Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: The Barry Sisters Sing "Ev'ry Street's a Boulevard" in1965

For almost half a century, from the 1930s to 1976, The Barry Sisters, Claire and Merna, were the voice of Jewish jazz in recordings, nightclub acts, and television appearances on The Jack Paar Show, The Tonight Show, and The Ed Sullivan Show.

Born in the Bronx to Yiddish speaking immigrants from Kiev, Clara and Minnie Bagelman started out in show business using their real names as The Bagelman Sisters, but after awhile, Clara became Claire, Minnie became Merna, and Bagelman became Barry. They performed songs in nine languages.

Looking glamorous and sparing no expense for their orchestrations, they sang to a full house at the Concord and other Catskills resorts.

In this Throwback Thursday special, Claire and Merna perform "Ev'ry Street's a Boulevard", on The Ed Sullivan Show. The song was written by Jule Styne and Bob Hilliard. It was featured in the 1954 movie Living It Up.

Enjoy!

 

  #Throwback Thursday        #TBT

Happy 99th Birthday to Mel Brooks!

Today we send best wishes to Mel Brooks on his 99th birthday. For almost a century Mel has given us so much laughter that it's hard to list all of the shows, movies and other forms of entertainment that he produced, directed, and acted in.

A recipient of numerous accolades, he is one of 21 entertainers to win the EGOT, which includes an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. He received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2009, a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2010, the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2013, a British Film Institute Fellowship in 2015, a National Medal of Arts in 2016, a BAFTA Fellowship in 2017, and the Honorary Academy Award in 2024.  

Here's a summary of his many achievements. He's still active and busy developing new productions, including the sequel to Spaceballs. Go Mel! 

Here Come the Chanukah Videos: The Maccabeats Turn a Wicked Song Into a Tribute to Jewish Survival

With so many Jewish singing groups coming up with Chanukah parodies and new lyrics for songs from the hit movie Wicked, we expected one from the Maccabeats and here it is.

In 2010 The Maccabeats, an a cappella group from Yeshiva University, released their first Hanukkah music video, Candlelight, and every Hanukkah (and other holidays) since then we've seen many more videos by them and lots of other groups.

Originally formed in 2007 as Yeshiva University’s student vocal group, the Maccabeats have recently emerged as both Jewish music and a cappella phenomena,  with a large fan base, more than 20 million views on YouTube, numerous TV appearances, and proven success with three albums, 2010′s Voices From The Heights, 2012′s Out Of The Box and 2014′s One Day More.

Many of their songs are parodies of pop hits, and this Chanukah they're continuing the tradition with new lyrics for the movie's signature song Defying Gravity that celebrates  the spirit of the Jewish people. The lyrics appear below.

Enjoy!

 

 

Lyrics 

 

Some things have changed around us 

Some things have stayed the same 

Through every change we’ve weathered 

Our spirit always burns the same. 

 

When shadows rise to meet us 

Our flame will burn through the night 

An ancient spark ignites 

And fills the void with light. 

 

We’ll rise above, defying gravity 

Through every trial defying gravity 

And they won’t bring us down. 

 

Our light will continue to shine 

this flame is no trick or delusion 

Never accepted limits, 

Cause someone says they're so

 

Thousands of years so far 

But we’ve still got a ways to go. 

No time to be afraid of 

Those who’d try to see us gone 

They didn’t know the strength that we’ve had all along. 

 

We’ll rise above, defying gravity 

Through every trial defying gravity 

And they won’t bring us down. 

So if your faith is shaken 

Pray to the Eastern sky 

As someone told me lately 

Od Avinu, Am Yisrael Chai 

 

We’re never flying solo 

We’re never left alone 

To those who’d ground us 

Here’s a message of our own 

 

We'll rise above, defying gravity 

We’ll shine our light, defying gravity 

And we will make our presence known. 

In every land that we call home 

We’ll say it loud and make it known, 

You’re never gonna bring us down.

