Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers:

Sholom Aleichem (book)
Joseph Stein (play)
(more)

Release Date:

3 November 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family | Musical

Tagline:

a tradition (re-release)

Plot:

In pre-revolutionary Russia, a poor Jewish peasant must contend with marrying off his three daughters while antisemitic sentiment threatens his home.

Plot Keywords:

Jewish | Russia | Milkman | Tradition | Pogrom

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Topol	...	Tevye
Norma Crane	...	Golde
Leonard Frey	...	Motel Kamzoil
Molly Picon	...	Yente
Paul Mann	...	Lazar Wolf
Rosalind Harris	...	Tzeitel
Michele Marsh	...	Hodel
Neva Small	...	Chava
Paul Michael Glaser	...	Perchik (as Michael Glaser)
Ray Lovelock	...	Fyedka (as Raymond Lovelock)
Elaine Edwards	...	Shprintze
Candy Bonstein	...	Bielke
Shimen Ruskin	...	Mordcha
Zvee Scooler	...	Rabbi
Louis Zorich	...	Constable
Alfie Scopp	...	Avram
Howard Goorney	...	Nachum
Barry Dennen	...	Mendel
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	Russian Official
Ruth Madoc	...	Fruma Sarah
Patience Collier	...	Grandma Tzeitel
Tutte Lemkow	...	Fiddler
Stella Courtney	...	Shandel
Jacob Kalich	...	Yankel
Brian Coburn	...	Berl
George Little	...	Hone
Stanley Fleet	...	Farcel
Arnold Diamond	...	Moishe
Marika Rivera	...	Rifka
Mark Malicz	...	Ezekial
Aharon Ipalé	...	Sheftel (as Aharon Ipale)
Roger Lloyd-Pack	...	Sexton (as Roger Lloyd Pack)
Vladimir Medar	...	Priest
Sammy Bayes	...	Russian Dancer
Larry Bianco	...	Russian Dancer
Walter Cartier	...	Russian Dancer
Peter Johnston	...	Russian Dancer
Guy Lutman	...	Russian Dancer
Donald Maclennan	...	Russian Dancer
René Sartoris	...	Russian Dancer
Roy Durbin	...	Bottle Dancer
Ken Robson	...	Bottle Dancer
Robert Stevenson	...	Bottle Dancer
Lou Zamprogna	...	Bottle Dancer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Susan Claire	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Harry Fielder	...	Russian (uncredited)
Nigel Kingsley	...	(uncredited)
Joel Rudnick	...	Marcus (uncredited)
Petra Siniawski	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Susan Sloman	...	Peasant girl (uncredited)
Kenneth Waller	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Jewison

Writing credits
Sholom Aleichem		(book "Tevye's Daughters and play "Tevye der Milkhiker"") (as Sholem Aleichem)
Joseph Stein		(play)
Joseph Stein		(screenplay)

Produced by
Norman Jewison	....	producer
Patrick J. Palmer	....	associate producer (as Patrick Palmer)

Original Music by
Jerry Bock

Cinematography by
Oswald Morris		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Antony Gibbs
Robert Lawrence

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Production Design by
Robert F. Boyle		(as Robert Boyle)

Art Direction by
Michael Stringer
Veljko Despotovic		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Peter Lamont

Costume Design by
Joan Bridge
Elizabeth Haffenden

Makeup Department
Del Armstrong	....	makeup artist
Gordon Bond	....	hair stylist
Wally Schneiderman	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Richard Carruth	....	post-production supervisor
Larry DeWaay	....	production supervisor (as Larry De Waay)
Ted Lloyd	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Terence Churcher	....	assistant director
Paul Ibbetson	....	second assistant director
Terence Nelson	....	first assistant director (as Terry Nelson)
Vladimir Spindler	....	second assistant director
Stevan Petrovic	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Sam Gordon	....	property master
William Maldonado	....	construction manager
Mentor Huebner	....	designer and primary production illustrator (uncredited)
Harold Michelson	....	illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department
David Hildyard	....	sound mixer
Gordon K. McCallum	....	sound re-recordist
Les Wiggins	....	sound editor
John Hayward	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Patrick Heigham	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Doug Smith	....	assistant sound engineer (uncredited)
John Stevenson	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Jim Willis	....	development engineer (uncredited)

