In the world of Dirty Dancing, outright mentions of Jewish culture are almost nonexistent. The Catskills resorts of the Borscht Belt offered an upscale experience without the risk of being turned away. Anti-Semitism in the United States was an unfortunate, widespread fact of life for the first half of the 20th century, and many vacation spots throughout the country were " restricted," meaning Jews were not welcome. Hotel Kaaterskill, 1903-1904 / New York Public Library, Flickr // Public Domainīut there was a darker reason these elegant, upstate New York hotels were so popular with Jewish travelers beyond their boundless kosher meals. Meanwhile, Kutsher's Country Club once welcomed stand-up comedians like Joan Rivers, Andy Kaufman, and Jerry Seinfeld (and employed a pre-NBA Wilt Chamberlain as a bellhop). Debbie Reynolds married Eddie Fisher at the hotel in 1955 (Fisher had been discovered there). Grossinger's alone counted Eleanor Roosevelt, Judy Garland, Jayne Mansfield, and Milton Berle among its guests. The best known of them, including Grossinger's, Kutsher's, and the Concord, became institutions. And word got around that these sumptuous hotels were the places to see and be seen. (We'll come back to that later.)Įventually, as Jewish families became more affluent-and these boarding houses became more successful-many of them expanded into sprawling resorts. The houses had communal kitchens, where fresh milk was the beverage of the day, thanks to the dairy farms prevalent in the area. Known as kucheleins, these bucolic locations were moderately priced respites for tenement-dwelling New Yorkers looking to beat the heat. While the average viewer might not notice them, there are numerous nods to this resort culture embedded in the film.īefore grandiose resorts like the ones that inspired Kellerman's existed, enterprising Jewish families opened boarding houses in the Catskill Mountains during the early 20th century. Still, even without many explicit references to Jewish life, Dirty Dancing-written by seasoned resort-goer Eleanor Bergstein-managed to get a lot of things right about the Borscht Belt. (The term was coined by Variety writer Abel Green as a reference to the hearty Eastern European soup that was ubiquitous on these hotels' menus.)įor the purposes of appealing to a broader audience, most references to the Jewish identity of resorts like Kellerman's were expunged from the movie. The movie’s setting, Kellerman's, is based on the numerous all-inclusive vacation spots aimed at Jewish travelers that dotted the upstate New York landscape throughout much of the 20th century-a constellation of resorts commonly known as the Borscht Belt. Even dedicated fans, however, may be missing out on a fundamental aspect of the film that’s never directly addressed: its Jewish roots. Since its release in 1987, Dirty Dancing has remained a beloved mainstay for scores of fans, earning it a place in the popular film canon and endless re-showings on basic cable. Many of the exterior scenes in the film were shot at this location as well, and some of the interior scenes as well.When you think of Dirty Dancing, or even just hear the first strains of "(I've Had) The Time of My Life," you probably think of a single image: Jennifer Grey, in her diaphanous pink dress, being triumphantly lifted toward the heavens by the Adonis-like dance instructor played by the late Patrick Swayze. However, the location was actually called ‘Kellerman Resorts’ and was supposed to be located in the Catskill Mountains. The location was included in the scene when the lead characters of Frances and Johnny fell in love with each other. The film was shot in different locations, but the most memorable Dirty Dancing filming location happens to be The Mountain Lake Lodge in Pembroke, Virginia, according to The Sun. The visuals in Dirty Dancing and some of the locations shown in the film have made a strong combination, having gripped the attention of the audiences. Let us have a look at some of the shoot locations of this 1987 hit. The filming of Dirty Dancing took place at various well-known locations which suited well with its scenes. The film displays a number of memorable scenes which has some grand locations that match well with the vibe of the film. Directed by Emile Ardolino, the film captures romance that is remembered by the audience to date. Dirty Dancing remains one of the all-time classics even after more than three decades of its release.
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