The World of Sholom Aleichem

Overview

This omnibus release consists of three playlets filmed and aired during television's Golden Age, and starring some of the legends of film and television. The collection originally ran as a two-hour segment on December 14, 1959, on the anthology series The Play of the Week, broadcast locally in New York City via the independent radio station WNTA. Each "tale" in the anthology was adapted from a single tale by the inimitable Sholom Aleichem, regarded by many as the "Yiddish Mark Twain". Included are: "A Tale of Chelm" starring Zero Mostel and Nancy Walker in the story of a bookseller attempting to buy a goat; "Bontche Schweig" about a poor man (Jack Gilford) whose recent arrival in Heaven makes the angels cry; and "The High School" about a Jewish merchant (Morris Carnovsky) persuaded by his wife (Gertrude Berg) to let their son attend a particular high school despite the enforcement of quotas for Jewish students.

Cast

Gertrude Berg

Hannah

Sam Levene

Mendele

Zero Mostel

Melamed / Maxel

Morris Carnovsky

Aaron Katz / Presiding Angel

Lee Grant

The Goatseller / Avenging Angel

Nancy Walker

Rifkele

Jack Gilford

Bontsche Shveig / Angel

Charlotte Rae

The Angel Rochele

N/A

Elsa Freed

Henry Lascoe

Dodi the Innkeeper

N/A

Conrad Bromberg

(as Conrad Josephs)

Frederick Rolf

Rabbi David / Prosecuting Angel