Discover
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John Williams
Music -
Norman Jewison
Director -
Alexander Courage
Orchestrator -
David James
Still Photographer -
Branko Lustig
Location Manager -
Lynn Stalmaster
Casting -
Arnold Perl
Adaptation -
Peter Lamont
Set Decoration
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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.
Paul Michael Glaser
PerchikVernon Dobtcheff
Russian OfficialRoger Lloyd Pack
SextonMichele Marsh
HodelNorma Crane
GoldeBarry Dennen
MendelDanny Mann
One of Rabbi's students (uncredited)Aharon Ipalé
Sheftel