JAKE’S CORNER is the story of an ex-football star, Johnny Dunn, who walked away from the game early in his career to live a relatively secluded life far from the spotlight in a small, desert town he owns called Jake’s Corner.  Johnny’s quiet life is altered dramatically when he is forced to care for his young nephew, Spence.
   Jake's Corner is set in the real town of Jake’s Corner, Arizona. It is a rest stop for travelers making their way through the Arizona desert but for the people who live there, it’s a rest stop for life.  Johnny and the eclectic ensemble that live and work in the town occupy trailers behind the Corner Store and Jake’s Corner Bar.  Through the years, this cast of misfits have become closer than most families. The boy brings an innocence to this town of adults who, in turn, share their wisdom with him.

  Jake’s Corner was born out of the success of Writer/Director Jeff Santo’s last film, This Old Cub, the Documentary Feature about his father, Ron Santo, former Chicago Cub All-Star 3rd Baseman and the first position player to play with Type One Diabetes, insulin dependent. After watching   This Old Cub seven times over the course of one night, a man by the name of “Wild” Bill Holden was inspired to walk 2,000 miles, over a six month period, from Prescott, Arizona to Wrigley Field in Chicago. Bill’s goal was to raise money and awareness for Ron Santo’s Charity, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), the national charity for which the elder Santo has raised $60,000,000, over the last 33 years.  Jeff Santo and the This Old Cub “Crew” teamed up with Bill Holden and together raised $250,000 for the JDRF.

  Jeff Santo happened upon the town of Jake’s Corner, while he was meeting “Wild” Bill Holden who was early into his long journey.  Santo was so inspired by the rustic charm of this simple town consisting of a General Store, a Bar and the nice folks who live in the trailers in the surrounding area that he decided to make it the backdrop for his next screenplay.  The premise of the story that eventually became Jake’s Corner was conceived by the real life tragedy of Ron Santo’s parents (as documented in This Old Cub) who died in a car accident on their way to visit Ron and his family at Spring Training in 1973.  The story is fictional but the town is real. 

  Jeff Santo has always had a special love for the state of Arizona.  Some of his fondest childhood memories revolve around the family trips to Scottsdale, AZ for his father’s (Cubs legend, Ron Santo) Spring Training.  In the early 90s, Jeff left the Board of Trade in Chicago and moved to Phoenix to pursue writing.  Santo divides his time between Los Angeles and Scottsdale.
Jake’s Corner is Co-Produced by former Phoenix Sun and NBA All-Star, Dan Majerle, and Executive Produced by successful Arizona Businessman, Mark Breen, and software entrepreneur Doug Wheeler.
Writer/Director – Jeff Santo  Producer – Tim Comstock  Producer – Hollywood Heard