JERRY BOCK (1928-2010)

JERROLD LEWIS BOCK

Born: November 23rd, 1928 (Connecticut)

Died: November 3rd, 2010 (heart failure)

Marriage: Patricia (?-His death)

Children: He had two children.

Interesting Fact: For his hit Musical "Fiddler on the Roof" (1971) they had a new comer conduct for the music. The composer they chose was a young John Williams.

Successful Era: He wrote many songs for Broadway hits from the 50's on into the 70's.

Awards: For the 1959 Musical "Fiorello!" he received a Tony Award as Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.  He also won another Tony Award for Best Composer and Lyricist on "Fiddler on the Roof" (1964). In 2010 he received a Daytime Emmy for "The Wonderful Pets" (2006). In 1972 he was inducted into the Songwriter Hall of Fame. He is also a memebr of the Theater Hall of Fame.

My Favorite Film: "Fiddler on the Roof" was really the only one of his films with his music to make it on the big screen. That was just fine with me. The film is filled with energy, culture & beautiful music.

Known for his Broadway contributions rather than his Hollywood experience, I still chose to post on Jerry for his marvelous work on the music of "Fiddler on the Roof" (1971). Each song, though religious, reaches out to every group of mankind. From "To Life" to "Do You Love Me" it causes an individual to pause and think on the lyrics. What wonderful music he wrote!

 

"Tevye's Dream" goes from a slow-paced celebration

to a fast-paced nightmare.

TOPOL (1935-LIVING)

CHAIM TOPOL

Born: September 9th, 1935 (Palestine)

Died: LIVING

Marriage: Galia Topol

Children: He has three children: Omer, Ady & Anat.

Interesting Fact: He was the first Israeli Actor to be nominated for an Academy Award.

Awards: Out of the seven awards he has been nominated in his life, there was only one that he did not win. The award was his only Oscar nomination in behalf of his performance for "Fiddler on the Roof" (1971).

My Favorite Film: "Fiddler on the Roof" (1971) is my favorite film of his, though I had no idea how many other films he has been in.

Topol has a certain energy and honesty that have rarely been repeated by any other performer. Every time he looked to God in "Fiddler on the Roof" he had a different face, showing to us that a relationship to Him can change even though He doesn't. One of his greatest tricks was how he played a Tevye in his fifties while in his mid-thirties. What a talented Actor on the screen and on the Stage.

He has retired recently from the playing of Tevye and has been doing Hebrew dubbing for recent films like Harry Potter and Jungle Book. It is strange to see him without his beard. Here are some pictures of him in some other films:




For Your Eyes Only (1981)

Flash Gordon (1980)

This is my all time favorite love song.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (1971)

Studio: United Artists

Producer: Norman Jewison

Director: Norman Jewison

Awards: "Fiddler on the Roof" won three Academy Awards: Best Cinematography, Best Music & Best Sound. It was also nominated for five other Oscars: Best Actor (Topol), Best Supporting Actor (Leonard Frey), Best Art Direction, Best Picture & Best Director. It has achieved six other awards with nominations for an additional thirteen.

Interesting Fact: They had created a little white ball to atach above the camera. It's location represented the direction that Topol would look when he was talking to God, so his eyes stayed on a consistent area throughout the film.

My Favorite Scene: Who doesn't love the "If I Were a Rich Man" sequence. The song is powerful, with a powerful message. His dancing is original and comes straight from his soul. This is a beautiful movie.

To this day my Mom is still upset that the Best Picture Academy Award went to "The French Connection" (1971) instead of this movie. I love this film for it's spyglass history on an era long forgotten. Just as we read books to discover the past, the rising generation will be looking to the films of the past also. I've heard of the repression faced in Russia, but never saw it or understood it. At the center of every dance step and every note sung you see and hear their tragedy and triumphs being written out on tablets of film strips. 

Tevye: "As the good book says, if you spit in the air, it lands in your face."

Trailer

"If I Were a Rich Man"

MY TOP TEN MUSICALS

For this genre I haven't really gone outside of the box. The ones I have selected would be common among other lists. Some of my favorite Musicals that are not here would be one of Danny Kaye's "The Court Jester" (1959) or "Hans Christen Andersen" (1952),  Doris Day's "Calamity Jane" (1953), Astaire & Rogers "Top Hat" (1935), or even a MacDonald & Eddy "New Moon" (1940) or "Rose Marie" (1936). Not to mention any Eleanor Powell, Ester Williams, Jimmy Durante and Frank Sinatra film.

With so much to choose from I have stuck to the basics. The films listed below have tunes that sneak into my everyday life.

1. Singin' in the Rain (1952)

2. Brigadoon (1954)

3. My Fair Lady (1964)

4. Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

5. West Side Story (1961)

6. The Sound of Music (1965)

7. The Music Man (1962)

8. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)

9. Oklahoma (1955)

10. Mary Poppins (1964)