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For many New Yorkers on the Upper West Side, the Marlene Meyerson Jcc Manhattan is a spot to play pickleball, grab a cup of coffee, or dump your kid off for a ceramics class. From June 4 through June 10, however, it will be the nexus of current Israeli cinema, hosting the 12th Annual Israel Film Center Festival. And considering what has transpired lately at Columbia University just a few subway stops away, it could make for some particularly lively post-screening Q&As.

Jcc stands for Jewish Community Center, and while you don’t have to be Jewish to go and use their pool, the vast Amsterdam Avenue facility is not not connected to Israel. In its lobby you’ll find a wall boasting “Jerusalem stone,” no shortage of Hebrew classes, and various lectures and symposiums concerning the Middle East.

In addition to film screenings throughout the year, the Jcc maintains the Israel Film Center,...

Film historians, critics and cineastes have heralded 1939 as the greatest year for Hollywood films. It was the year that saw the release of such classics as “Gone with the Wind,” “Stagecoach,” “Love Affair,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” “Young Mr. Lincoln” and “Wuthering Heights.” That’s just the tip of the iceberg

But what about Broadway? A case can be made for 1964, which saw the debuts of three musicals that became classics: “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Funny Girl” and “Hello, Dolly!”

Broadway was changing in the 1960s. Oscar Hammerstein II died in 1960; Irving Berlin’s last show was the disappointing 1962 “Mr. President”; and Cole Porter, who died in 1964, hadn’t had a musical on Broadway since the 1950s. Sixty years ago, a group of young talented composers and lyricists were the toast of the Great White Way.

Like Jerry Herman. He was all of 30 when “Milk...

The virtuoso Canadian helped craft much of postwar Hollywood cinema, directing Sidney Poitier in In the Heat of the Night, Topol in Fiddler on the Roof and Cher in Moonstruck

For five extraordinary decades, Norman Jewison’s film-making was the beating heart of Hollywood drama: he could do anything and supercharged it with idealism, confidence and style. Jewison has been behind an extraordinary array of classics and hits: for half the time the cinema has been in existence, Norman Jewison was the gold standard of a night at the movies.

The 60s saw his fizzy Doris Day comedies, the sexy Steve McQueen thriller-capers The Cincinnati Kid and The Thomas Crown Affair, the mould-breaking In the Heat of the Night, with Sidney Poitier as the black cop in the US south. Then in the 70s we had his epic Broadway adaptation Fiddler on the Roof with Topol’s iconic performance as...

Paul Giamatti will be hoping to use the Golden Globes to press forward with his claims for a first Oscar nomination since his 2006 Best Supporting Actor bid for “Cinderella Man.” He stars this year in “The Holdovers,” which could lead him to a Best Actor nomination and has cemented him as the favorite to win Best Comedy/Musical Actor at the upcoming Golden Globes.

He’s nominated alongside Jeffrey Wright (“American Fiction”), Matt Damon (“Air”), Nicolas Cage (“Dream Scenario”), Joaquin Phoenix (“Beau is Afraid”), and Timothée Chalamet (“Wonka”). Could Chalamet upset the apple cart by claiming a shock win for “Wonka?”

Chalamet plays the role previously occupied by icons Gene Wilder (1971’s “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory”) and Johnny Depp (2006’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”). In the origin story “Wonka,” Chalamet plays a young chocolatier trying to take down the sinister Chocolate Cartel in the hopes of achieving...

Clockwise from top left: Moon (courtesy Liberty Films UK), Die Hard (courtesy 20th Century Studios), The Iron Giant (courtesy Warner Bros.), The Truman Show (courtesy Paramount Pictures) Graphic: The A.V. Club YouTube offers a veritable treasure trove of free movies ready to watch at your convenience. Comedies, dramas, hidden gems,...

Clockwise from top left: Moon (courtesy Liberty Films UK), Die Hard (courtesy 20th Century Studios), The Iron Giant (courtesy Warner Bros.), The Truman Show (courtesy Paramount Pictures)Graphic: The A.V. Club

YouTube offers a veritable treasure trove of free movies ready to watch at your convenience. Comedies, dramas, hidden gems,...

Just before he reaches the age of 28, Timothée Chalamet will very likely achieve his third Golden Globe (and first Best Comedy/Musical Actor) nomination for “Wonka.” Following his previous bids for “Call Me By Your Name” and “Beautiful Boy”, this notice would make him the youngest man to have ever vied for all three possible film Golden Globes, smashing a record set by 35-year-old James Caan in 1976. He would also make history due to the fact that he would be the third actor recognized by this organization for playing Willy Wonka, thus putting the fictional chocolatier on a very short list of film characters that have inspired at least three Golden Globe nominations.

