Kazablan (1973 film)

Kazablan
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Menahem Golan
Screenplay by	Menahem Golan Haim Hefer
Based on	Kazablan by Yigal Mosenzon Joel Silberg
Produced by	Menahem Golan
Starring	Yehoram Gaon Efrat Lavie Arieh Elias Etti Grotes Yehuda Efroni
Cinematography	David Gurfinkel
Edited by	Dov Hoenig
Music by	Dov Seltzer
Production companies	Noah Films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributed by	United Artists (United States/Canada)
Release date	July 7, 1973 (1973-07-07) (Israel)
Running time	122 minutes
Country	Israel
Language	Hebrew
Budget	IL2,800,000

Kazablan is an Israeli film in the genre of musical and Bourekas films, directed by Menachem Golan and starring Yehoram Gaon, Efrat Lavie, Arieh Elias, Etti Grotes and Yehuda Efroni. The script was written by Menachem Golan and Haim Hefer, and is based on the musical of the same name from 1966. The film was released in Israel on July 7, 1973, and as of today is the second most watched film in the history of Israeli motion pictures, with 1,222,500 tickets sold (the country's population at the time was about 2.8 million inhabitants). It was also released in the United States on May 8, 1974, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Plot

In a dilapidated housing complex in Jaffa, new and old immigrants live together - some from Europe and some from Middle Eastern countries. There is also in the neighbourhood an elderly fisherman named Moshiko Bebeuf (Aryeh Elias) who directs the film's plot. Yosef Siman-Tov (Yhoram Gaon), known by everyone as "Kazablan" (or for short: Kaza) also lived in the housing. Kazablan immigrated to Israel from Morocco as a child and formed a group of thugs around him ("the Jama'ah"), who harass the residents of Jaffa in general and the residents of the housing complex in particular, for example by creating noise and commotion in the street early in the morning when everyone is still sleeping.

Kazablan insists that Rachel (Efrat Lavie), the daughter of the Polish Mr. Feldman (Yehuda Efroni), one of the heads of the complex housing, say good morning to him, but Mr. Feldman objects, orders Rachel to enter the house, and tells Kazablan that he has no idea what honour is. The neighbours return to their homes and Kazablan and the Jama'a burst into the well-known song "Kol HaKavod."

The residents of the neighbourhood go about their daily toil, most of them at market stalls, talking and even confronting each other (the song "We are all Jews").

Rachel arrives at the shop of Janus (Yossi Gerber), an immigrant from Hungary, a cobbler and a resident of the housing estate, in order to bring her shoes for repair. Kazablan and his gang call Janus "Goulash" due to his origin. Janus, who is in love with Rachel, despite being many years older than her, gives her new shoes with which she goes outside and runs into Kazablan, who still insists that she say good morning, blocking her way. Her father (Mr. Feldman) comes running to her defence, but Rachel is amused by the whole situation and greets Kazablan with a good morning blessing and he clears the way for her. Mr. Feldman and the neighbors look at him with looks of hatred and contempt and he walks away alone and misses a sense of home and belonging (the song "There is a place").

Cast

• Yehoram Gaon as Kazablan
• Efrat Lavie as Rachel
• Arieh Elias as Moshiko
• Etti Grotes as Maryuma
• Yehuda Efroni as Mr. Feldman
• Gita Luka as Mrs. Feldman
• Aliza Azikri as Singer
• Yossi Graber as Yanush
• Misha Asherov as Josh
• Abraham Ronai as Sarevsky
• Ya'ackov Ben-Sira as Mr. Spiegel
• Gabi Ohad as Mrs. Spiegel
• Chaim Banai as Mr. Shimon
• Geula Yeffet as Mrs. Shimon
• Yaacov Timan as Russian Neighbor
• Miriam Oleinik
• Zvi Borodo as Mr. Nissimov
• Madeline Rahmimov as Mrs. Nissimov
• Victor Atar as Sgt. Mizrahi
• Moshe Hillel as Mohel
• Mutzi Aviv as Nikko
• Nurit Amir

Production

The film was shot on a budget of 2.8 million Israeli pounds, the highest ever for an Israeli production at the time, with around 700,000 pounds going towards employee salaries. It was filmed using a rented Panavision camera from England on 70mm film, and the music was recorded in stereo. The original actors from the stage production, who portrayed characters such as Kazablan, Marioma, and Moshiko, returned to reprise their roles in the film.

While the original play "Kazablan" was set in the "Big Yard" in Jaffa (now known as Gan HaPisga), by the 1970s, little remained of the original setting, prompting the filming to take place in the nearby Manshiya neighborhood, then facing demolition.

An English version of the film was also produced simultaneously, with translators from the United States and England assisting in translating the script and songs, as well as coaching the actors in proper pronunciation.

External links

• Kazablan at IMDb