Hester Street (1975)

Cast

Carol Kane
as Gitl
Doris Roberts
as Mrs. Kavarsky
Lin Shaye
as Whore
Joanna Merlin
as Jake's Landlady

Get more information about Hester Street (1975) on IMDb

Genres & Description

Action Drama Romance

7.0 / 10

It's 1896. Yankel Bogovnik, a Russian Jew, emigrated to the United States three years earlier and has settled where many of his background have, namely on Hester Street on the Lower East Side of New York City. He has assimilated to American life, having learned English, anglicized his name to Jake, and shaved off his beard. He is working at a $12/week job as a seamster, the money earned to be able to bring his wife Gitl and his son Yossele to America from Russia. Regardless, he has fallen in love with another woman, a dancer named Mamie Fein. Nonetheless, he is excited when he learns that Gitl and Yossele are indeed coming to America. His happiness at their arrival is dampened when he sees that Gitl is not "American" looking like Mamie and has troubles assimilating as quickly as he would like. Except to Mamie, he tries to show a public façade that everything is fine at home with Gitl. But can their marriage survive these differences, and if not, will Gitl be able to manage in this new...

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Comments on this trailer
Comments may include spoiler!

Particle Boy

Carol Kane was wonderful in this and deserved the Oscar nomination but so did the equally wonderful Steven Keats. He was very nice in real life - he and I saw the same showing of "All That Jazz" in Westwood in 1979 and I met him briefly there, quite by accident, and he was just the nicest, most humble unaffected guy. He should've been nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for this. - @Tuesday, January 1, 2019 3:52 PM

Jose Eduardo Pereira

Hester Street, 1975. Desde siempre quise ver esta producción. Carol Kane, excelente comediante se perdió en el tiempo. Gracias por subirla Bethany Jacobson. Saludos desde Santiago, Chile.... - @Friday, November 2, 2018 7:56 PM

Khang Ho

I can't believe that is the crazy old lady in unbreakable kimmy schmidt. How beautiful she was. - @Monday, September 17, 2018 3:37 AM

Chris Resendes

Love this movie! - @Sunday, August 26, 2018 11:53 PM

Eduardo Difarnecio

Beautiful, touching and tender story of community and a community with a charming twist ending. Excellently cast. Carol Kane is alluring in it. Amazingly, not so many blocks away from where these characters lived also lived the New York 400. Not so many blocks away yet worlds apart. Such was life then in this fabled city. And such is life now. - @Saturday, April 7, 2018 9:27 PM

Benjamin Kotran

A very good movie to write a analysis paper about, which what I have to do for a college Jewish History class, a complex story which makes me think about my own Jewish identity - @Friday, March 9, 2018 3:54 PM

Hamguy Bacon

she dresses and looks like some old hag in front of her husband and wouldn't even let her hair out in their own bed then when they want a divorce she dresses pretty for someone else. - @Thursday, March 8, 2018 11:42 AM

tpe54

Love it!... thank you very much..I was transported into that bygone time thru this movie....mazal tov! - @Saturday, February 24, 2018 3:46 AM

WorldPaperMoney

איי די אלטע גוטע צייטן... - @Sunday, February 11, 2018 9:04 AM

Mike Rubinate

What a beautifully shot, written, directed, and acted movie. It captures what I imagine life was like back then for those who were new to America. And the photography and sound are almost like that of an early sound movie.. Fine work by all. - @Monday, January 8, 2018 4:36 AM

Edu Gomes

Where's the translator? - @Tuesday, November 21, 2017 1:25 AM

Moshe Borisoff

Excellent Movie. Very Genius - @Monday, November 13, 2017 3:59 AM

Alex Hart

Jake ain't voith Gitl's little finga!!! - @Thursday, August 3, 2017 3:33 PM

Fixation

Can someone point out where Lin Shaye is in this movie? She plays the "whore." - @Monday, July 10, 2017 8:33 PM

Tamir Krief

ehhhh mah zehhhhhhh??!?!?!??!??!?!? - @Thursday, June 1, 2017 7:37 PM

louisaparker

Wonderful little movie. Amazingly detailed account of immigrants in USA. - @Tuesday, May 16, 2017 2:19 AM

Random Boy

yo, BT students what up its sykes - @Friday, May 12, 2017 12:57 AM

Rivka Shlesinger

lol the guy who plays the lawyer is a total comedy! - @Wednesday, April 26, 2017 8:41 PM

VEGASGIRL

When was this film made? SHALOM, and that's for this gem................... - @Thursday, April 6, 2017 3:20 PM

archiecharny

Thank you so much for downloading this gem.! have been wishing to see it once more for a very long time; - @Thursday, March 23, 2017 8:50 PM