Directed and co-written by Paul King (“Paddington”), “Wonka” serves as an origin story for its title character, who was first introduced in the 1964 Roald Dahl book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Chalamet puts a relatively youthful spin...

Freevee has a fantastic selection of films and shows this month, and all of them for the low price of free ninety-nine. Kicking things off you will be able to stream the iconic musical classic Fiddler on the Roof, starring the late Chaim Topol. Edgar Wright's psychological thriller, Last Night in Soho will also be available to stream, and of course, Bosch: Legacy returns for its second season. Check out the full list of what's to come this October. You can watch these and much more for free on Freevee.

Going into the spooky season, Amazon's streaming service Prime Video isn't adding much fright in the movie department, but still plenty of fun, with diamond robberies, hilarious cases of mistaken identity, courtroom drama, and not-so-heroic heroes all coming soon. With some coming through the sub-service Freevee (which is free exclusively on Amazon), there will be plenty of movies for everyone to enjoy.

Oct. 1 starts with A Fish Called Wanda, where some successful diamond robbers can't trust each other with the goods. Then, Fiddler on the Roof arrives, along with The Big Lebowski, where one random Dude is mistaken for a wealthy guy of the same name who's in trouble with a gang. In addition, there's 12 Angry Men, where one juror holds a teen's life in his hands, and James Gunn's The Suicide Sqaud, following a bunch of superpowered misfits who have to save the world. So here's everything we...

Israeli actor Topol was an international film star celebrated for roles including milkman Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof and Bond villain-turned-collaborator Milos Columbo in For Your Eyes Only.

Now, his family have said that, between acting gigs, he worked as a secret Mossad agent, living a secret double life of “adventure and courage.”

The actor died last month aged 87, and his family have spoken to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, saying Topol used his London home as a base from where he targeted embassies, airports and airlines of his country’s Arab enemies.

They told the paper that Topol’s extra-curricular activities once saw him bugging an Arab country’s embassy using the flat next door, and pretending to be a dental patient to cover for drilling noise.

His son Omer said: “I don’t know exactly what the appropriate definition is for the missions and duties he performed.

“But what...

“What You Won’t Do For Love” hitmaker Bobby Caldwell has passed away at age 71.

The singer died in his sleep on Tuesday night at his home in New Jersey, his rep confirmed to TMZ.

He’d been battling illness for several years, according to the website.

The musician’s wife Mary took to his Twitter account to confirm the sad news, writing: “Bobby passed away here at home.

“I held him tight in my arms as he left us. I am forever heartbroken. Thanks to all of you for your many prayers over the years.

“He had been ‘Floxed,’ it took his health over the last 6 years and 2 months. Rest with God, my Love.”

Bobby passed away here at home. I held him tight in my arms as he left us. I am forever heartbroken. Thanks to all of you for your many prayers over the years. He had been "Floxed,...

The 2023 Oscars are being criticsed for omitting several key names from the In Memoriam segment.

During the ceremony on Sunday (12 March), Lenny Kravitz performed “Calling All Angels” as a screen behind him showed a montrage of notable figures from the world of film to have died in the past year.

These included Olivia Newton John, Ray Liotta, Angela Lansbury, Jean-Luc Godard and Irene Cara.

Other stars to be featured in the segment were Burt Bacharach, Nichelle Nichols, Kirstie Alley and Racquel Welch.

Find the full list of winners here, and all the live updates from the ceremony as it happened here.

The end of the video prompted viewers to visit the Acaemy’s website to see additional names that never made it onto the main video, which has led to criticism.

Among those left out were Charlbi Dean, the rising star who was the female lead in Best Picture-nominated film Triangle of Sadness.

Every year the “In Memoriam” tribute at the Oscars leaves off a few fan favorites and 2023 was no exception: Among those who weren’t included in Sunday night’s video montage were Anne Heche, “Saving Private Ryan” star Tom Sizemore and Charlbi Dean, who appeared in this year’s Best Picture nominee “Triangle of Sadness.”

Fans also noted the absence of Cindy Williams: While she was best known for the ’70s TV sitcom “Laverne & Shirley,” she notably appeared in two classic films of the era, George Lucas’ “American Graffiti” and Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Conversation.”

And while the tribute included “Goodfellas” star Ray Liotta, who died unexpectedly on May 26, 2022, his costar Paul Sorvino, who died in July 2022, was left out.

Also Read:

Celebrity Deaths in 2023: Hollywood Stars We’ve Lost This Year (Photos)

Also missing from the tribute: two-time Oscar nominee Melinda Dillon of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,...

The 2023 Oscars are being criticsed for omitting several key names from the In Memoriam segment.

During the ceremony on Sunday (12 March), Lenny Kravitz performed “Calling All Angels” as a screen behind him showed a montrage of notable figures from the world of film to have died in the past year.

