Mamele at the George Eastman Museum

Molly Picon, “Queen of the Yiddish Musical,” shines as Mamele (the little mother), the dutiful daughter keeping her family intact after the death of their mother. She’s so busy cooking, cleaning, and matchmaking for her brothers and sisters that she has little time for herself—until she discovers the violinist across the courtyard. Following the success of Yiddle With His Fiddle (Yidl mitn fidl, 1936), Picon and director Joseph Green teamed again for Mamele, which, like Yiddle, was filmed in Poland. Set in Łódź, this musical comedy drama embraces the diversity of interwar Jewish life in Poland, including no-goodniks and the unemployed, nightclubs and gangsters, and religious Jews celebrating Sukkot.