Details

Release year: 1939

Storyline

The original, non-musical film version of the book which inspired "Fiddler on the Roof".

Top credits

Directors

Maurice Schwartz

Writers

Cast

Maurice Schwartz — Tevya
Miriam Riselle — Chavah
Rebecca Weintraub — Goldie
Paula Lubelski — Zeitel

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Did you know

• Although he isn't credited as an author of the script, the film is a faithful adaptation of the stage play "Tevye the Dairyman," written by Sholem Aleichem himself shortly before his death in 1916. He first offered the play to Jacob P. Adler, one of the great actors of the Yiddish theater, who declined, because there was no romantic leading role. Maurice Schwartz heard about the play, bought the rights from Sholem Aleichem's widow and staged it with himself in the lead role, to great success. Two decades later, he turned it into this film. The script is substantially as written by Sholem Aleichem, despite the introduction of characters and elements not contained in his original short stories.

• Long thought to be a lost film, a print was discovered in 1978.

• According to a news item, the film, which cost $70,000, was financed by producer co-writer director Maurice Schwartz and a group of friends. The news item states that the film was rehearsed by Schwartz and his Yiddish Art Theatre for three weeks on the Theatre's stage before production began and had a 22-day shooting schedule.