These included Olivia Newton John, Ray Liotta, Angela Lansbury, Jean-Luc Godard and Irene Cara.

Other stars to be featured in the segment were Burt Bacharach, Nichelle Nichols, Kirstie Alley and Racquel Welch.

Find the full list of winners here, and all the live updates from the ceremony as it happened here.

The end of the video prompted viewers to visit the Acaemy’s website to see additional names that never made it onto the main video, which has led to criticism.

Among those left out were Charlbi Dean, the rising star who was the female lead in Best Picture-nominated film Triangle of Sadness.

The Oscars’ annual In Memoriam segment on Sunday included a live performance of the song “Calling All Angels” by Lenny Kravitz.

The slideshow of notable deaths that streamed behind Kravitz includes names like Angela Lansbury, Ray Liotta, Jean-Luc Godard, Irene Cara, Kirstie Alley, Raquel Welch, Nichelle Nichols, Burt Bacharach, Vangelis, and many more.

Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story 'Rrr's "Naatu Naatu" First Song From Indian Film To Take Home Oscar; Songwriters On "Top Of The World" Related Story Ryan Reynolds' Maximum Effort And Kimmelot Team For Mockumentary Oscar Ad Tribute To Made-Up Film Legend "Otto Desć"

Watch the performance above.

Among those that were missing (and called out on Twitter) included Charlbi Dean, the leading actress in the Best Picture Oscar nominee Triangle of Sadness who died suddenly at age 32; Anne Heche, who died in an August car crash; Goodfellas star Paul Sorvino; and Tom Sizemore,...

Lenny Kravitz helped honor the scores of film industry professionals who died in the last year with a performance of “Calling All Angels” at the Oscars Sunday, March 12.

The performance was introduced by John Travolta, who snuck in a touching reference to his late Grease co-star Olivia Newton-John as he honored all those who’ve died over the last year: “They’ve touched our hearts, they’ve made us smile, and became dear friends, who we will always remain hopefully devoted to.”

John Travolta gets emotional as he introduces the...

Four-time Grammy winner Lenny Kravitz will perform for Sunday’s emotional “In Memoriam” segment on the Oscars 2023 ceremony. While only 40-50 people are generally remembered for the television ceremony hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on ABC, over 200 people will be recognized on the Academy’s webpage starting that evening.

SEEWho is Performing at the Oscars 2023?: Full List of Presenters and Performers

Here is a lengthy list of many contributors to film who died since last year’s Academy Awards ceremony:

Mary Alice (actor)

Gil Alkabetz (animator)

Kirstie Alley (actor)

Burt Bacharach (composer)

Angelo Badalamenti (composer)

Simone Bär (casting director)

Joanna Barnes (actor)

Carl A. Bell (animator)

Jeff Berlin (sound)

David Birney (actor)

Bruce Bisenz (sound)

Robert Blake (actor)

Eliot Bliss (sound)

Nick Bosustow (shorts)

Albert Brenner (production designer)

Tom Bronson (costume designer)

James Caan (actor)

Michael Callan (actor)

Donn Cambern (editor)

Irene Cara (songwriter)

Gary W. Carlson (sound)

Marvin Chomsky...

The actor who played Tevye in the 1971 film brought the struggles of a generation to life and helped the children of Jewish immigrants understand their heritage

Every now and then a celebrity passes away and it feels like a death in the family. For me, and many other Jews, the passing of Chaim Topol is one such occasion. Renowned for his portrayal of Tevye, the protagonist of the musical Fiddler on the Roof, Topol came to represent the archetypal Ashkenazi Jewish patriarch, yiddle-diddling his way into the collective consciousness.

I can still remember the first time, now 30-odd years ago, that I saw the 1971 film adaptation of Fiddler – a rite of passage. Sitting in a chilly classroom in the synagogue that Sunday morning, I watched in genuine wonder as a world that was once completely unknown to me came to life in sepia tones and vivid performances. Particularly Topol’s.

Chaim Topol, star of Fiddler on the Roof, has died at 87. Known mononymously as Topol, the legendary Israeli actor is best known for starring as Tevye in the stage and screen versions of Fiddler on the Roof. Though he has many stage and screen credits to his name over the years, including Flash Gordon and For Your Eyes Only, Topol had been mostly absent from the public eye in recent years due to Alzheimer’s disease.

Now, after a long battle with the illness, Topol has passed away in Israel at the age of 87, his representative confirmed to CNN. Shortly after his death, a number of notable Israeli figures paid tribute to Topol and conveyed condolences, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who called the actor a “multi-faceted artist with great charisma and energy" whose "contribution to Israeli culture will live on for generations.” Israel’s president Isaac Herzog honored Topol...

