Plot Summary for
The Ritz (1976) More at IMDbPro »

On his deathbed Carmine Vespucci's father tells him to "get Proclo". With "the hit" on, Gaetano tells a cab driver to take him where Carmine can't find him. He arrives at the Ritz, a gay bathhouse where he is pursued amorously by "chubby chaser" Paul B. Price and by entertainer Googie Gomez who believes him to be a broadway producer. His guides through the Ritz are gatekeeper Abe, habitue Chris, and bellhop/go-go-boys Tiger and Duff. Squeaky-voiced detective Michael Brick and his employer Carmine do locate Gateano at the Ritz, as does his wife Vivian. Written by Ed Stephan {stephan@cc.wwu.edu}

At the Ritz, the rates are low, the decor is rococo art deco and the clientele is...convivial. As Cleveland sanitation company owner Gaetano Proclo reasons, this New Yook all-male bathhouse is the perfect place to hide from his murder-minded brother-in-law Carmine. But what Gaetano and his fellow bathhouse patrons get is an exercize in wild, manic mayhem from director Richard Lester (A Hard Day's Night, two Superman films), bringing Terrence McNally's hit Broadway farce to spicy screen life. Four of this film's stars also spiced up its stage life: original cast members Jack Weston as Gaetana, Jerry Stiller as Carmine, future Amadeus Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham as a sardonic Ritz regular and especially Rita Moreno as bubble-brained torch singer Googie Gomez, a riotous performance that won her a Tony Award. Kaye Ballard, Treat Williams and Paul B. Price add to the tasty guest list. So check into The Ritz. You'll have roomfulls of laughter to check out. Written by MhatBernstein {mbbernstein@ucdavis.edu}

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