Here Come the Chanukah Videos: Six13 Sings a Wicked a Cappella Chanukah Medley

The a Cappella group Six13 is bringing some much-needed light into the world with a fun medley of songs from the hit movie Wicked, with Chanukah lyrics replacing the Wicked originals.

Six13 is a six-man vocal band that brings an unprecedented style of Jewish music to the stage, with songs ranging from hip-hop dance tracks to rock anthems. The members of the New York City-based group sound like a full band – while using nothing but their voices.

Enjoy, and Chag Chanukah Sameach!

Hallmark Channel Hits a Home Run With its New "Hanukkah on the Rocks" Movie

The Hallmark Channel is well known for its extensive collection of Christmas movies, which grows bigger every year. Their predictable romantic comedies always feature a couple falling in love amid lots of Christmas decorations and red and green sets. The themes are not complicated but usually have a minor conflict which is resolved with a kiss at the end.

Hanukkah has been glaringly missing from these movies, except for the last few years where its blue and white decorations have made minor appearances. Usually the theme for the annual Hanukkah movie is a chance encounter between a Jew and a Gentile that leads to a joint celebration of the two holidays. In the last two films, the revelation that either the boy or the girl is Jewish gets us to a scene where both families play Dreidel (although one confuses the Nun and Gimmel as the signal to win all of the coins.)

But last week the Hallmark Channel redeemed itself by posting a new movie called Hanukkah on the Rocks, where Christmas is hardly mentioned and the entire focus is on the celebration of the Jewish holiday. 

We watched the two-hour long movie and recommend it for Hanukkah viewing. The plot is a bit weak as it centers on a search for a special box of "Cohen Candles" that all the stores in Chicago seem to have run out of. Also we found it odd that while the blessings in Hebrew were pronounced correctly, none of the men saying them wore a kippah.

But both of the lead actors are Jewish, which is a plus for Jewish representation in today's world of film and TV.

Here's a video preview of the movie, which is streaming now on The Hallmark Channel and on YouTube.

Enjoy!

Rutgers Jewish Film Festival Arrives in New Jersey November 7 through November 21

The Rutgers Jewish Film Festival’s 25th year is coming to New Jersey next month. The festival will feature fourteen thought-provoking and entertaining films, dynamic discussions with filmmakers and special guests, and numerous New Jersey premieres on dance, music, American Jewish history, and Israeli society. 

Twelve films will be screened at the Regal Cinema Commerce Center, North Brunswick (November 7–17), and five films will be available virtually (November 15–21). In-theater and virtual tickets are $15.

The full schedule is posted on the festival website. Among the films shown will be the 86 minute documentary The Catskills, on Sunday, November 10 and Tuesday, November 12 at the Regal Cinema. 

This charming documentary pays tribute to the summer resorts and bungalow colonies that became Jewish-American vacation destinations during the 20th century when hotels and resorts discriminated against Jews. Lovingly nicknamed the Borscht Belt, this film explores the Catskills not only as a hot spot for lavish meals and hilarious entertainment, but also as a refuge from social antisemitism.

Here's the trailer for The Catskills. If you can't get to the theater, the film will probably be shown at other Jewish Film Festivals around the USA next winter.

Enjoy!

"Between the Temples", a New Jewish Comedy Film, Comes to Theaters Tomorrow

Between the Temples, a new very Jewish comedy film starring Carol Kane, Jason Schwartzman, and Robert Smigel, arrives in theaters tomorrow, August 23.

As Stephen Silver wrote for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency,

The first sound in Between the Temples is a piercing blast from a shofar. Several scenes of the new film are set in a synagogue and depict familiar Jewish tableaus including bat mitzvah preparation, the rabbi/cantor relationship, donors who play an outsize role in Jewish life and a nerve-wracking family Shabbat dinner.

In other words, it may be the most Jewish mainstream movie of the year. 

Between the Temples, which arrives in theaters Friday, tells the story of Cantor Ben Gottlieb (Jason Schwartzman), who works at a Reform synagogue in upstate New York and is grieving the death of his novelist wife a year earlier. Carol Kane stars as Carla, his childhood music teacher, who grew up without Jewish tradition but now wants an adult bat mitzvah.

