Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Whoopi Goldberg | ... | Deloris | |
Maggie Smith | ... | Mother Superior | |
Kathy Najimy | ... | Mary Patrick | |
Wendy Makkena | ... | Mary Robert | |
Mary Wickes | ... | Mary Lazarus | |
Harvey Keitel | ... | Vince LaRocca | |
Bill Nunn | ... | Eddie Souther | |
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Robert Miranda | ... | Joey |
Richard Portnow | ... | Willy | |
Ellen Albertini Dow | ... | Choir Nun | |
Carmen Zapata | ... | Choir Nun | |
Pat Crawford Brown | ... | Choir Nun | |
Prudence Wright Holmes | ... | Choir Nun | |
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Georgia Creighton | ... | Choir Nun |
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Susan Johnson | ... | Choir Nun |
Deloris Wilson (Whoopi Goldberg), a black woman who has chosen the stage name Deloris Van Cartier, is a Reno, Nevada lounge singer, she, the lead in a girl trio, in which she also chooses and arranges the music and choreographs the shows. She is a wisecracking, showy woman who has always loved music. She, however, only has her current job being hired by her married lover, Vince LaRocca (Harvey Keitel), to sing in his casino's lounge. She learns of Vince's true business as a gangster when she walks in on him killing one of his employees who wronged him. As a witness to the murder, Deloris goes on the run to the police, Lieutenant Eddie Souther (Bill Nunn), who has long been running an operation to get enough evidence to put Vince behind bars, this murder, which could be the metaphorical nail in Vince's coffin. However, Vince has put a contract out on Deloris' life to prevent her from testifying against him. As such, Eddie has to hide her until the trial, which will be at least two ... Written by Huggo
I seem to be the only person who has noticed the remarkable similarity between "Sister Act" and "Brother Orchid", a 1940 Edward G. Robinson film. Does anyone else agree? Certainly the details of the plot have been changed to make the central character female and a singer. In the earlier play/film the Robinson character was a gangster who took refuge in a monastery when he was in trouble with the mob. He uses his business "talent" to put the institution on a better footing, as I remember, by selling flowers. The basic plot is that of the worldly individual entering a religious setting, at first attempting to con the inmates, and then becoming a real part of their system.