In Poland of 1850, recently ordained, sweet natured, ice skating rabbi Avram Belinski (Gene Wilder) – who is apparently not well liked at his yeshiva – is sent to lead a congregation in San Francisco. He arrives in Philadelphia and learns that his transport to California has encountered gold rush fever and set sail without [...]

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In 1933, an opening crawl reminds us that “hoboes roamed the land, riding the rails in a desperate search for jobs.” One such hobo hops aboard the No. 19 freight train as it stops for coolant in Oregon. The No. 19′s sadistic bull, known simply as “Shack” (Ernest Borgnine) cracks the hobo over the head [...]

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In the Kansas City area circa 1934, two small time crooks stop at a rural gas station. A local reporter drops by and reveals that he’s covering a party that evening, where heiress Barbara Blandish is scheduled to appear wearing a priceless diamond necklace. At the party, Barbara (Kim Darby) gets into a row with [...]

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