The duo forms the heart of a warm intergenerational buddy comedy-drama that plays out in an archetypal Jewish setting.

Here is the official trailer for the movie. Enjoy! 

Billy Crystal Gives Mel Brooks the Peabody Career Achievement Award

On June 9, Billy Crystal presented Mel Brooks with the Peabody Career Achievement Award at the 84th Annual Peabody Awards. This makes Mel Brooks the fourth individual to be a PEGOT winner (Peabody, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). 

This ceremony took place at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles to celebrate those winners elected to represent the most compelling and empowering stories released in broadcasting and streaming media during 2023. 

The presentation included a short video compilation of some of the funniest moments from Brooks' films and TV shows.

Enjoy!

Continuing a New Series: The Great Jewish Movies: -"The Chosen"

Today we're continuing our new series on Jewish Humor Central, The Great Jewish Movies. 

Each post will focus on one of the movies produced in the last century that had a Jewish theme, including comedy, drama, and musical genres.

We'll include a brief plot summary, a video clip, and tell you how and where to watch the full movie. Some will be free and others will require a small rental fee.

Today's focus is on The Chosen, the 1981 American drama film directed by Jeremy Kagan, based on the best-selling book of the same name by Chaim Potok, published in 1967. It stars Maximilian Schell and Rod Steiger. At the 1981 Montréal World Film Festival, the film won Grand Prix of the Americas, and Steiger won best actor.

The film is set in Brooklyn. The story begins during the latter part of the Second World War. Reuven Malter is a middle-class Modern Orthodox Jewish teenager and son of David Malter, a college professor and a dedicated Zionist. At a baseball game between their schools, Reuven meets Danny Saunders, another Jewish teenage boy. At first, the meeting is one of enmity since Danny accidentally injures Reuven's eye during the game; this results in Reuven wearing an eye patch for much of the movie.

When Danny goes to visit Reuven at the hospital to apologize, Reuven refuses his apology and asks him to leave. Later, Danny comes to Reuven's house to again apologize. This time, Reuven accepts his apology and the boys become friends despite their different backgrounds. Danny is the eldest son of a Hasidic Rebbe, the dynastic leader of the Hasidic Jews in that neighborhood, but is not close to his father. Danny has been going to the nearby public library and reading books on psychology. He amazes Reuven with his ability to remember word-for-word what he has read. It turns out that David Malter has been showing him these books. 

Reuven and Danny go to a Sabbath service in Danny's Hasidic community as Danny is eager for Reuven to meet his father. Danny's father approves of their friendship, but Rebbe Saunders disapproves of Professor Malter's writings, which doesn't surprise anyone. Rebbe Saunders also wishes for Danny to become a rabbi and to succeed him in leading his Hasidic community, in keeping with the tradition of several generations, but Danny doesn't seem eager to pursue this.

The full hour and 45 minute film is available to watch free on YouTube.  Enjoy!

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Continuing a New Series: The Great Jewish Movies - "Crossing Delancey"

Today we're continuing our new series The Great Jewish Movies on Jewish Humor Central. Each post will focus on one of the movies produced in the last century that had a Jewish theme, including comedy, drama, and musical genres.

We'll include a brief plot summary, a video clip, and tell you how and where to watch the full movie. Some will be free and others will require a small rental fee.

Today's focus is on 1988 American romantic comedy film adapted by Susan Sandler from her play of the same name, and directed by Joan Micklin Silver. It stars Amy Irving, Peter Riegert and Reizl Bozyk. The film also features performances from David Hyde-Pierce, Sylvia Miles and Rosemary Harris. Amy Irving was nominated for a Golden Globe for the film, for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical.

