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

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Overview

User Rating:
7.7/10   12,830 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 22% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Norman Jewison
Writers:
Sholom Aleichem (book)
Joseph Stein (play)
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Fiddler on the Roof on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
3 November 1971 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Family | Musical more
Tagline:
a tradition (re-release) 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:
more
Awards:
Won 3 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 13 nominations more
User Comments:
A musical for the ages more

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)
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)
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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
 
Crew verified as complete


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Additional Details

Runtime:
181 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | Hebrew
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System) (70 mm prints) | Mono (35 mm prints) | Stereo (35 mm mag-optical prints)
Filming Locations:
Gorica, Croatia more

Fun Stuff

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. 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. 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!
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Family Guy: Road to Germany (#7.3)" (2008) more
Soundtrack:
To Life more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
8 out of 10 people found the following comment useful:-
A musical for the ages, 20 March 2006
10/10
Author: johno-21 from United States

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.

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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
Anatevka, the song and the place riogarhed
Touching (something attached to) the door frame? djj93312
In the long run, a HAPPY ending. jschillig
AFI snubbed this wonderful film! rondine
Recently saw Topol in Fiddler julieannec
Question about 'Matchmaker' lyrics w0304577
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