Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageThe Ritz (1976)
Director: Richard Lester
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
A camp farce, based with unrelenting obviousness on a Broadway play, this is one of those masochistic comedies that rely entirely on the (corpulent) vacillations of the leading man. Jack Weston proves that he is strictly a one-dimensional character actor, yet the action is constructed to provide as little relief from him as possible. It concerns his frenetic adventures as a straight forced to hide out in an all-gay New York bath-house of dream-like dimensions populated by cosmetic studs. After the single joke (Weston is nearly raped by a short, thin 'chubby-chaser'), Lester devotes himself with single-minded malevolence to repeating the same routine with weak variations for the entire length of the film. Despite the plot's superficial claims to be breaking new sexual ground, the resulting stale comedy is likely to be as boring to the gay community as to every other.Author: DP
Cast & crew
Director: Richard Lester
Producer: Denis O'Dell
Cast: Jack Weston, Rita Moreno, Jerry Stiller, Kaye Ballard, F Murray Abraham, Paul B Price, Treat Williams, John Everson, Dave King, Bessie Love, George Coulouris full cast
Genre(s): Comedy
Duration: 91 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Has David Cronenberg turned tame?
Has director David Cronenberg veered too far from his radical and bloody roots with new film 'A Dangerous Method'?
The 10 worst date movies
Just in time for Valentine's Day, we present ten of the least romantic films ever made
Where to watch this year's Oscar-nominated films
Find out where to watch 2012's Oscar-nominated films in London cinemas
10 unlikely badboy biopics
Featuring Phil Collins, Jeremy Clarkson, Nick Clegg, David Starkey and a host of other unlikely subjects
Interview: Sean Durkin on 'Martha Marcy May Marlene'
The first-time director of the brilliant new thriller discusses religious cults and robot boxing
Pop-up cinema for Valentine's Day
Side-step romantic clichés with some alternative Valentine’s viewing
What do you think?
Post your review now