Thirty-something Isabelle "Izzy" Grossman (Amy Irving) spends her time going from her tiny, solitary West Side apartment to that of her grandmother (Reizl Bozyk) on the Lower East Side. In between, Izzy builds a glowing reputation at the swank bookstore where she works. While her grandmother plots to find her a romantic match, Izzy is courted by a married, worldly author, Anton (Jeroen Krabbé), yet can't seem to shake the down-to-earth appeal of Sam (Peter Riegert), a pickle vendor.

The full hour and 36 minute film is available to watch free on YouTube.  Enjoy!

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Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Jerry Lewis Reminisces About His Days as a Borscht Belt Busboy

Jerry Lewis' gift of comedy lasted about 85 years, from his stage debut at age 5 in the Catskills until his death in 2017. Over the years we have posted video clips of some of his best shtick. But Jerry also left behind a collection of interviews in which he reminisces about parts of his career that aren't widely known.

On October 27, 2000, Jerry was interviewed by Sam Denoff in San Diego, California. In this excerpt, he talks about the Borscht Belt, working as a busboy at Brown's Hotel, and how it launched him into the world of comedy and entertainment. 

Enjoy!

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  #Throwback Thursday     #TBT

Remembering Paul Reubens, Comedian Best Known as Pee-wee Herman

Paul Reubens, the 70-year-old actor, comedian, writer, and producer, died Sunday in Los Angeles. He was best known for creating and portraying the character Pee-wee Herman. 

Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe The Groundlings in the 1970s, and started his career as an improvisational comedian and stage actor.

As Andrew Dalton wrote in the Times of Israel,

The character with his too-tight gray suit, white chunky loafers and red bow tie was best known for the film “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” and the TV series “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.”

Herman created Pee-wee when he was part of the Los Angeles improv group, The Groundlings, in the late 1970s. The live “Pee-wee Herman Show” debuted at a Los Angeles theater in 1981 and was a success with both kids during matinees and adults at a midnight show. HBO would air the show as a special.

Reubens was born to Jewish parents, Judy and Milton Rubenfeld, in 1952. His father fought in World War II as a pilot for the Royal Air Force and the US Army, and later was one of the five founding pilots of the Israel Air Force during the Israeli War of Independence in 1948.

In 2006, Reubens appeared on the Conan O'Brien show, talked about his childhood tea parties and accepted a challenge to try to fit into his iconic Pee-wee tight fitting gray suit.

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Is Barbie Jewish? JewTube Investigates and Posts the Conclusion on YouTube

With all the publicity surrounding Friday's theatrical release of the long awaited movie Barbie, we just had to delve into the frequently asked question "Is Barbie Jewish?"

Yeah, she's Jewish. BOOM! But how/ why? Well, the same reason anyone is halachically Jewish, her mother is. That's not the whole story though. There's controversy, mystery, and an investigation by JewTube that reaches an inevitable conclusion. Despite her origin as a copy of a German sex symbol named Lili, her creator, Mattel founder Ruth Handler named her after her own daughter Barbara and her boyfriend Ken after her own son Kenneth.

Enjoy!

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Remembering Alan Arkin - Comic and Serious Character Actor, Director, Producer, and Screenwriter

Alan Arkin, star of film and TV for more than 60 years, died last Thursday in California at the age of 89. Born in Brooklyn, he was the son of Ukrainian and German Jewish immigrants.

As Andrew Silow-Carroll wrote in The Times of Israel, 

Over a nearly seven-decade career, he imbued comic roles with pathos and serious roles with a touch of sardonic humor. He was working until nearly the end of his life, co-starring with Michael Douglas from 2018 to 2019 in Chuck Lorre’s Netflix comedy series “The Kominsky Method.” That role, as agent Norman Newlander, earned him two consecutive Emmy Award nominations.

Arkin made his film debut — and received his first Academy Award nomination — opposite Reiner in “The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming,” about a Soviet sub that runs aground off New England. The phrase he teaches his comrades — “Emergency! Everybody to get from street!” — became a catchphrase.

Here is the "Emergency" clip from that very funny satiric movie, which also starred Carl Reiner, Eva Marie Saint, Theodore Bikel, and Jonathan Winters.  

