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John Williams
Music -
Jimmy Turrell
Camera Operator -
Norman Jewison
Director -
Veljko Despotović
Art Direction -
Sheldon Harnick
Lyricist -
Branko Lustig
Location Manager -
Walter Mirisch
Executive Producer -
Terence Nelson
Assistant Director
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CinemaSerf 5/29/2023 10:41:37 AM
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.
Barry Dennen
MendelGeorge Little
HoneMichele Marsh
HodelJill Goldston
Villager in Green Dress (uncredited)Ruth Madoc
Fruma SarahTopol
TevyeTutte Lemkow
FiddlerVernon Dobtcheff
Russian Official