Many people believe that 1939 was the greatest year in the history of American cinema. The major film studios were then operating at full throttle. Their creative and technical personnel were also performing at an extraordinarily high level, and there seemed to be no limit to what we thought the movies could then accomplish. This view also applied to the few important non-mainstream movies that were produced that same momentous year. By any objective standard, Maurice Schwartz's film Tevya (also known as Tevya the Milkman) must appear at or near the head of such a list.
And who was Maurice Schwartz? He was the Yiddish-American equivalent of Laurence Olivier and Charles Chaplin---a unique artist who produced, directed, wrote and acted in film. In addition, he founded the Yiddish Art Theatre in New York City, occasionally appeared on the Broadway stage, and even performed character roles in some mainstream Hollywood films toward the end of his career. He died in Israel at the age of 70 while exploring the creation of a Yiddish theater there. And in the opinion of many of us who have viewed this seldom seen classic, Schwartz was the greatest Tevya of them all. Zero Mostel (born in Brooklyn, N. Y. C.) was larger than life, and often seemed over the top as Broadway's original Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof. Topol----(an Israeli) while respectable in the popular movie version of the musical---seemed to lack that intangible element of charisma that was essential to capturing the full spirit of Sholem Aleichem's famous character. Finally, it should be noted that when Fiddler finally went on the road after its initial Broadway run, we were presented with some very fine Tevyas--like Herschel Bernardi and Paul Lipson. However, none of these actors truly captured the simplicity, power, decency and humanity that identified Schwartz's Tevya.
Why does Schwartz stand out as Tevya? There are several important reasons that may explain this result. First, he was born in Czarist Russia in 1890. While he came to America as a young boy, Schwartz actually experienced first hand the stress, pain and humiliation that Jews had to routinely deal with in order to survive in that difficult world. Second, Schwartz was not distracted by the songs, dances and other similar "business" that distinguished his straight dramatic film from Fiddler---the musical. Finally, performing it in Yiddish with an ensemble of similarly trained Yiddish actors also contributed to the authenticity of Schwartz's version.
Modern audiences may consider the acting style of Schwartz' and his players to be somewhat florid and possibly exaggerated--but it was not inaccurate. Some may take issue with how the various Christian characters are presented. But the reality was that Jews existed only as second class "citizens" in Czarist Russia, and daily life there was a constant reminder of who was oppressed, who were the oppressors and why such oppression was taking place.
Fiddler on the Roof has become a major musical drama with such overwhelming universal appeal that it enjoys almost unlimited popularity all over the world. Schwartz's Tevya--with its clarity, warmth and passion---makes that appeal completely understandable. Seek it out and be rewarded with a truly satisfying emotional experience.
And who was Maurice Schwartz? He was the Yiddish-American equivalent of Laurence Olivier and Charles Chaplin---a unique artist who produced, directed, wrote and acted in film. In addition, he founded the Yiddish Art Theatre in New York City, occasionally appeared on the Broadway stage, and even performed character roles in some mainstream Hollywood films toward the end of his career. He died in Israel at the age of 70 while exploring the creation of a Yiddish theater there. And in the opinion of many of us who have viewed this seldom seen classic, Schwartz was the greatest Tevya of them all. Zero Mostel (born in Brooklyn, N. Y. C.) was larger than life, and often seemed over the top as Broadway's original Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof. Topol----(an Israeli) while respectable in the popular movie version of the musical---seemed to lack that intangible element of charisma that was essential to capturing the full spirit of Sholem Aleichem's famous character. Finally, it should be noted that when Fiddler finally went on the road after its initial Broadway run, we were presented with some very fine Tevyas--like Herschel Bernardi and Paul Lipson. However, none of these actors truly captured the simplicity, power, decency and humanity that identified Schwartz's Tevya.
Why does Schwartz stand out as Tevya? There are several important reasons that may explain this result. First, he was born in Czarist Russia in 1890. While he came to America as a young boy, Schwartz actually experienced first hand the stress, pain and humiliation that Jews had to routinely deal with in order to survive in that difficult world. Second, Schwartz was not distracted by the songs, dances and other similar "business" that distinguished his straight dramatic film from Fiddler---the musical. Finally, performing it in Yiddish with an ensemble of similarly trained Yiddish actors also contributed to the authenticity of Schwartz's version.
Modern audiences may consider the acting style of Schwartz' and his players to be somewhat florid and possibly exaggerated--but it was not inaccurate. Some may take issue with how the various Christian characters are presented. But the reality was that Jews existed only as second class "citizens" in Czarist Russia, and daily life there was a constant reminder of who was oppressed, who were the oppressors and why such oppression was taking place.
Fiddler on the Roof has become a major musical drama with such overwhelming universal appeal that it enjoys almost unlimited popularity all over the world. Schwartz's Tevya--with its clarity, warmth and passion---makes that appeal completely understandable. Seek it out and be rewarded with a truly satisfying emotional experience.