Enjoy!

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Here Come the Passover Videos: Six 13 Pays a 25th Anniversary Tribute to "The Prince of Egypt"

No collection of Jewish holiday music videos would be complete without an entry from Six13, an a cappella group that has produced videos for Chanukah, Rosh Hashana, Purim, and Passover. In previous years we posted many of their Jewish music videos.

Six13 is a groundbreaking, six-man a cappella vocal band that is bringing an unprecedented style and energy to Jewish music, with nothing but the power of the human voice.

One of the great epic animated films and musicals of all time -- and possibly the greatest retelling of the Passover story -- is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Six 13 is celebrating the occasion with a medley of songs from the beloved film, including When You Believe.

Enjoy!

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See Jewish Humor Central Live in Boca Raton, Florida Next Thursday February 23

If you're a fan of Jewish Humor Central and happen to be in South Florida next Thursday February 23, you can see Blogger-in-Chief Al Kustanowitz present a 90 minute program on Jewish Humor at Florida Atlantic University's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) in Boca Raton.

The program, Funniest Jewish Moments in Movies and Television, will include video clips from The Frisco Kid, All in the Family, Seinfeld, When Harry Met Sally, The Johnny Carson Show, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and Blazing Saddles.

The show is from 3 pm to 4:30 pm at FAU's Friedberg Auditorium in the Lifelong Learning Building. Entrance to the University is at 777 Glades Road in Boca Raton. Admission at the door is $35. Members can purchase tickets in advance for $30.

So bring your friends and let's meet afterwards to share some jokes at the conclusion of the program.

Here's a sample of what you'll see:

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Throwback Thursday Movie Showcase: The Thanksgiving Dinner Scene from "Avalon"

Today is Thanksgiving Day, an American national holiday. Families from coast to coast are gathering for a festive dinner and lively conversation. In this politically charged year, we hope that the conversations will bring family members closer together.

We're sharing a video clip today from the film Avalon, a 1990 American drama film written and directed by Barry Levinson and starring Armin Mueller-Stahl, Aidan Quinn, Elizabeth Perkins, Joan Plowright, Lou Jacobi, Kevin Pollak, and Elijah Wood. It is the third in Levinson's semi-autobiographical tetralogy of "Baltimore films" set in his hometown during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s: Diner (1982), Tin Men (1987), and Liberty Heights (1999). The film explores the themes of Jewish assimilation into American life, through several generations of a Polish immigrant family from the 1910s through the 1950s.

The film was released to critical acclaim, and was nominated for four Academy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. 

Thanksgiving plays an important role in the film, and the conversation around the dinner table is likely to bring back family memories of holidays past.

Enjoy!

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   #Throwback Thursday     #TBT

Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Stubby Kaye Sings "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" From "Guys & Dolls"

Bernard Solomon (Sholom) Kotzin (1918-1997), known as Stubby Kaye, was an American actor, comedian, vaudevillian, and singer, known for his appearances on Broadway and in film musicals.

Kaye was born on the last day of the First World War, at West 114th Street in the Morningside Heights section of Manhattan. His parents were first generation Jewish-Americans originally from Russia and Austria-Hungary. His father, David Kotzin, was a dress salesman, and the former Harriet "Hattie" Freundlish was his mother. He was raised in the Far Rockaway section of Queens and later in The Bronx, where he acted in student productions at DeWitt Clinton High School, and where he graduated in 1937. 

Kaye originated the roles of Nicely-Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls and Marryin' Sam in Li'l Abner, introducing two show-stopping numbers of the era: "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" and "Jubilation T. Cornpone." He reprised these roles in the movie versions of the two shows. Other well-known roles include Herman in Bob Fosse's Sweet Charity, Sam the Shade in Cat Ballou, and Marvin Acme in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

In today's Throwback Thursday video, Kaye sings his show-stopping Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat from the 1955 movie version of Guys and Dolls.

Enjoy!

