The talk on Sunday, March 21 will be about Dirty Dancing, perhaps the best known film portrayal of the Catskills.
The Catskills on the Big and Small Screen
The Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County (HMTC) presented three virtual programs about the portrayal in TV and film of the Catskills, when it was perhaps the most well-known playground and summer retreat for Yiddish speaking and other Jewish residents from the New York City area. A discussion was led by HMTC’s scholar-in-residence, Dr. Linda Burghardt, who talked about the historical accuracy of the films and answered questions from the audience about the Catskills and its’ image in popular memory.
The topic of March 21st’s discussion was Dirty Dancing, perhaps the most well-known film portrayal of the Catskills. This Academy Award and Golden Globe winning film follows the Houseman Family during their summer in the Catskills, when Frances “Baby” Houseman (Jennifer Grey) falls in love with the camp’s dance instructor, Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze), a totally unsuitable match in her father’s eyes.
If you missed this program you can watch it now on Youtube:
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