Growing up, my parents never shielded me from the horrors of antisemitism. I suspect a lot of it was my dad's doing. He would often tell us about his childhood in New Jersey, where many of his fellow students (including his first girlfriend) were Jewish and a number of his teachers were actual Holocaust survivors (as you could tell from the numbers tattooed on their forearms). As such, my siblings and I wound up seeing "Schindler's List" pretty much as soon as it became available on VHS. Mind you, as young as we all were at the time, my parents didn't throw us in the deep end of the pool right away. We had seen the "Indiana Jones" movies many times by then and watched films like "An American Tail," so the concept of antisemitism had, in ways obviously more accessible to kids, already been drilled into our heads.

I...

Chaim Topol, the renowned star of "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Flash Gordon," has died. The world renowned actor of both the stage and screen was 87 years old. According to The Times of Israel, Topol passed away in Tel Aviv after dealing with Alzheimer's disease for many years.

In large part thanks to his decades-long run as Tevye in "Fiddler on the Roof," both on stage and on screen, Topol earned a reputation as being the first Israeli actor to truly find fame and recognition around the world. His profile was bolstered greatly following the smash success of 1971's Oscar-winning adaptation of "Fiddler," for which Topol was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called Topol "one of the most outstanding Israeli stage artists," as well as a "giant of Israeli culture and will be greatly missed." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also had the following to say in a statement:

"Sadly,...

Chaim Topol, the Israeli-born actor who starred in Fiddler on the Roof on both stage and screen, has died at the age of 87.

Known simply to audiences worldwide as Topol, the actor’s death was announced Thursday by Israeli president Isaac Herzog. “From Fiddler on the Roof to the roof of the world, Haim Topol, who has passed away from us, was one of the most outstanding Israeli stage artists, a gifted actor who conquered many stages in Israel and overseas, filled the cinema screens with his presence and above...

Chaim Topol, a leading Israeli actor who charmed generations of theatergoers and movie-watchers with his portrayal of Tevye, the long-suffering and charismatic milkman in “Fiddler on the Roof,” has died in Tel Aviv, Israeli leaders said Thursday. He was 87.

The cause was not immediately released.

Israeli leaders on Thursday tweeted their memories and condolences to Topol’s family.

Israel’s ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog hailed Topol as “one of the most outstanding Israeli actors,” who “filled the movie screens with his presence and above all entered deep into our hearts.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Topol’s “contribution to Israeli culture will continue to exist for generations.”

Read More: Gary Rossington, Last Surviving Original Lynyrd Skynyrd Member, Dead At 71

Benny Gantz, Israel’s former minister of defense, praised Topol for helping Israelis connect to their roots.

“We laughed and cried at the same time over the deepest wounds of Israeli society,...

Chaim Topol, who earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance as Tevye in acclaimed musical Fiddler on the Roof, has died. He was 87.

Although born in Israel, Chaim Topol gained his greatest prominence in American and British movies. Following Fiddler on the Roof (for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy), he played astronomer Galileo Galilei. But it was his appearances in 1980’s Flash Gordon and the 1981 Bond movie For Your Eyes Only that gained him a new fanbase.

In Flash Gordon, Topol played disgraced scientist Hans Zarkov, a useful ally to the titular hero. The following year, at the insistence of producer Alfred R. Broccoli’s wife, he landed the role of Milos Columbo. The smuggler Columbo, like Zarkov, proved a necessary aid to the protagonist, saving James Bond’s (Roger Moore) life in the last act. Always a rich man of character,...

Fiddler on the Roof star Chaim Topol, who became professionally known solely by his last name, died Thursday, March 9, in Tel Aviv. He was 87. The Israeli actor had been battling Alzheimer’s. For generations of movie fans and theatergoers he will forever be remembered as Tevye, the hugely charming, but long-suffering milkman in the classic film Fiddler on the Roof in which he performed the song “If I Were a Rich Man.” He also appeared as a Greek smuggler in the James Bond movie For Your Eyes Only, and in the sci-fi film Flash Gordon. On television he starred in the 1983 ABC miniseries The Winds of War and War and Remembrance (1988). He starred in another ABC miniseries Queenie (1987), the 1973 NBC TV movie The Going Up of David Lev and the 1979 ABC TV movie The House on Garibaldi Street. Israel’s president Isaac Herzog said Topol “filled the cinema screens with...

Michael Caine has lashed out at the claim one of his films might inspire possible terrorists.

The actor questioned the 1964 film Zulu’s recent labelling as a “key text” for “white nationalists and supremacists”.

Zulu depicts the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, which occurred during the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879.

According to William Shawcross’ research into the counter-terrorisim programme Prevent, the film could provide inspiration for members of the far-right.

Alongside Zulu, war film The Dam Busters was also named by Shawcross as well as political sitcoms Yes Minister and The Thick of It. The complete works of William Shakespeare were flagged, too.

