Legendary screenwriter/producer Norman Lear and iconic director William Friedkin carved out careers worthy of praise and admiration. One shaped the future of TV with a string of hit sitcoms, while the other brought forth one of the horror genre’s most terrifying creations. Their names are synonyms with their specific craft in shaping their respective industries, and it will surprise some that at one point, the two giants crossed paths to work on a single movie. Moreover, the feature that brought them together was a bawdy musical that celebrated burlesque and teased audiences with the origin of the striptease.
Released in 1968 and capturing the early days of a burlesque theater in the 1920s, The Night The Raided Minsky’s exists as a curioso in both men’s bodies of work. We will examine how the movie came to fruition backed by a strong cast and crew, how it fits into the careers of both Lear and Friedkin, and how close it came to capturing the origin of the striptease.
The Night They Raided Minsky’s Plot and Cast
The Night They Raided Minsky follows Rachel Schpitendavel, a naive young Amish woman from Pennsylvania who runs away to New York City in the hopes of celebrating her religion on the stage as a dancer. However, in a twist of fate, she ends up at the infamous Minsky’s Burlesque Theater instead. At the theater, the owners see potential in Rachel’s ‘biblical dance’ routine, wherein they can transform it into a risqué striptease that will bring about infamy through censorship and police harassment. Things become complex when a comedy duo at the theater, Raymond and Chick, develop feelings for Rachel.
Britt Ekland introduced the world of burlesque by playing the small-town girl moving to the city in Rachel Schpitendavel. While not necessarily a household name, Ekland would have an impressive career, appearing in iconic productions like Get Carter, the seminal folk-horror classicWicker Man, and The Man With The Golden Gun.
Jason Robards and Norman Wisdom played the two dueling romantic interests in Raymond and Chick, respectively. Jason Robards was a highly respected American actor, starring in over 150 movies before passing in 2000 and the recipient of two Oscars; taking best actor in a supporting role for both 1977’s All the President’s Men and 1978’s Julia. While having a modest film career, Norman Wisdom was a beloved comedic actor and persona, including revered live performances and a musical career.
Given the scope of the production, utilizing a large cast to bring the excitement of the burlesque to life, the movie also featured an impressive supporting cast. A few notable names that will stand out for audiences is Elliott Gould, who had a breakout role in the 1970 wartime drama M*A*S*H but would appear throughout the decades in hit TV and film, including a recurring role as Jack Gellar in Friends. Joseph Wiseman was a widely respected stage actor, mostly known for his role as Dr. No in the Bond film of the same name. Bert Lahr, who passed away before the movie was released, will forever be known and cherished for his role as the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz.
How Norman Lear and William Friedkin Got Involved
Norman Lear was born to entertain audiences, and under his direction, some of the greatest television series of all time came to fruition. His most notable addition to the TV space, which changed the entire landscape, was 1971’s All in the Family, which ran for 207 episodes. Norman Lear teamed up with Bud Yorkin in 1958 to create Tandem Productions, producing several TV series and movies before tackling 1968’s The Night They Raided Minsky’s.
By this point, Tandem Productions had already proven their comedic chops with the critically acclaimed Divorce American Style, which had been released a year prior. The duo had bought the rights to the 1961 novel “The Night They Raided Minsky’s: A Fanciful Expedition to the Lost Atlantis of Show Business,” by Rowland Barber in 1966 after a failed attempt to bring the work to the theater stage years previous.
20 ’60s Movie Hairstyles That Live Rent-Free in Our Brains
From 2001: A Space Odyssey, to Bonnie and Clyde, to Breakfast at Tiffany’s, here are the decade’s most iconic hairstyles.
While director William Friedkin would become one of the most respected directors for his groundbreaking work on movies like The Exorcist, To Live and Die in L.A., and The French Connection, he struggled before The Night They Raided Minsky’s. Notably, Friedkin had helmed the critically panned and commercial failure of the Sonny and Cher-led musical comedy Good Times the year prior (1967). This was a chance for Freidkin to redeem his recent failure and showcase his abilities.
The movie would be a modest success for Norman Lear’s production company and Friedkin’s career. The Night They Raided Minsky’s would bring in $3 million domestically and outperform the stiff competition in another bawdy comedy that year with a star-studded cast in Christian Marquand’s Candy.
Is The Night They Raided Minsky’s Based on a True Story?
Minsky’s Burlesque was, in fact, a real place. The famous burlesque theater/empire was founded and operated by the Minsky brothers in New York City, opening its doors in 1912. Originally operating out of the National Winter Garden Theater in New York, the brothers soon expanded their empire to include several venues across the state. Their shows were known for pushing boundaries, offering risqué entertainment for its patrons with a mix of song, sexually suggestive humor, and striptease.
The depression era of the ’30s saw Minsky’s Burlesque grow exponentially, with patrons flocking to their shows due to their affordability and easy escapism. However, this also brought the ire of the authorities, and after banning the word ‘burlesque,’ the theaters soon folded, closing their doors in 1937.
10 Modern Movie Musicals Set in the Past
Musicals have the incredible ability to transport us to whole other worlds and time periods. Check out these modern films set in the past.
So, while Minsky’s Burlesque was real, pushing the boundaries of entertainment and seeking the ire of the authorities, this is where the similarities end. The striptease was not invented by an Amish woman from Pennsylvania, with the real origin being contentious; while Minsky’s popularized the dance, Charmion, a vaudeville trapeze artist, performed a “disrobing” act onstage as early as 1896; which was even the subject of Edison’s 1901 movie “Trapeze Disrobing Act.” Everything in The Night They Raided Minsky’s is fictional, beyond capturing the energy of one of America’s most sensational and controversial theater companies.
Where to Watch The Night The Raided Minsky’s
The Night They Raided Minsky’s is a pretty lewd and hilarious romp, making it a gem of the ’60s for fans of vivacious and sultry musicals. Those looking for just that will be pleased to know that the William Friedkin oddity is easy enough to track down. You can stream The Night They Raided Minsky’s on Prime Video, Fubo, MGM+, or Pluto TV.
The art book/memoir “Minsky’s Burlesque: A Fast and Funny Look at America’s Bawdiest Era” which was written by Morton Minsky, the last surviving of four brothers who had created Minsky’s Burlesque, has been out of print but is still available through third-party sellers. “The Night They Raided Minsky’s: A Fanciful Expedition to the Lost Atlantis of Show Business,” on which the movie was based, is not only out of print but expensive and hard to come by.
