Surveys the history of Jewish comedy.Surveys the history of Jewish comedy.Surveys the history of Jewish comedy.
- Awards
- 1 win
Rodney Dangerfield
- Self
- (archive footage)
Jackie Mason
- Self
- (archive footage)
Henny Youngman
- Self
- (archive footage)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- Quotes
Jack Carter: You avoided it like the plague. There was no Jewish Comedians per se. It was outlawed then. It wasn't... it wasn't in.
- ConnectionsReferences The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970)
Featured review
Zweig Fans Will Not Be Disappointed
If you're coming in to this doc without any previous experience with Alan Zweig, there's a good chance you will be disappointed. Many of the interviewees in this film, in fact, seemed disappointed. In a nutshell, Zweig's style is: Talk with people (not merely "interview" them), be sincere, open and honest in a way that encourages the interviewee to also be open and honest (though it may make some people uncomfortable), and film it. It seems like many reviewers here came to this doc more from an angle of loving Jewish comics without having any experience with Zweig, and I think they have missed the unique value of Zweig's art.
I find it fascinating how he catches people so off-guard with his input, which usually puts people in unexpected situations where they will either put their guard up or open up. Many reviewers here in IMDB also seemed critical of the fact that this was not a traditional documentary format, and that it did not place the focus solely on the interviewees (I also think this threw off some of the more egocentric interviewees). But think about how Zweig actually included so many of those moments, moments that would have been cut in a more traditional doc. (It's funny how many people in Zweig's docs ask "So what is this about?" and how often those moments end up in his films.) I think that's where Zweig's magic is. It might make the viewer uncomfortable at times, but it's raw, it's real, and it's authentic.
7/10 because I probably won't watch it again, but it was successful at the most important thing for me: It made me feel something and it made me think.
I find it fascinating how he catches people so off-guard with his input, which usually puts people in unexpected situations where they will either put their guard up or open up. Many reviewers here in IMDB also seemed critical of the fact that this was not a traditional documentary format, and that it did not place the focus solely on the interviewees (I also think this threw off some of the more egocentric interviewees). But think about how Zweig actually included so many of those moments, moments that would have been cut in a more traditional doc. (It's funny how many people in Zweig's docs ask "So what is this about?" and how often those moments end up in his films.) I think that's where Zweig's magic is. It might make the viewer uncomfortable at times, but it's raw, it's real, and it's authentic.
7/10 because I probably won't watch it again, but it was successful at the most important thing for me: It made me feel something and it made me think.
helpful•00
- connerton4
- Apr 30, 2021
Details
- Runtime1 hour 29 minutes
- Color
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