Two of Malamud's stories, Angel Levine and The Silver Crown, and one of his novels, The Natural (1952), have been made into films. Chiz Schulz produced Angel Levine for United Artists, and Jan Kader directed the 1970 film. The cast included Zero Mostel as the old tailor, Morris; Harry Belafonte as Alexander Levine; Ida Kaminska as Fanny; Milo O'Shea as Dr. Arnold Berg; Eli Wallach as the store clerk; and Anne Jackson as the lady in the store.

Critics compared the film to Frank Capra's 1946 film, It's a Wonderful Life, starring James Stewart and Donna Reed, but thought it was hardly in the same class.

Produced by Paul Sheptow for the Center for Advanced Film Studies of the American Film Institute, The Silver Crown was written and directed by Jonathan Siegel, with Lorry Goldman playing Albert Gans, Zvee Scooler Rabbi Lifschitz, and Linda Pacino his daughter. Although the setting is...