Anna Maria Delgado

Excellent from beginning to end. - @Sunday, February 12, 2017 2:51 PM

Lake Girl

The oscar should have gone to Carol Kane. - @Tuesday, January 31, 2017 2:13 AM

Iara Fink Foschino

I loved it! It was highly recommended by many , but I couldn't find available anywhere. Thanks so much for uploading. - @Saturday, December 10, 2016 10:54 PM

Sammy Fisher

לאב איט - @Sunday, November 27, 2016 3:58 AM

wallybbear

1:14:35 - 1:17:32 The marriage proposal scene is the one of the most beautiful in film. Re-wets my contact lenses every time. - @Wednesday, August 31, 2016 11:01 PM

Daria Strakhova

boring ... - @Thursday, July 14, 2016 10:14 PM

alg11297

Saw this in the Hillel at Brooklyn College in the 70s. The sound was a little off then too. There are scenes where you can see the boom mike . Carol Kane should have won something for this. She was even in the Last Detail. Wish they would show it on PBS - @Sunday, May 29, 2016 12:28 AM

ROSE DUGAN

Does anyone remember a movie with Kate Burton about Ellis Island around 1980-1986? It is about immigrants...It is not the series with Faye Dunaway? Please help!!! - @Saturday, May 28, 2016 1:24 PM

jmt319

I am so taken with this film- it's moving, thought provoking, charming all in one film. The performances and the ensemble of actors are so exceptional. Thanks so much for sharing it. - @Thursday, April 28, 2016 10:05 PM

Buddy Burden

"A regular uptown lady!" Doris Roberts you gave the world much joy. RIP. - @Saturday, April 23, 2016 1:03 AM

Robert Goodman

Their Yiddish is very good. Their "Yiddishe accent" is a bit strained for a number of actors. As someone who is used to hearing these New York Yiddishe accents, a number of these actors are really forcing their attempt to speak with a "Yiddish accent." It's almost distracting and stereotypical New York. And most of these actors are from the 5 boroughs, which is interesting. - @Wednesday, April 20, 2016 6:08 AM

vplite

Great movie - thanks for posting. I thought of this movie when I heard Doris Roberts had died at 90. She is great in this. Since it came out in 1975 Roberts mush have been pushing 50 when it was made. I love these "understated" flicks. So-called action movies are so mindless. This had no hero barely hanging on tho a speeding train or whatever, just great characters and a real story. - @Tuesday, April 19, 2016 7:24 PM

John Lamphier

kane was nominated for an award on this - louise fletcher got it though for nurse ratched role - @Thursday, April 14, 2016 1:17 AM

botchos

Great! - @Sunday, March 13, 2016 4:24 AM

Anton Wohl

ס׳יז א טאקע גוטער פילם דא - @Sunday, February 7, 2016 8:37 PM

Maria Tenor

Excellent film, thank you for sharing - @Monday, January 11, 2016 11:22 AM

Orpheus90

Terrific movie. Wonderful charm to it. - @Monday, November 30, 2015 12:37 AM

markjaws1

My mother's people are from Ashkenazi immigrants from Russia and the Ukraine. And they settled on Houston Street, close to Hester Street. This movie very much resonates with me. I even took Yiddish at City College back in the 1970s in a vain attempt to meet Jewish girls. - @Sunday, November 29, 2015 4:19 AM

lovinlife andprettythings

This is an amazing realistic historic film, you are a teacher worth having and learning from !!!! You can still see the tree in Central Park where they had the picnic... Great choice for students...Thanks for posting it - @Monday, November 2, 2015 2:38 AM

mudgebauer

Where is the movie "West of Hester street"? It would be nice if someone posted that movie. thanks. - @Tuesday, October 13, 2015 2:17 PM

Conrad Smith Lacsina

Thank you for sharing. This serves educational purposes. - @Thursday, September 3, 2015 3:12 AM

Robert Crawford

I saw this in 1975 and always remembered it. An excellent historical film. - @Thursday, January 29, 2015 7:55 PM

Melanie-Rose Westbrook

I ♡ this film! Thank you for putting it on YouTube! - @Tuesday, January 27, 2015 2:40 AM

collinwoodresident

I had often heard about this film but had never seen it! It is absolutely wonderful and Carol Kane is amazing! Thanks so very much for giving me the opportunity to finally see HESTER STREET! - @Thursday, January 8, 2015 10:38 PM

Nancy Benefiel

My favorite film ever. - @Monday, October 27, 2014 4:26 AM