It's set in 1925 New York City and provides a fictional account of the beginning of striptease burlesque. It's based on the 1960 novel by the same name by Rowland Barber.
Rachel Schpitendavel (Britt Ekland) is an Amish girl from Smoketown, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, who comes to New York City to dance. She has learned to dance in Pennsylvania but only sedate pieces that illustrate Bible stories. She discovers Minsky's Burlesque and is charmed by what she observes there.
Along the way, she interacts with the owner, Billy Minsky (Elliott Gould); the lead comedian, Chick (Norman Wisdom); the lead straight man, Raymond (Jason Robards); and the gangster, Trim (Forrest Tucker). Chick, Raymond, and Trim all pursue the naïve Rachel. Minsky's is also harrassed by Vance Fowler (Denholm Elliott), the secretary of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice, who frequently threatens to have the place raided.
Although Billy and Raymond recognize that Rachel can't really dance, they decide to set her up in a midnight show advertised as bringing Madam Fifi from Paris in a dance that "drove a thousand Frenchmen wild," while she actually does her Bible dance. The goal is to embarrass Vance, who plans a raid when he hears of the "French" dancer.
Meanwhile, Rachel's father, Jacob (Harry Andrews), shows up and tries to force Rachel to return home.
At the end of the film, Rachel does dance, the raid takes place, and the striptease is born.
The film is amusing but dated. Slapstick can be fun when you're in the mood, but it is so Three Stooges.
Everyone in the film is caricatured, especially Rachel and her father. Rachel doesn't look Amish when she arrives in the city. Jacob does look a little more Amish since he has a beard but no mustache. Rachel describes some aspects of Amish life correctly (no buttons or electricity) and occasionally references the Bible, but has no Amish traits. No one would mistake her as Amish. Jacob is a rigid, stupid man who is simply a foil for the New Yorkers.
This was Elliott Gould's screen debut. The main characters play their roles well.
Rachel Schpitendavel (Britt Ekland) is an Amish girl from Smoketown, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, who comes to New York City to dance. She has learned to dance in Pennsylvania but only sedate pieces that illustrate Bible stories. She discovers Minsky's Burlesque and is charmed by what she observes there.
Along the way, she interacts with the owner, Billy Minsky (Elliott Gould); the lead comedian, Chick (Norman Wisdom); the lead straight man, Raymond (Jason Robards); and the gangster, Trim (Forrest Tucker). Chick, Raymond, and Trim all pursue the naïve Rachel. Minsky's is also harrassed by Vance Fowler (Denholm Elliott), the secretary of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice, who frequently threatens to have the place raided.
Although Billy and Raymond recognize that Rachel can't really dance, they decide to set her up in a midnight show advertised as bringing Madam Fifi from Paris in a dance that "drove a thousand Frenchmen wild," while she actually does her Bible dance. The goal is to embarrass Vance, who plans a raid when he hears of the "French" dancer.
Meanwhile, Rachel's father, Jacob (Harry Andrews), shows up and tries to force Rachel to return home.
At the end of the film, Rachel does dance, the raid takes place, and the striptease is born.
The film is amusing but dated. Slapstick can be fun when you're in the mood, but it is so Three Stooges.
Everyone in the film is caricatured, especially Rachel and her father. Rachel doesn't look Amish when she arrives in the city. Jacob does look a little more Amish since he has a beard but no mustache. Rachel describes some aspects of Amish life correctly (no buttons or electricity) and occasionally references the Bible, but has no Amish traits. No one would mistake her as Amish. Jacob is a rigid, stupid man who is simply a foil for the New Yorkers.
This was Elliott Gould's screen debut. The main characters play their roles well.