Caine, who turns 90 on Tuesday (14 March), condemned Zulu’s placement to The Spectator, calling it the “biggest load of bulls***”.

The actor said in the new interview he has no career regrets, stating: “There are no films I wish I hadn’t made. I got paid for all of them.

Kazuo Ishiguro how a “eureka moment” in the back of a London taxi resulted in Oscar nominations.

The author of books including Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go adapted Akira Kurosawa’s Japanese film Ikiru into a London-set drama titled Living, which was released in 2022.

Ishiguro wrote the script, which has been nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at this year’s Oscars, which take place on Sunday (12 March).

The film follows a bureaucrat who is diagosed with terminal cancer, and is spurred on to finally embrace life after dedicating his life to his work.

For Living to succeed, he required an actor who was up to the task of playing the lead role – and he found that person in Bill Nighy.

He revealed that, one night, while in a taxi with Nighy, he had a brainwave – what if the Love, Actually star should play the role?

The...

The actor is best known for his Oscar-nominated role in ’Fiddler On The Roof’

Israel actor Chaim Topol, best known for his Oscar-nominated role in Fiddler On The Roof, has died at the age of 87.

The news was confirmed by Israeli president Isaac Herzog on Twitter, who called Topol “one of the most outstanding Israeli stage artists”. The actor, who went by his last name, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s several years ago.

Topol first rose to prominence in 1964 with his performance in Ephraim Kishon’s Sallah Shabati (1964) which earned him a Golden Globe for best male newcomer.

The actor...

Chaim Topol, the star of Fiddler on the Roof and Bond film For Your Eyes Only, has died aged 87.

The Israeli actor’s death was announced by the country’s president in a statement on Wednesday (8 March).

President Isaac Herzog shared the news on Twitter, in which he paid tribute to “one of the leading giants of Israeli culture”.

He said: “[Topol was] a gifted actor who conquered many stages in Israel and overseas, filled the cinema screens with his presence and above all entered deep into our hearts.”

In his statement, Herzog added that despite being awarded for his “talent and creation”, it was the people of Israel that had won “the most important award” by being able to enjoy his work.

He added that throughout his career, the actor had “represented us with great respect”, before sending condolences to his “dear family and all his loved ones”.

Topol...

Thousands of people from Hong Kong have signed a petition to have actor Donnie Yen removed as an Oscar presenter due to his support for the Chinese government.

The petition says that the 59-year-old actor’s latest remarks over protests in Hong Kong in 2019 “violate the spirit of freedom of speech”.

Hong Kong activist Tong Wai-hung, who set up the petition, also claims that the Academy’s invitation to Yen shows “contempt for the people of Hong Kong” and his presence will “damage the image and reputation of the film industry”.

In an interview with GQ last month, Yen reiterated his opposition to the 2019 pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

“It wasn’t a protest, okay, it was a riot. I’m not going to be here talking about how to change how people feel about it,” he said.

“But my own experience, like, I was there, I have many friends who were there.

Chaim Topol, the spirited Israeli actor and singer who, one season following another, portrayed Tevye the milkman in Fiddler on the Roof on stages all around the world and in an Oscar-nominated turn in Norman Jewison’s 1971 film adaptation, has died. He was 87.

Topol died Thursday in Tel Aviv after a long illness, his rep, Jean Diamond, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Israel’s first international movie star, Topol also played famed Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei in Galileo (1975); an American scientist, Dr. Hans Zarkov, in the cult sci-fi classic Flash Gordon (1980); and Milos Columbo, a Greek smuggler and ally of Roger Moore’s James Bond, in For Your Eyes Only (1981).

As Polish family man Berel Jastrow, he was central to the plot of two acclaimed 1980s ABC miniseries, The Winds of War and War and Remembrance, both based on Herman Wouk novels.

In a pairing that a matchmaker would surely appreciate,...

Chaim Topol, who became professionally known solely by his last name in a career that included starring in “Fiddler on the Roof” on stage and screen and co-starring in the James Bond movie “For Your Eyes Only” and the sci-fi film “Flash Gordon,” died Thursday in Tel Aviv after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 87 years old.

Topol’s death was confirmed by Israel’s president Isaac Herzog, who described him as a “gifted actor who conquered many stages in Israel and overseas, filled the cinema screens with his presence and especially entered deep into our hearts.”

Topol began his long association with the starring role of Tevye the milkman in the musical “Fiddler on the Roof” in 1967, appearing in the West End production, which ran for 2,030 performances. He starred in Norman Jewison’s 1971 film version, which carried a budget estimated at $9 million and garnered a domestic gross of $80 million.

