Americaner Shadchen

This is a cute Yiddish film which everyone can follow that takes place in New York in the forties.

Our rich handsome bachelor Nat Silver who can't seem to go through with a wedding for himself decides to try to make a go of it for others by becoming a professional shadchen. His valet, (former pants presser), Morris is a comic addition to the already stereotypical cast.

Our bachelor, Nat Silver changes his name to Nat Gold and takes an office in the Bronx Courthouse Building on the Concourse (great footage at 158th Street).

See what transpires - you'll get a kick out of it. Especially his title "human relishes". After all, Nat is "a nice man"

A film can be easily ruined if subtitles are not used properly … two films lately have fallen prey to this pathetic error. The exuberantly long "Allonsanfan" used subtitles that were all over the screen, most of the time not within reading level and enforced the classic "dialogue, dialogue, dialogue" in a different language – with a subtitle merely saying, "Yes.". Horrible, and ruined the film experience altogether. As if the Gods were still laughing at me after that debacle, the film "American Matchmaker" came through the pipeline and it seemed that whoever was employed by "Allonsanfan" to do the titles was also employed by "American Matchmaker". With the poor use of subtitles, "American Matchmaker" transformed from a classic in Yiddish cinema, to just cheap comedy that missed the beats because of poor craftsmanship. While the story was interesting, and at times joyful, it was because I couldn't read the message that "American Matchmaker" falls from my shelves, not one that could be watched over and over again.

With those of you who are familiar with Edgar G. Ulmer's noir classic "Detour" probably felt like myself when I heard that he did a Yiddish comedy. Moving in a different cinematic direction, Ulmer attempts to bring a new, nearly unheard, language to the screen. He uses a simple story, with odd characters that do not quite make it through the major parts of the film, coupled with songs that are a bit catchy (yet more mundane), Ulmer completely misses the mark, giving us a quick ending to a short-changed film. Our troubles begin with the story of our characters, an ultimate bachelor wants to get married, but cannot find the right girl. With troubles rising, he decides to escape his family and create a matchmaking business for himself. If he can't get married, than why can't he help others? A question that I am not sure has an answer for those outside of our television screens, but for those inside it makes perfect sense. He isn't that great with this new job, matching comedy with drama unsuccessfully, he finally finds one that will stick – but it doesn't go without a quick climax which ultimately ends the film. It was short, to the point, and anything but sweet. "American Matchmaker" suffers from a script that felt like it was rushed to finish. The beginning is sharp, the entourage of Leo Fuchs friends enjoying laughs about his life, but we hit a song and it only slightly resembles anything we were discussing earlier. Than, we seem to be rushed into a conflict which accompanies absurdity and a business choice that comes from left field. The writers were attempting to connect A to B to C, but didn't have the right parts between to keep them glued together. By the time Fuchs has his moment of revelation, I lost interest in his character. He was jumping too far, Ulmer was allowing him to do whatever he wanted, and it never quite matched the character I knew from the prior scene. It was jumbled, and when there was an obvious missing step, Ulmer inserted a song and poor subtitles to throw us off. Don't worry – I still saw your downfalls Mr. Ulmer.

With the story somewhat in shambles (it was there only missing key segways) it was up to our characters to bring whatever was left back to life – but again, with a story already built like swiss cheese these guys didn't have much to follow. There was little to no chemistry between Fuchs and those involved. Perhaps it was my lack of Yiddish anything, but there should have been further explanation as to what Fuchs' job involved. I know it was matching people, but how are they found, what is the paperwork, and most importantly, how were the dates? Was it like "Blind Date" or was it more for convenience? Since we had such a lengthy opening, with songs galore, there wasn't enough time to develop the story behind the business or what eventually happens at the end, so instead of watching things evolve, we simply see an ends to mean. We get there, the work is done, we close off our minds and let whatever happen, happen. It seemed disgraceful for such a valued film. With that said, the actors had nothing to work with. Fuchs was entertaining to watch, but he had no true definition of his character. Nobody did, which only helped this film slowly implode from the inside out.

What may make this film enjoyable to some to view may be the music. Once thought to be the Fred Astair of the Yiddish theater, Fuchs doesn't just try to emulate Astair, but in fact he nearly tries to copy him using all of his on-screen mannerisms. At first it seems genuine, he singing about events (sometimes unknown to the viewer due to the horrid subtitle issue), but then it gets to where he sings for no apparent reason than just to fill time. Again, with the faulty subtitles, I am never quite certain his purpose for the tune. While the music itself may make you tap your toe in your chair, its rhyme or reason is unknown. This isn't classified as a musical, but a comedy – yet these songs were not funny.

Overall, with all of my complaining, this was a decent film. I had quite a bit of trouble working my way through this film due to the subtitles, the intermitted songs, and the unmotivated characters, but I have to give it credit because it was my very first Yiddish film. I will always remember it. Ulmer tried with this film, and perhaps if there were more technical advances before this film was created, it may have lasted longer through the cinematic timeline, but alas, it is a forgotten film.

Grade: ** out of *****

This is Edgar Ulmer's last Yiddish film before his departure for Hollywood where he eventually made "Detour" in 1945.