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  #Throwback Thursday        #TBT

Throwback Thursday at the Movies: Barbra Streisand as Fanny Brice in Swan Lake Ballet from "Funny Girl"

The Forward has published a list of the 125 Greatest Jewish Movie Scenes of All Time. Compiled by Forward cultural reporter PJ Grisar and a panel of experts, the list includes scenes from a very wide range of films. 

As Grisar wrote in the introduction to the list,

If you were to edit the greatest Jewish scenes into a montage, how long would it last? Perhaps not the whole Parsha cycle, but it would be a real commitment to watch the entire thing. This list, which features some surprises, many obvious choices and surely just as many accidental omissions, is an attempt to capture the diversity and scope of Jewish moments in the film canon. Some highlight ritual, others language and still others a worldview or perspective that resonates with the shul-going, shiva-sitting, saw-you-at-Zabar’s set that’s been kicking around since Sinai.

In the coming weeks, we'll be using our Throwback Thursday posting to share some of these iconic, nostalgic scenes from films that resonated with us through the years. 

Today we take you back to 1968 when Barbra Streisand played the role of Fanny Brice in the movie version of Funny Girl. In a scene from the film, Streisand was dressed as a ballerina performing in a parody of the Swan Lake ballet.

As film critic Carrie Rickey described the scene, 

An exalted version of the ugly duckling. Barbra Streisand’s debut film reprises her stage blockbuster about vaudeville star Fanny Brice. In a scene highlighting Streisand’s triple-threat talents as a singer/dancer/comedian, she demonstrates that she is more than a swan. Behold the bird of paradise.

The lyrics that Barbra sings appear below the video clip.

Enjoy!

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 #Throwback Thursday      #TBT

FANNY BRICE
What are ya gonna do? Shoot da swans? These lovelies? My swans girls?
Can't you see when you look at me
What a lovely creature is a swan- yoo-hoo!!
I'm all over fluffy white.
I wouldn't peck at you or bite
And have tiny twinkle toes to dance upon-
Oh was that good?

So you just gotta have a swan
Well you're out of luck
‘Cause a chicken wouldn't do,
It Would only cluck
And besides you couldn't say
"I saw a Chicken Lake ballet"
They would think you don't know nothin'
You are missing here a button
‘Cause a chicken's only good for consomme
Where upon, where upon,
Where upon where upon
A chicken or a duck is a mistake
When you do Swan Lake Ballet...

Throwback Thursday at the Movies: Paul Newman and Eva Marie Saint in Scene From "Exodus"

The Forward has published a list of the 125 Greatest Jewish Movie Scenes of All Time. Compiled by Forward cultural reporter PJ Grisar and a panel of experts, the list includes scenes from a very wide range of films.

As Grisar wrote in the introduction to the list,

If you were to edit the greatest Jewish scenes into a montage, how long would it last? Perhaps not the whole Parsha cycle, but it would be a real commitment to watch the entire thing. This list, which features some surprises, many obvious choices and surely just as many accidental omissions, is an attempt to capture the diversity and scope of Jewish moments in the film canon. Some highlight ritual, others language and still others a worldview or perspective that resonates with the shul-going, shiva-sitting, saw-you-at-Zabar’s set that’s been kicking around since Sinai.

In the coming weeks, we'll be using our Throwback Thursday posting to share some of these iconic, nostalgic scenes from films that resonated with us through the years. 

Today we take you back to 1960 when Paul Newman drove Eva Marie Saint to a Jezreel Valley overlook. As Dan Friedman described the scene,

Ari Ben Canaan (Paul Newman) and Kitty Fremont (Eva Marie Saint) drive up to a valley overlook. Sheb’s an American volunteer, he’s a Jewish fighter and they are working together to save Jewish refugees from internment camps. From this idyllic spot he points out Mount Tabor where the biblical judge, Deborah, gathered her force. He quotes the biblical passage and they kiss. It’s a taste of paradise in the midst of a movie full of Holocaust survival and the struggle for independence against the Brits.

Enjoy!

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  #Throwback Thursday     #TBT