Hank’s Saloon: The Movie

Directed by Leon Chase

 
In 2018, I was invited to film the legendary Brooklyn, New York dive bar Hank’s Saloon in the final months before it closed down forever.

Built in 1850, this tiny, sagging building on the corner of Third Avenue and Atlantic existed as a bar, under various names and owners, since 1904. Prior to becoming Hank’s, it was known for 30 years as the Doray Tavern, a nondescript hole-in-the-wall that—depending who you ask—was either the quintessential “creepy old man bar”, or a haven of safety and camaraderie in what could otherwise often be a dangerous and troublesome neighborhood.

In 2000, it took on the name Hank’s Saloon—along with a new, hot-rod-flame paint job—and soon became a hangout for local punk, rock, and neo-country musicians, culminating in what would briefly be known as the “Brooklyn Country” scene. With the demise of legendary Manhattan punk clubs such as CBGB and R Bar—and the larger migration to Brooklyn in general—the bar’s reputation as an anything-goes hub of ground-level local music and culture only intensified.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the property changed hands several times. Thanks to a dizzying series of defaults and escrows—fueled by an unprecedented explosion of local real-estate prices and gentrification—rumors of the bar shutting down began floating around as early as 2006. Despite this, its reputation as a music venue and internationally known icon of “authentic New York” only grew, and it remained, at its heart, the kind of smelly, run-down, beer-and-whiskey dive where anyone—and I mean anyone—who knew how to tip a bartender and stay out of a fight was welcome.

Due to other editing work, I was forced to put this project on the back burner for a few years. But now, thanks to a very successful crowdfunding campaign, the Hank’s Saloon documentary is back on track, and slated to be completed sometime in 2024.

Do you have photos or videos of Hank’s Saloon that you would like to share?
Contact Me: hanksmovie@gmail.com