Chaim Topol, the Israeli actor who achieved international stardom for his portrayal of Tevye in several stage productions of “Fiddler on the Roof” as well as the 1971 stage adaptation, died Wednesday following a years-long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 87.

Israel’s President, Isaac Herzog, announced the news, saying in a statement that Topol was a “gifted actor who conquered many stages in Israel and overseas, filled the cinema screens with his presence and especially entered deep into our hearts.”

Though Topal was best known for “Fiddler,” over his decades-long career he also starred in a range of films that have become recognized as classics. Among them, he portrayed mad scientist Hans Zarkov in director Mike Hodges’ “Flash Gordon” (1980), and the smuggler-turned-hero Milos Columbo in the 1981 James Bond film “For Your Eyes Only.”

Topal was born in Tel Aviv, then part of British Mandate Palestine, in 1935. He first developed...

Chaim Topol, an Israeli actor best known for his role as Tevye in the film version of Fiddler on the Roof, died Thursday at age 87 in Tel Aviv after a multi-year battle with Alzheimer’s.

Topol had a wide range of credits, but will always be known for the central character of Tevye — first in stage productions, then later in the film. He later returned to the stage with the role.

Born in Tel Aviv in 1935, Topol began his acting career while completing his Idf service in the army’s entertainment troupe, where he met his wife, Galia. After that, he joined a theater group, appearing in multiple productions before his first film role, the 1961 drama I Like Mike.

But it was his 1964 role in the film Sallah Shabati that first gained Topol serious attention, both domestically and internationally. Topol played the title role in the now-iconic film about the...

Known by his last name alone and beloved for his performance as Tevye in both the musical and film, Topol’s death was announced by Israel’s president

Chaim Topol, the Israeli actor and singer best known for his performance as Tevye the Milkman in Fiddler on the Roof, has died at the age of 87.

Topol, who was widely known by his last name alone, died at home in Israel on Wednesday while surrounded by his family, local media reported. His son had recently confirmed that he had been diagnosed with dementia last year.

Stephen Greif, who is known for playing Speaker of the House Sir Bernard Weatherill on Season 4 of “The Crown,” has died at 78.

“With great sadness we announce the death of our wonderful client Stephen Greif,” the English actor’s rep Michelle Braidman Associates tweeted Monday. “We will miss him dearly and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”

With great sadness we announce the death of our wonderful client Stephen Greif.

His extensive career included numerous roles on screen and stage, including at the National Theatre, RSC and in the West End.

We will miss him dearly and our thoughts are with his family and friends x pic.twitter.com/sYcwILCvNr

— Michelle Braidman Associates (@TeamBraidman) December 26, 2022

Greif was born on Aug. 26, 1944, in Highgate, London. He is survived by two sons.

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Greif’s extensive career included numerous roles on screen and stage,...

Click here to read the full article.

Veteran British theater actor Stephen Greif has died at the age of 78.

His death was announced online on Monday by his representatives at Michelle Braidman Associates. “With great sadness we announce the death of our wonderful client Stephen Greif. His extensive career included numerous roles on screen and stage, including at the National Theatre, RSC and in the West End. We will miss him dearly and our thoughts are with his family and friends,” the statement on the talent agency’s Twitter site read.

Greif played House of Commons Speaker Sir Bernard Weatherill in the fourth season of The Crown in 2020. And the British actor was also known for his performance as space commander Travis in Blake’s 7, a sci-fi series that ran from 1978 to 1981.

Greif was born on Aug. 26, 1944 in Sawbridgeworth, Herts at a nursing home that at one time was a residence for Anne Boleyn,...

Mike Hodges, director of films like "Get Carter," "Croupier," and "Flash Gordon," has died in Dorset, England, at the age of 90, according to Variety. The site reports that Hodges' passing was announced by his friend Mike Kaplan, who worked on his film "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" as a producer. Hodges was known for crime dramas, with his last feature film released in 2003. He worked with Michael Caine in both "Get Carter," a British gangster drama, and 1972's "Pulp," about a pulp fiction author tasked with ghost-writing a celebrity's memoir, then solving that celebrity's murder. 

Crime was a draw for Hodges, who said in an interview with Mulholland Books for his 2010 debut novel "Watching the Wheels Come Off," "Crime is the litmus that shows what's really going on below the surface. That's why I'm attracted to it. Besides, as one myself, sinners interest me more than saints." Writers also figured into another film from Hodges,...

The films are screening at this month’s Jersualem Film Festival.

Tokyo-based arthouse distributor Pandora has acquired Japanese rights to Daniel Raim’s feature documentary Fiddler’s Journey To The Big Screen from busy Jerusalem-based sales outfit Go2Films.

The film tells the story of how director Norman Jewison tunred the musical Fiddler On The Roof into a beloved hit feature film. Narrated by Jeff Goldblum, it includes interviews with Jewison as well as with star Topol, who played Tevye, the milkman protagonist, and the composer John Williams.