Stunts
Milan Mitic	....	stunt coordinator: horse work (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dennis Fraser	....	key grip
Jimmy Turrell	....	camera operator (as Jim Turrell)
Len Crowe	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Richard Altman	....	casting consultant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jackie Cummins	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Lois La Salle	....	post-production secretary
Brian Mann	....	assistant film editor
Wally Nelson	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Alexander Courage	....	orchestrator
Isaac Stern	....	musician: solo violin
Eric Tomlinson	....	music mixer (as Eric A. Tomlinson)
John Williams	....	conductor
John Williams	....	music adaptor
John Williams	....	orchestrator
Ray Holder	....	music arranger (uncredited)
David Lindup	....	additional orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Tommy Abbott	....	choreographer: adapting Jerome Robbins' choreography (as Tom Abbott)
Sammy Bayes	....	assistant choreographer
Charles Cannon	....	production accountant
Jerry Howard	....	assistant to producer
Branko Lustig	....	location manager
Golda Offenheim	....	production secretary
Arnold Perl	....	special arrangements: Sholem Aleichem
Harold Prince	....	stage producer
Jerome Robbins	....	choreographer: stage version
Jerome Robbins	....	director of stage production
Elaine Schreyeck	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Cartier Productions (as A Mirisch - Cartier Production)
• Mirisch Corporation, The (as A Mirisch - Cartier Production)

Distributors

• United Artists (1971) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Artists Films (1971) (Finland) (theatrical) (1978)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1974) (USA) (TV)
• United Artists (1979) (USA) (theatrical) (reissue)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1993) (Finland) (TV)
• Egmont Entertainment (2000) (Finland) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2002) (Finland) (TV) (TV1)
• FS Film Oy (2003) (Finland) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment España S.A. (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD) (special edition)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (VHS) (special edition)
• CBS/Fox (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Fazer Musiikki Oy/Fazer Video (????) (Finland) (video)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (video)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• Jadran Film  technical facilities
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Selway Baker  casting (as Selway - Baker)

Runtime:

181 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Hebrew

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System) (70 mm prints) | Mono (35 mm prints) | Stereo (35 mm mag-optical prints)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Finland:K-8 | Ireland:G | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:U | USA:G | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Gorica, Croatia

Company:

Cartier Productions

Trivia:

The cart-horse, nicknamed "Shmuel" by the cast, was purchased from a lot destined for a Zagreb glue factory. After production Norman Jewison paid a local farmer to keep him for the rest of his natural life, which was another three years.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the first few shots of crowd holding candles on their way to the wedding, the sun changes positions above the horizon.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Tevye: A fiddler on the roof. Sounds crazy, no? But here, in our little village of Anatevka, you might say every one of us is a fiddler on the roof trying to scratch out a pleasant, simple tune without breaking his neck. It isn't easy. You may ask 'Why do we stay up there if it's so dangerous?' Well, we stay because Anatevka is our home. And how do we keep our balance? That I can tell you in one word: tradition!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Family Guy: Road to Germany (#7.3)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

To Life

A musical for the ages

I saw this film during it's initial theatrical release and have seen it many times since. I am not especially a fan of musicals and there are very few that I like but this is one of those few. Fiddler on the Roof ran on Broadway from 1964 to 1972 and received a special Tony Award in 1972 for being the longest running musical in Braodway history. In addition it was nominated for nine Tony Awards for 1965 winning eight of them. The popularity of the plays Broadway run spawned Off Broadway performances worldwide from professional theater companies to high school productions. Joseph Stein wrote the screenplay for the filmed version adapted from his book which was based on stories by Sholom Aleichem. The wonderful music of Fiddler on the Roof is from the songwriting team of composer Jerry Bock and lyricist Sheldon Harnick. Director Norman Jewison had never done a musical before and was best known for the drama In the Heat of the Night and the comedies The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming and The Art of Love. He would direct another musical after Fiddler in Jesus Christ Superstar but would find more success in Moonstruck, A Soldier's Story and ..And Justice For All. Veterna Cinematographer Oswald Morris who was familiar with musicals having photographed Scrooge and Oliver was known for his cinematography in such films as Lolita, Mobey Dick, Goodbye Mr. Chips and The Guns of Navarone. the film Fiddler on the Roof was immediately embraced b the public and received critical acclaim and received eight Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Director and won three Oscars for Best Cinematography, Musical Score and Sound. the film's setting takes place in the Jewish village of Anatevka, Russia in the year 1905. I interviewed a 101 year old Jewish woman three years ago who was born in a small village outside of Minsk, Russia in 1902 and lived there until 1920. In asking her to describe her village she referred to this film and said it was exactly like what was depicted in the movie. I can't think of a better testament to the production of this film than having someone who lived in a similar village during the time it was set in to see her past in this film. At three hours this runs a little long and it's hard to capture a successful musical stage play on film but this comes as close as you can get. As a musical I would give this a 10 out of 10.