The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968)

Joseph Wiseman: Louis Minsky

Photos 

Quotes 

• Jacob Schpitendavel : Louis Minsky, if you do not now go at once to prevent thy son from bringing my daughter to such ignominy, I shall, as Agnon

  [?] 

  Jacob Schpitendavel : did, raise the finger of righteousness

  [raises index finger] 

  Jacob Schpitendavel : to call down the wrath of heaven.

  Vance Fowler : My father, an Episcopal vestryman, used this

  [raises pinkie finger] 

  Vance Fowler : as the finger of righteousness.

  Louis Minsky : Bah! And again, Bah! There is no finger of righteousness. This

  [raises pinkie and turns it in his ear] 

  Louis Minsky : is the finger of cleanliness. This

  [raises ring finger] 

  Louis Minsky : is the finger of marital bliss

  [points to wedding band] 

  Louis Minsky : . This

  [raises index] 

  Louis Minsky : is the finger of vengeance. This

  [levels middle finger toward Fowler, palm downward] 

  Louis Minsky : is the finger of meddling in other people's lives

  [pokes Fowler in chest with middle finger] 

  Louis Minsky : . And this

  [sticks out thumb] 

  Louis Minsky : is the finger of transportation. It will get us a taxi to the theater. You speak with the fist of authority, gentlemen, but you do not know your fingers.

• Jacob Schpitendavel : I need your help, Louis Minsky. My daughter will not be welcome in my home if she stays the night to dance upon your son's stage. There is a train in 51 minutes. You must tell your son to see she is on it.

  Louis Minsky : You see this chair? Tell it to dance. See if it listens. That's how much my Billy listens to me.

• Jacob Schpitendavel : I do not know, Louis Minsky, if we pray to the same God.

  Louis Minsky : We must. Only a God who could tolerate me, could possibly tolerate you.

• Jacob Schpitendavel : Louis Minsky, thou art father to the Minsky what has the theater?

  Louis Minsky : Yes.

  Jacob Schpitendavel : If I were thee, I would thrash thy son to within an inch of his life.

  Louis Minsky : You are not me, and you may still do it.

• Jacob Schpitendavel : [raising his index finger]  Louis Minsky, if you do not now go at once to prevent thy son from bringing my daughter to such ignominy, I shall, as Agnon did, raise the finger of righteousness to call down the wrath of the heavens.

  Vance Fowler : [raising his pinky finger]  My father, an Episcopal vestryman, used this as the finger of righteousness.

  Louis Minsky : [to Fowler, then to Schpitendavel]  Bah! And again, Bah! There is no finger of righteousness.

  Louis Minsky : [raising his pinky finger and turning it in his ear]  This is the finger of cleanliness.

  Louis Minsky : [pointing to his ring finger]  This is the finger of marital bliss.

  Louis Minsky : [raising his index finger]  This is the finger of vengeance.

  Louis Minsky : [leveling his middle finger, poking Fowler in the chest]  This is the finger of meddling in other people's lives.

  Louis Minsky : [sticking up his thumb, then forming his hand into a fist]  And this is the finger of transportation. It will get us a taxi to the theater. You speak with the fist of authority, gentlemen, but you do not know your fingers.

• Billy Minsky : [Talking with his father about business - and the troubles - at Minsky's burlesque]  Papa, the society has this man - Vance Fowler - night & day, this lunatic, this *moron* hangs around the theatre, writing in a little notebook

  Louis Minsky : If he writes, he sees. Where there's smoke, there's salmon.