Rise and Fall of the Borscht Belt
At its peak, one million New York Jews spent their summers in the Borscht Belt, the birthplace of Jewish-American iconoclastic humor. This film shows how these Catskills communities were run by women, and how class divisions were reflected in the resort hotels: upwardly-mobile hotel guests were entertained by a who's-who of talent, while in the bungalows, do-it-yourself burlesque and vaudeville reigned among the blue-collar families. This film is happy, humane, ironic, and, finally, bittersweet, as we see that today's Jews no longer share the tastes or aspirations of their parents.
Directed by Peter Davis
Where to Watch
Streaming
Cast
-
Joseph Wiseman Self - Narrator (voice)
Make it a double feature
3h 6m together
Rise and Fall of the Borscht Belt
Harold Lloyd: The Third Genius
Both from Peter Davis.
More from Peter DavisSee all →
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In Darkest Hollywood: Cinema and Apartheid · 1994
This Bloody, Blundering Business · 1975
Harold Lloyd: The Third Genius · 1989
The Best of the New York Erotic Film Festival · 1972
Strip · 1966
The Homosexuals · 1967
Immigrants · 1965
Son of Greetings · 1970
Anatomy of Violence · 1967
Chelsea Bridge Boys · 1965
Pub · 1962
The Nature of David Suzuki · 1998
Two Dollars and A Dream: The Story of Madame C.J. Walker · 1987
D H Lawrence in Taos · 1969
The Heritage of Slavery - Of Black America · 1968




