# The Flying Matchmaker

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1966 Israeli film

The Flying Matchmaker שני קוני למל Directed by Israel Becker [he] Written by Israel Becker Avraham Goldfaden (operetta) Produced by Mordecai Navon Starring Mike Burstyn Raphael Klatchkin Jermain Unikovsky Shmuel Rodensky Elisheva Michaeli Rina Ganor Aharon Meskin Cinematography Romulo Grounni Production company Geva Films Release date 1966 (1966) Running time 120 minutes Country Israel Languages Yiddish Hebrew

The title page of Goldfaden's play

***The Flying Matchmaker***[1] (also: *Two Kuni Lemel*, *Shnei Kuni Leml* or שני קוני למל) is a 1966 [Israeli film](/source/Israeli_film) [musical](/source/Musical_film) directed by Israel Becker. The film was the first major success on screen for lead actor [Mike Burstyn](/source/Mike_Burstyn) who has a double role as Kuni Leml and his cousin Max, and also casts his father [Pesach Burstein](/source/Pesach_Burstein) in a small role. The film was selected as the Israeli entry for the [Best Foreign Language Film](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Foreign_Language_Film) at the [39th Academy Awards](/source/39th_Academy_Awards), but was not accepted as a nominee.[2]

## Plot history

The plot is based on the 1880 Yiddish play, a [comedy of errors](/source/Comedy_of_errors), *[Di tsvey Kuni-Lemels](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Di_tsvey_Kuni-Lemels&action=edit&redlink=1) [[he](https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A9%D7%A0%D7%99_%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%99_%D7%9C%D7%9E%D7%9C)]* ([Yiddish](/source/Yiddish_language): די בײדע קוני-לעמעל) by [Abraham Goldfaden](/source/Abraham_Goldfaden). It was based on the German-language comedy *Nathan Schlemiel oder Orthodoxe und reformirte Juden* by J. Rosenzweig[a] (Ein Tendenz-Lustspiel in 3 Acten. [Pressburg](/source/Pressburg), 1873[3]). Rosenzweig's was also the base for the 1879 play *Di tsvey shmuel shmelkes* (*Two Shmuel Shmelkes*) by [Joseph Lateiner](/source/Joseph_Lateiner), and some sources say that Goldfaden's was based on Lateiner's,[5] because the play of the latter one was earlier, but Lateiner's text is no longer available.[6]

## Plot

The local matchmaker (*[shadchan](/source/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](/source/Mike_Burstyn) as Max / Kuni Leml

- [Raphael Klatchkin](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Raphael_Klatchkin&action=edit&redlink=1) [[he](https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A8%D7%A4%D7%90%D7%9C_%D7%A7%D7%9C%D7%A6%27%D7%A7%D7%99%D7%9F)] as Matchmaker

- [Germaine Unikovsky](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Germaine_Unikovsky&action=edit&redlink=1) [[he](https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%96%27%D7%A8%D7%9E%D7%9F_%D7%90%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%91%D7%A1%D7%A7%D7%99)] as Matchmaker's Daughter (as Jermain Unikovsky)

- [Shmuel Rodensky](/source/Shmuel_Rodensky) as Rebbe Pinchas

- [Elisheva Michaeli](/source/Elisheva_Michaeli) as Rebbe Pinchas' Wife

- [Rina Ganor](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rina_Ganor&action=edit&redlink=1) [[he](https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%94_%D7%92%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%A8)] as Carolina, Rebbe Pinchas's Daughter

- [Aharon Meskin](/source/Aharon_Meskin) as Kuni Leml's Father

- [Ari Kutai](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ari_Kutai&action=edit&redlink=1) [[he](https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%90%D7%A8%D7%99_%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%98%D7%90%D7%99)] as Max's Father

## Sequels

- *[Kuni Lemel in Tel Aviv](/source/Kuni_Lemel_in_Tel_Aviv)* ([*Kuni Lemel in Tel Aviv*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074766/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))), 1976

