Remembering Chaim Topol: Fiddler on the Roof Film Streams Free

Topol's first major role was in the 1964 hit film Sallah Shabati, which awarded him his first Golden Globe. The role he is most known for, however, is that of the milkman protagonist Tevye in the long-running musical “Fiddler on the Roof."

After years of playing the role on stage both on Broadway and in the West End, Topol scored the leading role in the 1971 Norman Jewison film, when he was just 35. For his portrayal of Tevye in the movie he won the Golden Globe award for lead actor and was nominated for an Academy Award. He ended up playing the role more than 3,500 times on stage, most recently in 2009. 

The highly successful film was directed by Norman Jewison and choreographed by Jerome Robbins. Following the nine Tony Awards the original Broadway production won in 1964, the film earned eight Academy Award Nominations and won three Oscars.

Pluto TV is will be streaming the film for free all month in the US and Canada. No subscription is needed to watch, and fans can now stream Fiddler on the Roof for free. The film is expected to remain on the streaming platform throughout the month of March.

The original Broadway production of the show was one of the most successful musicals of its time, surpassing 3,000 performances in the 60s. The show quickly became the longest-running Broadway musical in history, a title it held for nearly a decade.

In their original review from 1971, The Hollywood Reporter said: "Sheldon Harnick’s lyrics hold up remarkably well after all the exposure they’ve had. The Jerome Robbins choreography, as adapted by Tom Abbott, blends in well with the dramatic action of the film, largely because the amount of dancing has been cut to a simple and effective minimum. There are some contrived and artificial moments in Fiddler, but it becomes more convincing, naturalistic, and involving as it goes on, and finally builds to a powerful climax. It ranks high among the best musicals ever put on film."