IMDb > Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
Fiddler on the Roof
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Fiddler on the Roof (1971) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (See all 57 | slideshow) Videos (see all 10)
Fiddler on the Roof -- Trailer for Fiddler On The Roof
Fiddler on the Roof -- Clip: Sign of Life
Fiddler on the Roof -- Clip: Emulating Yentil
Fiddler on the Roof -- Clip: If I Were A Rich Man
Fiddler on the Roof -- Clip: Tevye's Daughters

Overview

User Rating:
7.8/10   21,089 votes »
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Director:
Writers:
Sholom Aleichem (adapted from stories by)
Joseph Stein (stageplay)
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Fiddler on the Roof on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
3 November 1971 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Tagline:
The screen's most magnificent entertainment returns...filled with joy, laughter, love and life. (re-release) See more »
Plot:
In pre-revolutionary Russia, a poor Jewish peasant must contend with marrying off his three daughters while antisemitic sentiment threatens his home. Full summary » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Won 3 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 13 nominations See more »
User Reviews:
From a Goy: One of the best films ever made. See more (137 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order)

Topol ... Tevye

Norma Crane ... Golde

Leonard Frey ... Motel

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 (as Rene Sartoris)
Ken Robson ... Bottle Dancer
Robert Stevenson ... Bottle Dancer (as Bob Stevenson)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ivan Baptie ... Dancer (uncredited)
Cyril Bass ... Villiage Band Member (uncredited)
Tanya Bayona ... Dancer (uncredited)
C.C. Bilham ... Villiage Band Member (uncredited)
Ina Claire ... Dancer (uncredited)
Susan Claire ... Dancer (uncredited)
Sarah Cohen ... Bashe (uncredited)
Otto Diamant ... Yussel (uncredited)
Harry Ditson ... Leibesh (uncredited)
Roy Durbin ... Bottle Dancer (uncredited)
Harry Fielder ... Russian (uncredited)
Jody Hall ... Dancer (uncredited)
Judith Harte ... Gnessi (uncredited)
A. Haverstock ... Villiage Band Member (uncredited)
Michael Ingleton ... Dancer (uncredited)
Miki Iveria ... Bess (uncredited)
Carl Jaffe ... Isaac (uncredited)
Nigel Kingsley ... (uncredited)
H. Krein ... Villiage Band Member (uncredited)
Hilda Kriseman ... Zelda (uncredited)
Barry Lines ... Dancer (uncredited)
Alfred Maron ... Previous Rabbi (uncredited)
Albin Pahernik ... Dancer (uncredited)
Joel Rudnick ... Marcus (uncredited)
Adam Scott ... Dancer (uncredited)
Petra Siniawski ... Dancer (uncredited)
Susan Sloman ... Nechama (uncredited)
Karen Trent ... Dancer (uncredited)
Kenneth Waller ... (uncredited)
M. Winter ... Villiage Band Member (uncredited)
Leo Wright ... Villiage Band Member (uncredited)
Lou Zamprogna ... Bottle Dancer (uncredited)
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Directed by
Norman Jewison 
 
Writing credits
Sholom Aleichem (adapted from stories by)

Joseph Stein (stageplay)

Joseph Stein (screenplay)

Produced by
Norman Jewison .... producer
Patrick J. Palmer .... associate producer (as Patrick Palmer)
Walter Mirisch .... executive producer (uncredited)
 
Original Music by
John Williams (score)
 
Cinematography by
Oswald Morris (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
Antony Gibbs (film editor)
Robert Lawrence (film editor)
 
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 (costumes designed by)
Elizabeth Haffenden (costumes designed by)
 
Makeup Department
Del Armstrong .... makeup
Gordon Bond .... hairdresser
Wally Schneiderman .... makeup
 
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
Paul Ibbetson .... second assistant director
Terence Nelson .... first assistant director (as Terry Nelson)
Vladimir Spindler .... second assistant director
Terence Churcher .... assistant director (uncredited)
D. Howard Grigsby .... assistant director (uncredited)
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
Brent Eldridge .... digital color correction (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Jerry Bock .... music: for the stageplay by
Alexander Courage .... orchestrator
Sheldon Harnick .... lyrics: for the screenplay by
Isaac Stern .... soloist
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: film (as Tom Abbott)
Sammy Bayes .... assistant choreographer
Charles Cannon .... production accountant
Jerry Howard .... assistant to producer
Branko Lustig .... location manager
Golda Offenheim .... production secretary
Harold Prince .... producer: original stage production
Jerome Robbins .... director: stage production
Jerome Robbins .... original choreography
Elaine Schreyeck .... script supervisor
 

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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Runtime:
181 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 See more »
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 | Finland:K-8 | Ireland:G | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:U | USA:G | Singapore:PG | Canada:G (Canadian Home Video rating) | Peru:PT | Australia:PG (TV rating) | Netherlands:AL (orginal rating)
Filming Locations:

Did You Know?

Trivia:
Cameo: [Sammy Bayes]the Assistant Choreographer is one of the Russian Dancers.See more »
Goofs:
Continuity: During the first few shots of crowd holding candles on their way to the wedding, the sun changes positions above the horizon. (But as such indicates the length in time of the journey by foot, which could be intentional, in which case the slow melting of candles might be a goof in its own right).See more »
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!
See more »
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Far From the Home I LoveSee more »

FAQ

Since this is a movie about changing tradition, how do the Tzeitel, Hodel, and Chava bunk tradition?
Is 'Fiddler on the Roof' based on a book?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
See more »
66 out of 89 people found the following review useful.
From a Goy: One of the best films ever made., 3 November 2001
Author: RT Firefly from New York

Let me say up front, I am not predisposed to enjoy a movie like this. On the contrary, as a straight WASP, the last thing I want to watch is a broadway musical or a bunch of Jews 'kavetching' about how bad they have it. That is definitely NOT what this film is about. Though the subject matter is Jewish, to say it is a Jewish film would grossly limit it's significance. It is about the human experience. Any one who has felt pain and persecution will relate to it. Therefore I say every human should love this film. It has an indomitable optimism and remarkable pathos that causes the viewer to empathize with the characters, namely Reb Tevye, played by Topol in arguably one of the finest dramatic performances ever. Considering the lack of success Topol has had with the rest of his career it would literally seem he was born to play this part. This film will most likely not be enjoyable for those looking for spoon fed, mindless entertainment or titillation, but for anyone who appreciates the beautiful things in life, it is high art. I recommend you set aside an undisturbed block of time, (use the can first, it's three hours long) when you are feeling relaxed, eat some good homemade soup and watch this masterpiece. Perfect casting, cinematography, pacing, art direction, wardrobe and best of all, an exquisite soundtrack by the great, and very young, John Williams. Listen to this movie on a powerful sound system and it will sweep you into each musical number. Especially (my favorite) the bar room dance scene. Fiddler on the Roof should be on every top 100 list that exists. Like no other movie I can think of, 'Fiddler' reaches deep into the heart and begs one to look at what things in life are worth living for and dying for.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Modern Jewish people kurdboy_376
A question about Jewish Marriage emmaclarke781
Paying for long trips..... Tekawitha
Who IS that Russian? j_parer
'Gypsy' on the Roof??? miriamwebster
Fyedka or Perchik? TheresNoPlaceLikeHollywood1939
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