"The Heart of New York" is an adaptation of a play and it shows. However, one scene that appears to stray outside the set is interesting. It takes place in an automobile, with stock footage in the background showing a slice of city life.
The story is about a Jewish family in New York City. This is a stereotypical depiction of Jewish life and personalities, but it rings true. It feels like a vaudeville act and it should as it features some notable vaudeville talents, like Smith and Dale, who (according to notes in IMDb) were the basis for Neil Simon's "The Sunshine Boys." In typical fashion, they bend and abuse the English language with non sequiturs and malapropisms in almost every sentence. Better you should watch other films instead if a constant barrage of one-liners you should find annoying.
But the film does capture a moment in comic history and the distinct style of Yiddish vaudevillians. I kept thinking that the actors, though authentic, were better suited to stage than screen. If, for example, some of the same lines were delivered by Groucho Marx and Charles Grodin, I think they would be funnier and feel more integrated into the story.
The story is about a Jewish family in New York City. This is a stereotypical depiction of Jewish life and personalities, but it rings true. It feels like a vaudeville act and it should as it features some notable vaudeville talents, like Smith and Dale, who (according to notes in IMDb) were the basis for Neil Simon's "The Sunshine Boys." In typical fashion, they bend and abuse the English language with non sequiturs and malapropisms in almost every sentence. Better you should watch other films instead if a constant barrage of one-liners you should find annoying.
But the film does capture a moment in comic history and the distinct style of Yiddish vaudevillians. I kept thinking that the actors, though authentic, were better suited to stage than screen. If, for example, some of the same lines were delivered by Groucho Marx and Charles Grodin, I think they would be funnier and feel more integrated into the story.