The Flying Matchmaker2 Kuni Lemel / The Flying Matchmaker (also: Two Kuni Lemel, Shnei Kuni Leml or ) is a 1966 Israeli film musical directed by Israel Becker. The film was the first major success on screen for lead actor Mike Burstyn who has a double role as Kuni Leml and his cousin Max, and also casts his father Pesach Burstein in a small role. The film was selected as the Israeli entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 39th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Plot history The plot is based on the 1880 Yiddish play, a comedy of errors, () by Abraham Goldfaden. It was based on the German-language comedy Nathan Schlemiel oder Orthodoxe und reformirte Juden by J. Rosenzweig (Ein Tendenz-Lustspiel in 3 Acten. Pressburg, 1873Nathan Schlemiel oder Orthodoxe und reformirte Juden. Ein Tendenz-Lustspiel in 3 Akten, public domain, readable in Google Books). Rosenzweig's was also the base for the 1879 play Di tsvey shmuel shmelkes (Two Shmuel Shmelkes) by Joseph Lateiner, and some sources say that Goldfaden's was based on Lateiner's, Lateiner, Yoysef (Joseph) (December 25, 1853–February 23, 1935), translated from Leksikon Fun Der Nayer Yidisher Literatur by Joshua A Fogel because the play of the latter one was earlier, but Lateiner's text is no longer available.Landmark Yiddish Plays. A Critical Anthology, 2010, p. 39
Plot The local matchmaker (shadchan), Reb Kalman, arranges a match for Carolina, the daughter of a wealthy client, Reb Pinchas. The daughter is already romantically linked with Max, who teaches her French. He arranges to show up in Kuni Lemel's place, disguised as Kuni Lemel, so he can marry Carolina. Confusion ensues as both Max and Kuni Lemel show up to court Carolina.
Cast Mike Burstyn as Max / Kuni Leml as Matchmaker as Matchmaker's Daughter (as Jermain Unikovsky) Shmuel Rodensky as Rebbe Pinchas Elisheva Michaeli as Rebbe Pinchas' Wife as Carolina, Rebbe Pinchas's Daughter Aharon Meskin as Kuni Leml's Father as Max's Father
Sequels Kuni Lemel in Tel Aviv (), 1976 Kuni Lemel in Cairo (), 1983
See also List of submissions to the 39th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film List of Israeli submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Notes
References
External links
Joel Berkowitz, Di tsvey Kuni-Leml [The Two Kuni-Lemls] (synopsys of the original play)