south. It was created in the 1920s when the river was dammed....
in the Muskokas, just north of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. The Monteith Inn became a popular vacation spot, where guests could relax in the countryside and enjoy the steady stream of talented entertainers that passed through.
The film shares numerous vacationeer's anacdotes. For example, one old man laughs at his young self, recalling the time he and his teenage friends once stirred up trouble by showing up to the formal dining hall wearing dress shirts, ties, and suit jackets — but no pants.
For better and worse, things have changed. Eventually, the government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
cracked down on the antisemitic practices that made Jewish resorts necessary. Social reform and a terrible natural disaster spurred the decline of the Monteith Inn, but it and other hotels like it have left their traces in old family videos and memories.
Awards
My Grandparents had a Hotels original musical score won a GeminiGemini Award
The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
award. Shopsowitz won a Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
for another documentary based on her father's home movie footage, the 2000 National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
production My Father's Camera.