The Ritz (1976)

On his deathbed, Carmine Vespucci's mobster father tells him to "get Proclo" - Carmine's brother-in-law Gaetano. With "the hit" on, Gaetano tells a cab driver to take him where Carmine ... See full summary »

Director:

Richard Lester

Writers:

Terrence McNally (screenplay by), Terrence McNally (based upon the play by)

Stars:

Jack Weston, Rita Moreno, Jerry Stiller

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Weston	...	Gaetano Proclo
Rita Moreno	...	Googie Gomez
Jerry Stiller	...	Carmine Vespucci
Kaye Ballard	...	Vivian Proclo
F. Murray Abraham	...	Chris
Paul B. Price	...	Claude
Treat Williams	...	Michael Brick
John Everson	...	Tiger
Christopher J. Brown	...	Duff
Dave King	...	Abe
Bessie Love	...	Maurine
Tony De Santis	...	Balloon Man
Ben Aris	...	Patron With Bicycle
Peter Butterworth	...	Patron In Chaps
Ronnie Brody	...	Small Patron

Storyline

On his deathbed, Carmine Vespucci's mobster father tells him to "get Proclo" - Carmine's brother-in-law Gaetano. With "the hit" on, Gaetano tells a cab driver to take him where Carmine can't find him. He arrives at The Ritz, a gay bathhouse where he is pursued amorously by "chubby chaser" Claude and by entertainer Googie Gomez, who believes him to be a Broadway producer. His guides and protectors through The Ritz are gatekeeper Abe, habitue Chris, and bellhop/go-go boys Tiger and Duff. Squeaky-voiced detective Michael Brick and his employer Carmine do locate Gaetano at the Ritz, as does his wife Vivian, but family secrets come out.

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Plot Keywords:

gay stereotype | pretending to be gay | nightclub singer | brother sister relationship | rainstorm | 

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Taglines:

Hiding out from the Mafia can be an awful drag!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

"The Ritz" opened on Broadway on January 20, 1975 at the Longacre Theatre , and closed after 398 performances and ten previews.F. Murray Abraham, Rita Moreno, Jerry Stiller, Jack Weston, Paul B. Price, Tony De Santis, Christopher J. Brown, John Everson play the roles they created in the original Broadway production. Treat Williams replaced Stephen Collins as Brick, and Dave King replaced George Dzundza as Abe Lefkowitz.

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Goofs

When the patron with bicycle is signing the register, Abe turns to unlock his locker twice.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Carmine Vespucci: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women.

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Alternate Versions

CBS edited 5 minutes from this film for its 1982 network television premiere.

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Connections

Referenced in The Big Box: Christmas Evil (2011)

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Soundtracks

Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries
(uncredited)
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Buddy G. DeSylva and Lew Brown

User Reviews

laff riot

I had caught this zany gay bathouse farce years ago and remembered it during a recent discussion of the gay subculture with a gay friend of mine. I wondered if the movie would be considered offensive by/to gays. Having seen it again, I would think not, and at least one gay reviewer here agrees with me. With mistaken identities, misunderstood intentions, and straight cluelessness, it is a hilarious comic romp. All the participants put in excellent comic work here. Rita Moreno, as mentioned often here, is particularly wonderful as the hopeless but aspiring singer - the accent is a hoot. Hard to find nowadays, but definitely worth seeing.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Italian Spanish Portuguese

Release Date:

26 December 1976 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

The Ritz

Filming Locations:

Twickenham Film Studios, St Margarets, Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Courtyard Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1