Minsky's - a Hard movie to watch

The loss of Bert Lahr was a profound event on this film, but more so was the assumption of editorial control by Ralph Rosenblum, who took control and turned it into the rapid fire movie it now is. That said, it is a hard movie to watch because soooooo much is happening all of the time. This is not a movie to relax entirely with. Details are scattered all over the place and they are all important to the plot. Throwaway shots are beautiful. This is a film that runs at a full pace and you can watch it four times just to get everything down.

So much of it is wonderful. Louis Minsky's every single line is perfect. Jason Robards never had a better role and the lamented Norman Wisdom was first rate. His description of burlesque to Britt Eckland was the best summation of comedy EVER put down anywhere. "A door, to walk through? "

Those old routines came verbatum out of theatre. I saw the Mickey Rooney broadway run of Sugar Babies and the dialogue was straight there.

But you have to keep pace with this little gem. It gets away very easily.