Rise and Fall of the Borscht Belt(1986)
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.
Movie: Rise and Fall of the Borscht Belt
Top 1 Billed Cast
Self - Narrator (voice)
Similar Movies
Land of Little Rivers(en)
The Land of Little Rivers, a network of tributaries in the Catskill Mountains of New York, is the birthplace of fly fishing in America and home to anglers obsessed by the sport.
Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution(en)
Down the road from Woodstock in the early 1970s, a revolution blossomed in a ramshackle summer camp for disabled teenagers, transforming their young lives and igniting a landmark movement.
Deep Water: Building the Catskill Water System(en)
The 45-minute documentary celebrates the history of the Catskill Water System with rare archival film footage and historic photographs. Deep Water tells the story of the building of the Ashokan Reservoir, Shandaken Tunnel, Schoharie Reservoir, and the Catskill Aqueduct. Narrated by Robb Webb (the voice of "60 Minutes II"), Deep Water documents how several Catskill Mountain towns were destroyed and flooded, how immigrant workers built the dams and tunnels, and how brilliant engineering and political maneuvering allowed the system to be built.
Rails to the Catskills(en)
RAILS TO THE CATSKILLS is a history of the dynamic railroad industry in the Catskills of New York State. Catskill railroads have roots in the canals of the 1820's and the post Civil War railroad boom.
When Comedy Went to School(en)
The birth of modern stand-up comedy began in the Catskill Mountains - a boot camp for the greatest generation of Jewish-American Comedians.
The Catskill Mountain House and the World Around(en)
There isn't much left of the once-grand Catskill Mountain House. The lavish resort hotel was perched on a precarious ledge in Greene County for over a century. During its 19th-century heyday, the hotel embodied the peak of luxury for a generation of the rich and famous. But like many resort hotels of the Catskills' glittering past, the Mountain House fell into disuse in the 20th century and was finally destroyed by the state of New York in 1963 to return its scenic overlook to wilderness. The Catskill Mountain House and The World Around was given the Gold Remi Award by the 44th WorldFest Houston International Film Festival!
Mr. Saturday Night(en)
Buddy Young was the comic's comic, beloved by everyone. Now, playing to miniscule crowds in nursing homes, it seems like everybody but Buddy realizes that he should retire. As Buddy looks for work in show business, he realizes that the rest of the world has forgotten the golden days of Buddy Young, and that there just may not be room in the business for an old comic like himself.
Sweet Lorraine(en)
Serio-comic look at the residents and staff of a Catskill Mountains resort during its final days.
Taking Woodstock(en)
The story of Elliot Tiber and his family, who inadvertently played a pivotal role in making the famed Woodstock Music and Arts Festival into the happening that it was. When Elliot hears that a neighboring town has pulled the permit on a hippie music festival, he calls the producers thinking he could drum up some much-needed business for his parents' run-down motel. Three weeks later, half a million people are on their way to his neighbor’s farm in White Lake, New York, and Elliot finds himself swept up in a generation-defining experience that would change his life–and American culture–forever.
BALL LIGHTNING(en)
A pair of scavengers discover something strange after wandering onto the property of a mysterious technician.
Tyrel(en)
Tyler joins his friend on a trip to the Catskills for a weekend birthday party with several people he doesn’t know. As soon as they get there, it’s clear that (1) he’s the only black guy, and (2) it’s going to be a weekend of heavy drinking. Although Tyler is welcomed, he can’t help but feel uneasy in “Whitesville.” The combination of all the testosterone and alcohol starts to get out of hand, and Tyler’s precarious situation starts to feel like a nightmare.
You Can Count on Me(en)
A single mother's life is thrown into turmoil after her struggling, rarely-seen younger brother returns to town.
Hidden Exposure(en)
A recently jilted dancer follows her ex-boyfriend to his new home, where she insinuates herself into his new relationship.
Catskill Park(en)
Four friends leave NYC for Catskill Park and hear something unearthly during their camping trip.
Dirty Dancing(en)
Spending the summer at a Catskills resort with her family, Frances "Baby" Houseman falls in love with the camp's dance instructor, Johnny Castle, and nothing is ever the same for anyone in the Houseman family.
Journey from Santa Barbara to Moscow, or the Adventures of an American in Russia(ru)
The second film in a series of documentary and journalistic films about Russia. This is an impartial and friendly story about how the capital of Russia lives, works, studies and relaxes, seen through the eyes of a foreigner. The film's host, American actor Jed Allan, familiar to many Russians for his role as CC Capwell in the TV series Santa Barbara, travels around the multimillion-dollar metropolis, accompanied by the Russian actor and athlete Alexander Nevsky. The presenters of the film are equally interested in the opinions of representatives of the modern elite and ordinary citizens. The daily life of the city is the main interest of the film's authors; the faces snatched by the cameraman from the Moscow crowd are his main characters. The idea of the film is to show modern Moscow as one of the brightest, most beautiful and most dynamically developing cities in the world.
We Are Fire!(en)
Maremoto (Mar) is a young illustrator in Mexico City struggling to make sense of a town where 11 women are murdered daily, and 95,000 people have gone missing, with no one held accountable. Her feminist drawings support her community in dealing with the emotional trauma left by the femicides and galvanize them to fight to get the government forces to act. With her work, Mar also creates a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community and teaches self-acceptance."