Film Snail

7.7

Fiddler on the Roof

G·1971·181m

Drama

Romance

Drama

Romance

Summary

In a pre-revolutionary Russia, a poor Jewish milkman struggles with the challenges of a changing world as his daughters fall in love and antisemitism grows.

Cast

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

Ray Lovelock

Fyedka

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

Roger Lloyd Pack

Sexton

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

Rene Sartoris

Russian Dancer

Roy Durbin

Bottle Dancer

Ken Robson

Bottle Dancer

Bob Stevenson

Bottle Dancer

Lou Zamprogna

Bottle Dancer

Ivan Baptie

Dancer (uncredited)

Cyril Bass

Village Band Member (uncredited)

Tanya Bayona

Dancer (uncredited)

C.C. Bilham

Village Band Member (uncredited)

Ina Claire

Dancer (uncredited)

Susan Claire

Dancer (uncredited)

Sarah Cohen

Bashe (uncredited)

Otto Diamant

Yussel (uncredited)

Harry Ditson

Leibesh (uncredited)

Harry Fielder

Russian (uncredited)

Jill Goldston

Villager in Green Dress (uncredited)

Jody Hall

Dancer (uncredited)

Judith Harte

Gnessi (uncredited)

A. Haverstock

Village Band Member (uncredited)

Michael Ingleton

Dancer (uncredited)

Miki Iveria

Bess (uncredited)

Carl Jaffe

Isaac (uncredited)

Nigel Kingsley

(uncredited)

H. Krein

Village Band Member (uncredited)

Hilda Kriseman

Zelda (uncredited)

Barry Lines

Dancer (uncredited)

Danny Mann

One of Rabbi's students (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

Man in Dream Sequence (uncredited)

M. Winter

Village Band Member (uncredited)

Leo Wright

Village Band Member (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Norman Jewison

Adaptation

Arnold Perl

Lyricist

Sheldon Harnick

Original Story

Sholom Aleichem

Screenplay

Joseph Stein

Reviews

Geronimo1967

May 29, 2023

Topol ("Tevye") is superb in this telling of a tale of an agrarian Jewish father in late 19th century Russia who has three daughters. The basic premiss is that he has to arrange suitable "matches" for them. With the aid of some classic numbers like "Matchmaker" & "If I was I Rich Man" we share his experiences and adventures as he attempts, with varying degrees of success, to find suitable husbands for his girls. Set against a backdrop of religious intolerance, and ultimately a pogrom, this is a clever, engaging depiction of the harsh conditions endured by rural Russians in general and the Jewish community specifically. Norman Jewison contrives to reconcile sometimes quite brutal stories of religious prejudice with a defiantly gentle, joyful communal spirit in a thought-provoking and personable fashion. Jerry Bock's instantly recognisable score - based around a delicate, witty and entertaining lyric from Sheldon Harnick makes this as good as any of the genre and although it does drag a bit at the start of the second act, it passes the three hour mark with considerable style.