Yidl Mitn Fidl
| Yidl Mitn Fidl | |
|---|---|
Advertisement in Davar, 1937.
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|
| Directed by |
Joseph Green Jan Nowina-Przybylski |
| Produced by | Jozef Frankfurt Edward Hantowitz |
| Written by | Joseph Green Konrad Tom |
| Starring | Molly Picon |
| Music by | Abe Ellstein |
| Cinematography | Jakob Jonilowicz |
| Edited by | Jack Kemp |
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Production
company |
Green Films
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| Distributed by | Sphinx Films Corp. |
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Release date
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Running time
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92 minutes |
| Country | Poland |
| Language | Yiddish |
| Budget | $50,000 |
Yidl Mitn Fidl (Yiddish: אידל מיטן פֿידל, "Yiddle With His Fiddle", Polish: Judeł gra na Skrzypcach), is a 1936 musical film.
Arye and his daughter Itke are musicians, or klezmorim, who became impoverished and were evicted from their home in Kazimierz Dolny. Arie sees no choice but to embark on a career of a travelling band, but fears for the safety of his daughter on the dangerous roads. Itke solves the problem by disguising herself as a boy and adopts the persona of "Yidl", ostensibly Arie's son.
During their voyages, they meet another pair of merrymakers, the father-and-son duo Isaac and Ephraim Kalamutker, with whom they form a quartet and roam through the Polish countryside seeking engagements. "Yidl" falls in love with Ephraim, who is utterly oblivious to the true sex of his companion. The four are hired to perform in the wedding of young Teibele to the old, rich man Zalman Gold. The bride had to cancel her prior engagement with her true love, Yosl Fedlman, for her late father left many unpaid debts. Yidl takes pity on Teibele and the quartet smuggle her out of the party and have her join them as vocalist. To Yidl's dismay, Ephraim is enamored with the young woman. Itke reveals her true self to Isaac, who determines to assist her and leaves to locate Yosl.
When arriving in Warsaw, the group become a success and are hired to perform in a concert. However, personal tensions between the members run high. Efraim signs a contract with a local orchestra. Teibele's lost match finally arrives, and they run off together before the show. Yidl, quite by accident, takes her place and recounts her entire story and love for Efraim in song form. She is applauded and signed on a contract for a career in the United States. Having learned the truth, Efraim abandons his commitments and joins her on the ship to New York.
After the success of Joseph in the Land of Egypt, a silent film dubbed into the Yiddish language by Joseph Green, met with success, he decided to create an entirely Yiddish film, and returned to his native Poland to do so. Yidl Mitn Fidl was the most successful Yiddish film of all time and the most popular of Green's films as well.
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