- *[Kuni Lemel in Cairo](/source/Kuni_Lemel_in_Cairo)* ([*Kuni Lemel in Cairo*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151269/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))), 1983

## See also

- [List of submissions to the 39th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film](/source/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](/source/List_of_Israeli_submissions_for_the_Academy_Award_for_Best_Foreign_Language_Film)

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Rosenzweig's text says that the action is "somewhere in Hungary"[3] and a 1906 Hungarian reference book gives author's name as Ignácz Rosenzweig, born in [Pozsony](/source/Pozsony) (Both Pressburg and Poszony are the names of [Bratislava](/source/Bratislava),)[4]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [2 Kuni Lemel / The Flying Matchmaker](https://www.svjff.org/films/2_kuni_lemel.shtml)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-rosen_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-rosen_3-1) [Nathan Schlemiel oder Orthodoxe und reformirte Juden. Ein Tendenz-Lustspiel in 3 Akten](https://books.google.com/books?id=cx9cAAAAcAAJ), public domain, readable in Google Books

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [József Szinnyei](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=J%C3%B3zsef_Szinnyei&action=edit&redlink=1) [[hu](https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szinnyei_J%C3%B3zsef_(bibliogr%C3%A1fus))], *[Life and works of Hungarian writers](/source/Life_and_works_of_Hungarian_writers_(Szinnyei))*, [p. 1183](https://books.google.com/books?id=f8tEAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA1183) (public domain, readable in Google Books)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Lateiner, Yoysef (Joseph) (December 25, 1853–February 23, 1935)](https://congressforjewishculture.org/lexicon/t/3663), translated from *Leksikon Fun Der Nayer Yidisher Literatur* by Joshua A Fogel

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** *Landmark Yiddish Plays. A Critical Anthology*, 2010, [p. 39](https://books.google.com/books?id=hgQKaPf4ypUC&dq=%22Nathan+Schlemiel%22+Rosenzweig&pg=PA39)

## External links

- [*Shnei Kuni Leml*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0138101/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

- Joel Berkowitz, [Di tsvey Kuni-Leml \[The Two Kuni-Lemls](https://web.uwm.edu/yiddish-stage/plotting-yiddish-drama/di-tsvey-kuni-leml)] (synopsys of the original play)

v t e Israeli submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film Sallah (1964) The Glass Cage (1965) The Flying Matchmaker (1966) Every Bastard a King (1968) Siege (1969) The Policeman (1971) I Love You Rosa (1972) The House on Chelouche Street (1973) My Michael (1975) Operation Thunderbolt (1977) Lemon Popsicle (1978) Moments (1979) The Thin Line (1980) A Thousand Little Kisses (1981) Hamsin (1982) A Married Couple (1983) Beyond the Walls (1984) When Night Falls (1985) Avanti Popolo (1986) I Don't Give a Damn (1987) The Summer of Aviya (1988) One of Us (1989) The Lookout (1990) Beyond the Sea (1991) Life According to Agfa (1992) Revenge of Itzik Finkelstein (1993) Sh'Chur (1994) Lovesick on Nana Street (1995) Saint Clara (1996) Pick a Card (1997) Circus Palestine (1998) Yana's Friends (1999) Time of Favor (2000) Late Marriage (2001) Broken Wings (2002) Nina's Tragedies (2003) Campfire (2004) What a Wonderful Place (2005) Sweet Mud (2006) Beaufort (2007) Waltz with Bashir (2008) Ajami (2009) The Human Resources Manager (2010) Footnote (2011) Fill the Void (2012) Bethlehem (2013) Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem (2014) Baba Joon (2015) Sand Storm (2016) Foxtrot (2017) The Cakemaker (2018) Incitement (2019) Asia (2020) Let It Be Morning (2021) Cinema Sabaya (2022) Seven Blessings (2023) Come Closer (2024) The Sea (2025)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The Flying Matchmaker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flying_Matchmaker) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flying_Matchmaker?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.