The Ritz

With The Ritz, Terrence McNally's hit Broadway play of the same name is cinematized by director Richard Lester. Jack Weston plays Gaetano Proclo, a minor mob flunky who's been targeted for elimination by his brother-in-law, Carmine Vespucci (Jerry Stiller). Gaetano takes refuge in what he thinks is ...more

Always amusing and frequently very funny, there's a lot that is very right with The Ritz. Writer Terrence McNally has created a can't-miss premise and has built a solid, sturdy structure around it. He has peopled his farce with a wide range of types, and has put the main character in a life-or-death situation so that he has more than sufficient motivation. And of course the setting and gay angle give it a twist that, especially at the time of its release, is different. Director Richard Lester ...more