Fiddler’s Journey To The Big Screen is screening in the Cinemania section...

Today, the more-infectious Omicron BA.5 subvariant is officially the dominant Covid strain in the U.S. Up until how, BA.5 has been tied to its sister Omicron subvariant, BA.4, as both had steadily outcompeted BA.2.12.1 — which itself had been driving cases for the past month or so.

After the original Omicron variant appeared on U.S. shores late last year and caused the deadliest wave of the pandemic, a succession of Omicron subvariants have come and gone: BA.1.1, BA.2, BA.2.12.1 and now BA.4 and BA.5.

BA.5 was first identified in South Africa on February 26. Less than a month ago, on June 4, it only accounted for 9.6 of cases in the U.S., while predecessor BA.2.12.1 sat atop the heap at 62. Today, the CDC estimates the subvarient is responsible for about 54 of new cases here. That’s double BA.2.12.1, which now accounts for 27 of infections. BA.5’s rise also leaves sister subvariant BA.

One of the more unlikely stage-and-screen box office smashes in musical history, “Fiddler on the Roof” — based on stories of shtetl life in Tsarist Russia by Yiddish author Sholem Aleichem, and turned by writer Joseph Stein, lyricist Sheldon Harnick, and composer Jerry Bock into a song-filled saga about a poor milkman with five unmarried daughters and an aversion to change — defied conventional wisdom about whose stories could be universal.

It helps, of course, when your score is a treasure trove: “Tradition,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “To Life,” and “Sunrise, Sunset” are all-timers.

We’ve already gotten one adoring film about the original Broadway show’s legacy, 2019’s “Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles,” and now we have a second: Daniel Raim’s warm, engaging “Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen.” As its title makes clear, the documentary is about the beloved movie version directed by Norman Jewison,...

Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen director Daniel Raim on the casting of Tevye for Norman Jewison’s Fiddler on the Roof: “Until I talked with Norman I didn’t know that Frank Sinatra’s manager had called Norman. And Danny Kaye, what a great story!”

Daniel Raim’s Fiddler’s Journey To The Big Screen, co-written with Michael Sragow, produced by Sasha Berman, executive produced by Matthew H. Bernstein and narrated by Jeff Goldblum, takes us on the remarkable odyssey of Norman Jewison and how he became the director of the multiple Oscar-winning Fiddler On The Roof.

Daniel Raim with Anne-Katrin Titze on Robert F Boyle: “He was my professor and I knew he loved Edward Hopper, so for Christmas I got him, when I was a student, a book on Hopper paintings.”

On-camera interviews with Topol, Rosalind Harris (Tzeitel), Michele Marsh (Hodel), Neva Small (Chava), composer John Williams,...

"It's the closest thing to a human voice that their is.... That's worth the price of a ticket." Zeitgeist Films has unveiled an official trailer for a making of documentary called Fiddler's Journey to the Big Screen, about the creation and filming of Fiddler on the Roof (which won three Oscars in 1972). The fall of 2021 marked the 50th anniversary of the film, and this doc is about director Norman Jewison's quest to recreate the lost world of Jewish life in Tsarist Russia while also re-envisioning the beloved stage hit as a wide-screen epic. Featuring rare behind-the-scenes footage, original storyboards, and never-before-seen stills as well as original interviews with Norman Jewison, Topol ("Tevye"), composer John Williams, production designer Robert F. Boyle, critic Kenneth Turan, lyricist Sheldon Harnick, and many others involved. The doc explores how the experience of making Fiddler deepened Jewison as an artist and revived his soul. This...

Jerusalem-based sales agent Go2Films has taken both worldwide rights (excluding North America) and Israeli distribution rights to “Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen” by Oscar-nominated director Daniel Raim and narrated by Jeff Goldblum. Kino Lorber and Zeitgeist Films will handle North American distribution on the film, which follows the making of Norman Jewison’s “Fiddler on the Roof.”

The film was meant to have its international premiere in the Official Selection of Palm Springs Film Festival, which was cancelled due to Covid-19. A new international premiere is currently being negotiated. The film will have its market premiere at the European Film Market, running Feb. 10-17.

Go2Films also confirmed it has already closed the first deal for the film ahead of the EFM, with Jiff set to release the film in Australia in November 2022. Israeli documentary channel yes will broadcast the film after its theatrical release in the country,...

Exclusive: Jeff Goldblum-narrated documentary Fiddler’s Journey To The Big Screen, about Norman Jewison classic Fiddler On The Roof, is getting U.S. distribution via Zeitgeist Films and Kino Lorber.

