The Night They Raided Minsky's

PG-13

Released Dec 21, 1968

1h 40m

Musical

Comedy

List

67%

6 Reviews

Tomatometer

44%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

To distance herself from her strict Amish family, naïve Rachel Schpitendavel (Britt Ekland) escapes to New York City to become a dancer. While Rachel's dances based on Biblical stories are too innocent for Minsky's Burlesque House, club-owner Billy Minsky (Elliott Gould) plans on using Rachel's routine to humiliate critics of his business. But trouble arises when partners in a comedy duo (Jason Robards, Norman Wisdom) compete for Rachel's affections.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Prime Video

Stream Now

Prime Video

Watch The Night They Raided Minsky's with a subscription on Prime Video.

Audience Member

This movie is most significant in that the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) had died during the making of the film, and he gave a good performance. The burlesque dances and slapstick comedy sketches were well done too. Unfortunately the movie overall was rather disappointing. For one thing, the outdoor sequences went from black and white to color, then back to black and white and to color and back. This was purposeless and annoying. Instead of setting the old-time atmosphere, it worked to spoil it. Also, the film was choppily edited, which served to make the story confusing. Third, Britt Ekland was unconvincing as a religious Amish girl-and we never see any of the Biblical dances she was supposed to be able to perform. You might enjoy the movie for the reconstructed burlesque shows, but the story behind the scenes falls flat.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The best comedy movie ever made!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A lame hour and a half excuse to see Brit Eklands boobs. Big whoop.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Fizzes and crackles with energy, but it's not without gravitas. Great fun!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Refreshingly accommodates both the repulsive seediness of the milieu and nostalgic attraction for an less sophisticated era with charmingly bad dance routines and exquisitely well-performed slapstick. An interesting musical score with both narration and a finale delivered by Rudy Vallee himself. Many fine actors in both lead and supporting roles.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Directed by William Friedkin, who had made his directorial debut with Good Times (1967), starring Sonny and Cher. While that flopped, it got him noticed, and he was given an offer by producers Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin to to this musical comedy based on Rowland Barber's 1960's novel. It's an enjoyable film that focuses on a time now gone and the kinds of entertainment that people enjoyed back 40 years previously. In 1925, Amish girl Rachel Schpitendavel (Britt Ekland) comes to New York from Pennsylvania to make it big as a dancer. A chance encounter with Professor Spats (Bert Lahr) brings her to Minsky's Burlesque, where she meets entertainer Raymond Paine (Jason Robards) and partner Chick (Norman Wisdom). The theatre has been under threat of closure when owner Billy Minsky (Elliott Gould) can't raise any money, and is battling moral crusader Vance Fowler (Denholm Elliott) as well. Rachel becomes a dancer at Minsky's, but matters are complicated when her stern, devout father Jacob (Harry Andrews) arrives in town to bring Rachel back home. It's got the look of one of those big overblown musicals that went around in the 1960's, but it's actually focused, and the comedy and musical routines are well staged in this film, Friedkin could do comedy well, it's a shame he hasn't tried it more often.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

William Friedkin

Director

Jason Robards

Raymond Paine

Britt Ekland

Rachel Schpitendavel

Norman Wisdom

Chick Williams

Elliott Gould

Billy Minsky

Forrest Tucker

Trim Houlihan

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

91%

79%

Little Shop of Horrors

43%

67%

Paint Your Wagon

51%

63%

The Producers

55%

66%

Mamma Mia!

TRAILER

for Mamma Mia!

72%

77%

Cry Baby

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Renata Adler

New York Times

The nicest thing about the movie, which is a little broad in plot and long in spots, is its denseness and care in detail.

May 9, 2005

Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

The Night They Raided Minsky's is being promoted as some sort of laff-a-minit, slapstick extravaganza, but it isn't. It has the courage to try for more than that and just about succeeds.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 23, 2004

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Considering its compromised production and less than enthusiastic handling in pre-production, The Night They Raided Minksy's manages enough nostalgia and energy to give it a vintage appeal.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 29, 2020

Full Review

Robert Kotlowitz

Harper's Magazine

It seems a shame, for the director William Friedkin apparently wanted something more...but in the end the crassness of the story does him in.

Aug 4, 2020

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

It truly captures the spirit of an entire way of life that no longer exists.

Rated: B

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Jun 30, 2005

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

To distance herself from her strict Amish family, naïve Rachel Schpitendavel (Britt Ekland) escapes to New York City to become a dancer. While Rachel's dances based on Biblical stories are too innocent for Minsky's Burlesque House, club-owner Billy Minsky (Elliott Gould) plans on using Rachel's routine to humiliate critics of his business. But trouble arises when partners in a comedy duo (Jason Robards, Norman Wisdom) compete for Rachel's affections.

Director: William Friedkin
Screenwriter: Arnold Schulman, Sidney Michaels, Norman Lear
Production Co: Tandem Productions
Rating: PG-13 (Brief Nudity|Suggestive Content)
Genre: Musical, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 21, 1968, Limited
Release Date (DVD): Oct 1, 2015
Runtime: 1h 40m

Most Popular at Home Now