The World of Sholom Aleichem

The World of Sholom Aleichem (1959)

Based on the Writer Whose Stories Inspired The Fiddler on the Roof

  • Genre: Drama, TV Movie
  • Release Date: 1959-12-14
  • Runtime: 1h 38min
  • Language: English
  • Production Company: Talent Associates
  • Production Country: United States of America
  • Director: Don Richardson

Summary

This omnibus release consists of three playlets filmed and aired during television's Golden Age, and starring some of the legends of film and television. The collection originally ran as a two-hour segment on December 14, 1959, on the anthology series The Play of the Week, broadcast locally in New York City via the independent radio station WNTA. Each "tale" in the anthology was adapted from a single tale by the inimitable Sholom Aleichem, regarded by many as the "Yiddish Mark Twain". Included are: "A Tale of Chelm" starring Zero Mostel and Nancy Walker in the story of a bookseller attempting to buy a goat; "Bontche Schweig" about a poor man (Jack Gilford) whose recent arrival in Heaven makes the angels cry; and "The High School" about a Jewish merchant (Morris Carnovsky) persuaded by his wife (Gertrude Berg) to let their son attend a particular high school despite the enforcement of quotas for Jewish students.

The World of Sholom Aleichem Trailer

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  • Gertrude Berg

    as Hannah
  • Sam Levene

    as Mendele
  • Zero Mostel

    as Melamed / Maxel
  • Morris Carnovsky

    as Aaron Katz / Presiding Angel
  • Lee Grant

    as The Goatseller / Avenging Angel
  • Nancy Walker

    as Rifkele
  • Jack Gilford

    as Bontsche Shveig / Angel
  • Charlotte Rae

    as The Angel Rochele
  • Elsa Freed

    as
  • Henry Lascoe

    as Dodi the Innkeeper
  • Conrad Bromberg

    as (as Conrad Josephs)
  • Frederick Rolf

    as Rabbi David / Prosecuting Angel
  • Dora Weissman

    as
  • Carl Reindel

    as
Lighting Vernon Cook Lighting Director
Art Myron Bleam Set Decoration
Production Marc Merson Casting
Crew Ellida Geira Choreographer
Sound Robert de Cormier Original Music Composer
Production Budd Wilds Production Supervisor
Production Lee Miller Production Assistant
Writing Sholom Aleichem Story
Costume & Make-Up Cricket McCune Makeup Supervisor
Writing Arnold Perl Writer
Art Zvi Geyra Settings
Writing Bob Rafelson Script Editor
Production Lewis Freedman Producer
Production Henry T. Weinstein Producer
Art Bill Bunce Graphic Designer
Costume & Make-Up Michael Travis Costume Design
Sound Serge Hovey Original Music Composer
Production Jack McGeehan Unit Manager
Writing Y.L. Peretz Story
Directing Don Richardson Director

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