Fiddler on the Roof (1971) on the big screen

I had a chance to watch this movie on the big screen when it played at Chicago's Music Box Theater on Christmas day 2016.  It's rare for this film to be screened; usually it's seen as corny and sentimental, and usually not as highly regarded as some other musicals like Sound of Music.

But when it came out in 1971, it was the biggest box-office hit of  the year. It was probably "the last hit musical" to be released for years, since musicals started to go out of fashion by the 1970s.

I had forgotten that the story deals with traditional marriage arrangements, intergenerational differences, the coming Russian revolution and new political ideas, Jewish persecution in Russia, and immigration to other countries.

At the end of the movie, one character asks another, "What city in America are you moving to?" The other responds "Chicago", and that got a loud cheer from the audience, which was pretty cool to be a part of.

Directed by Norman Jewison (an Oscar-winner for 1967's "In the Heat of the Night"). The cinematography is beautiful, and the sets and costumes and impressive.

Read Dawn's post about this movie from her blog