Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
by Claire J Rottenberg
The original Broadway production of "Fiddler on
the Roof" won 9 Tony awards, but, surprisingly,
the excellent move version only won 3 relatively
minor Academy Awards, although it was nominated for 8
Oscars, including nominations for Best Picture and
Best Director (Norman Jewison). The original version
of "Fiddler on the Roof" was still
playing on Broadway when the film was released in
1971 and a year later the play received a special
Tony award for becoming the longest running Broadway
musical. It closed on Broadway on July 2, 1972, after
8 years (3,242 performances).
The cast of the movie version of "Fiddler on
the Roof" included many experienced stage
actors/actresses, including Topol, a talented Israeli
actor who had played Tevye in the London stage
production. "Fiddler on the Roof" was one
of the few movie musicals after 1960 that did not
dub, or need to dub, the singing voices of any of the
cast members.
Jerome Robbins was the choreographer of the stage
production of "Fiddler on the Roof" and
his influence on the film version is apparent in the
excellent dance numbers. One major song, "Now I
Have Everything," sung by Hodel and Perchik,
was cut from the movie version, along with a lesser
number sung by Yente and the villagers.
I saw "Fiddler on the Roof" twice on the
stage, once on Broadway and years later, long after
the release of the film, in a touring production that
starred Theodore Bikel. Both productions were
excellent but I prefer the film version, which I
watch at least once every year.
Learn more about
Fiddler on the Roof on
my Movie Musicals website.