I saw this film at a screening organized by the Toronto Jewish Film Society. Much to my surprise, we were informed that Ulmer didn't speak Yiddish! He apparently did his journeyman film direction in a variety of languages he couldn't speak. Just a gun for hire, it seems.

His direction here is pretty foursquare with only a few flourishes, although he does seem to get mostly good performances out of a cast led by Leo Fuchs, as the often-engaged bachelor who requires a spell as a professional matchmaker to finally solve his matrimonial woes.

The film begins as a spoof of matchmaking -- Fuchs the wheeler-dealer turns it into big business, American style, with bonuses, staff meetings, and fancy advertising -- but ultimately the old country values are confirmed.

This amusing film -- Yiddish-speaking members of the audience loved it -- is bilingual throughout, about 90% Yiddish or Yiddish mixed with English (e.g. "bachelor party"), and 10% English. The film even goes trilingual at one point when the number "five" is said a third time as "pyat" (Russian, Ukrainian) for emphasis.

Warning: This is perhaps the most poorly subtitled film I have ever seen. Come prepared with a smattering of Yiddish, or at least German (it worked pretty well for me).

"Americaner Shadchen" was screened in a double bill with the earlier Leo Fuchs comedy, "I Want To Be a Boarder" (1937). It is somewhat primitive to look at but still quite funny where it counts. If it were not for his accent, the handsome and versatile Fuchs should have had a strong career in the conventional American cinema.

American SHADCHEN (American Matchmaker)' Edward G. Ulmer, 1940

This, the last of Ulmer's Yiddish quartet, is probably the funniest of all Yiddish comedies and the humor holds up quite well even today. With the German Blitzkrieg occupation of Poland in 1939 Jewish film production there came to a screeching halt but there was still a large Yiddish audience in New York and what they wanted was escape, not realism. American Shadchen fit the bill perfectly and was the last Yiddish box-office hit although a few more Yiddish films were still to be made.

The basic situation is that of a very handsome and well-off Mama's boy, Nat Silver, whose mother has been trying to get him married off without success, because the fastidious young man always finds some fatal fault with every potential marriage prospect. He is also afraid, although he is classically tall, dark, and handsome, a true Jewish Adonis -- that women are only interested in him for his money. The life style we see in the film is that of upper crust nouveau-riche New York Jewish society with all the trappings -- butlers, maids, chauffeurs, and luxurious apartments in the best part of town. The Jews depicted in the film are the "all-rightnik" type trying to act as American as possible by liberally salting their down-home Yiddish with the latest English slang. The butchered English we hear throughout is in fact one of the main sources of the humor of the film, which still works today, probably even for non-Jewish audiences. Moreover, even though this is basically a Yiddish language picture, there is enough English -- or rather "Yinglish" -- scattered throughout, so that the story line is pretty much clear even without the information supplied by the English sub-titles.

The hero, Nathan, or "Nat" Silver, decides that he is so experienced in matchmaking -- having been involved in so many mis-matches himself --the he would probably make a pretty good Shadchen, or matchmaker, on his own. So, he changes his name from Silver to Gold! -- sets up a matchmaking office, puts out a classy Yiddish shingle, and goes into business. This is also a way of escaping from the clutches of his overbearing Jewish mother. He is indeed very successful and soon acquires a reputation as the best Jewish matchmaker in New York City -- so successful, in fact, that the other envious shadchens picket his office with protest signs in Yiddish claiming that he is monopolizing the trade!

Now comes the heart of the story. One day a very funny Jewish mother brings her very attractive Jewish daughter Judith (Judith Abarbenel) in to Mr. Gold's office to find a match but she, the daughter, finds herself very attracted to the matchmaker. The mother too "kvells" over him gushing like a fountain every time she sees him, constantly repeating the absolutely side-splitting English phrase: "Mister GoOld -- you're soOoo nice!" -- it's all, of course, in the way she says it, but a guaranteed crackup every time!

It takes a good while for the conscientious "Gold" to get the picture for he is so obsessed with carrying out his duty -- which is to say, fixing his client up with a proper marriage partner (other than himself of course) -- that he fails to take notice of the obvious moon eyes both Mother and daughter are directing his way -- all but falling over him physically. With numerous hilarious double-entendre exchanges along the way this is nothing but delectable non-stop rib-tickling screen comedy all the way. Matchmaker Gold does, of course, finally succumb to the combined charms of mother and daughter, but only after a sequence of truly risible situations in a film which is nothing but fun from beginning to end.

At the same time American Matchmaker is a good natured but nevertheless penetrating satire of the efforts of the nouveau rich Jews of the time to be "more American than Thou" in this Golden Land which has been treating them so well, far beyond their wildest expectations. Overall this picture is just one heckuvva funny old-time comedy very much in line with the Hollywood Screwball Comedy tradition of the thirties, but with an extremely Kosher twist -- also in passing, a goldmine for the social anthropologist, and, as far as mise-en-scene is concerned, unquestionably one of Ulmer's finest all around films. "Nat Silver" was played by Leo Fuchs. Actress Judith Abarbanel used her own first name for the role of Judith Aarons, the charming client who falls in love with the matchmaker, and, her mother, Mrs. Aarons, who nearly steals the show whenever she's on, was played by ROSETTA BIALIS.

Written for the 2008 Barbican Yiddish retrospective in London.