Product Details

• Actors: Harry Andrews, Jack Burns, Kathryn Doby, Britt Ekland, Denholm Elliott
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 1.0), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), Spanish (Dolby Digital 1.0)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: United Artists
• DVD Release Date: May 20, 2008
• Run Time: 99 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0014BJ1AY
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,206 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Night They Raided Minsky's" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Before The French Connection made him a household name, William Friedkin drafted this love letter to the burlesque era. In 1925, Amish redhead Rachel (Swedish bombshell Britt Ekland) travels from Pennsylvania to New York to dance. On the advice of Professor Spats (The Wizard of Oz's Bert Lahr, who died during filming), she catches the variety show at Minsky's, which is run by the proprietor's son, Billy (Elliot Gould). Comic duo Raymond (Jason Robards) and Chick (Oscar nominee Norman Wisdom) enlist Rachel to perform her Bible routine, billed as the scandalous Madamoiselle Fifi, to make a fool out of moral guardian Vance Fowler (Denholm Elliot), who threatens to sic the vice squad on the theater if they don't tone things down. While helping her prepare, both men fall for "this real religious girl," but Chick, as Raymond puts it, "suffers from "the curse of the three Ds." He's "decent, devoted and dependable," while his partner is "a BFC," i.e. "Bastard First Class." Rachel gets the last word when she accidentally invents the striptease. Adapted from the novel by Rowland Barber (Somebody up There Likes Me) and produced by Norman Lear (All in the Family), Minsky's zips between comedy and drama through the rapid-fire editing of Ralph Rosenblum (The Producers), who inter-cut the newsreel footage in post-production. If the film feels like a battle between opposing sensibilities, i.e. art vs. commerce, warm-hearted entertainment wins out in the end. The only real crime is that this long-awaited title arrives without any extras. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description

One of the funniest, most entertaining movies-you-never-heard-of. Jason Robards shines as the well-meaning but manipulative comedian and Britt Ekland is the lovably innocent Amish girl in this affectionately, poignant but lighthearted view of Burlesque and a time gone by.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is comedy and nostalgia at its best! Genuine Good Time!, July 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Night They Raided Minsky's [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Seeing Britt Ekland step off the subway and observe the sights of the Lower East Side as the picture slips from color to black & white in the opening scene is great to see again after many years is refreshing! I have to admit that this is one of my favorite films and William Friedkin's zestful direction and Bert Lahr's splendid appearance as Professor Spats is truly a great thing to see. Allthough the subject of the early days of striptease isn't the best subject for families, this could work out to be a good family film (!!) and for people willing to find out what burlesque and vaudeville was actually like, this Norman Lear ("The Jeffersons") production is a visual treat. This is funny, vibrant, and highly nostalgic! See it and I can guarantee that you'll enjoy it. Take my word for it.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars See it for the atmosphere - and the turns, November 23, 2001

By	D. M. Farmbrough "Dave Farmbrough" (Wisconsin, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Night They Raided Minsky's [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Jason Robardes shines as the well-meaning if manipulative comedian and Britt Ekland is slightly miscast as an innocent Amish girl. The story is however subsidiary to the beautifully created setting of a burlesque night club. The music in particular enhances the atmosphere as do the claustrophobic sets and authentic performances.
The film loses focus because of its length and the sheer number of stars. Sometimes it seems Elliot Gould is the star, sometimes, Robardes. But the nominal stars of the film are upstaged by both Norman Wisdom who throws everything into his performance, and the great Bert Lahr, more well-known as the cowardly lion from the Wizard Of Oz, who died during filming. This is not a deep film, but an affectionate (and reportedly accurate) portrait of a time gone by.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why not on DVD?, September 24, 2007

By	Richard Best (Security, CO United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Night They Raided Minsky's [VHS] (VHS Tape)

One of the funniest, most entertaining movies-you-never-heard-of. Part of the fun is how it recreates the early era of vaudeville, during a time when even sexual jokes and innuendo were charmingly innocent. All the characters are wonderfully portrayed and acted, the writing is a delight, and the plot is an effective blend of knock-down comedy that manages to not diminish some truly poignant elements of the story. I haven't seen this on TV in years, and that's a shame, but it's even more of a shame that it's not available in a quality DVD edition.