The movie charts the story behind director Norman Jewison’s quest to recreate the lost world of Jewish life in Tsarist Russia and re-envision the beloved stage hit as a wide-screen epic.

Daniel Raim (Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story) directs the film, drawing on behind-the-scenes footage and never-before-seen stills as well as original interviews with Jewison, Topol, composer John Williams, production designer Robert F. Boyle, film critic Kenneth Turan, lyricist Sheldon Harnick, and actresses Rosalind Harris, Michele Marsh, and Neva Small.

The deal was negotiated by producers Daniel Raim and Sasha Berman, and Richard Lorber on behalf of Zeitgeist, which is planning a spring 2022 release.

The acquisition comes exactly 50 years since Jewison’s musical was released in the U.

Exclusive: Hollywood Gang and Solipsist Films have acquired rights to A Woman of Valor, the best-selling novel from D.C. lawyer-turned-author Allan Topol. Michael Steinberg has been tapped to develop it into a series format and set it up.

Steinberg will be Executive Producer along with Hollywood Gang’s Gianni Nunari and Solipsist’s Stephen L’Heureux.

The series will focus on the tale of Leora Baruch, who was recruited as a child and trained for a lifetime of vengeance as a deep cover member of M-18–Israel’s feared anti-terrorist force. Topol has penned 22 thriller novels all residing in an interconnect spy universe with characters that cross agencies, countries and timelines with geopolitical intrigue, including Spy Dance, Dark Ambition, Conspiracy and Enemy Of My Enemy. Topol is represented at The Lichtman Group.

“Flash! Flash, I love you! But we only have fourteen hours to save the Earth!”

Sam Jones, star of the 1980 classic Flash Gordon (and Ted and many other action films) will be signing autographs from 1pm-5pm on Sunday May 23rd at the ‘I Had That’ Collectibles Shop in Belleville, Il That’s located inside Collectors Corner at 120 East Main Street in Belleville, Il. The ‘I Had That’ Facebook page with updates and more info can be found Here

Autographs start at $40 each. If you don’t have your own item, Sam will have 8×10’s available at his table that he will sign for you. He will also have 11×14’s for an additional cost. If you want to take a selfie with Sam, it’s $40 as well. Or, you can buy an autograph and a selfie for a special combined price of $60. ‘I Had That’ will also have Beckett on...

Steven Yeun is finally getting the recognition he deserves thanks to his role as Jacob Yi in Minari. Not only did Yeun receive his first-ever Oscar nomination on March 15, he became the first Asian-American best actor nominee in Oscars history. Along with the nomination of Riz Ahmed in the same category, this year's ceremony marks the first time two men of East or South Asian descent were recognized in the same year. Miyoshi Umeki and Haing S. Ngor are currently the only Asian-American actors to win Oscars in the supporting actress and actor categories.

In the history of the Oscars, only five men of East or South Asian descent have been nominated for best actor. Out of the five - which includes Yeun, Ahmed, Yul Brynner, Topol, and Sir Ben Kingsley - only Brynner and Kinglsey have taken home the award, Brynner for 1956's The King and I and Kingsley for 1982's Gandhi.

It’s rare to see actors of Asian descent represented in the Best Actor race at the Oscars, but this year there are two ranked among the top 10 contenders, according to our racetrack odds as of this writing: Steven Yeun (“Minari”) and Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”). If either one of them gets in, it would be historic. And if both make the cut, it would be unprecedented.

See‘Minari’ trailer: Sundance winner stars Oscar contender Steven Yeun a Korean-American family man in Arkansas [Watch]

Yeun plays a Korean-American father who moves his family to Arkansas to start a farm. He has never been nominated for an Oscar before, but he earned acclaim and multiple critics’ awards for his sinister supporting role in “Burning” (2018). Playing sympathetic patriarchs in family dramas has paid off before with nominations for actors including Will Smith (“The Pursuit of Happyness”), George Clooney (“The Descendants”) and Demian...

Exclusive: Great Performances has set its fourth annual “Broadway’s Best” November line-up on PBS, including the world premiere of Lea Salonga in Concert featuring the Tony Award-winner singing her signature songs from Miss Saigon, Les Misérables, Aladdin and Mulan.

The Broadway’s Best programming, running on Fridays from November 6 to Nov. 27, kicks off with the 2011 taping of One Man, Two Guvnors, featuring a Tony Award-winning performance by The Late Late Show‘s James Corden. The play, adapted by playwright Richard Bean from a 1743 Commedia dell’arte farce and set in the British resort town of Brighton during the Swinging ’60s, follows out-of-work musician named Francis Henshall (Corden) who becomes a bodyguard-minder to Roscoe Crabbe, a petty East End crook, who turns out to be closer to Henshall than expected.

Next up will be Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles on Friday, Nov. 13, the 2019 documentary chronicling the history of the classic...