The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

Director:

Ernst Lubitsch

Writers:

Samson Raphaelson (screenplay)
Miklós László (play)

Release Date:

12 January 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Drama

Plot:

Two employees at a gift shop can barely stand one another, without realizing that they're falling in love through the post as each other's anonymous pen pal.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Gift | Post Office Box | Pen Pal | Ends With Kiss

Awards:

1 win

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Margaret Sullavan	...	Klara Novak
James Stewart	...	Alfred Kralik
Frank Morgan	...	Hugo Matuschek
Joseph Schildkraut	...	Ferencz Vadas
Sara Haden	...	Flora
Felix Bressart	...	Pirovitch
William Tracy	...	Pepi Katona
Inez Courtney	...	Ilona Novotny
Sarah Edwards	...	Customer
Edwin Maxwell	...	Doctor
Charles Halton	...	Detective
Charles Smith	...	Rudy

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #5967) | Canada:G (video rating) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U

Company:

Loew's

Trivia:

In the Book "Ernst Lubitsch: Laughter in Paradise", Ernst Lubitsch called this film "the best picture I ever made in my life."

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Pirovitch is trying to talk Klara into letting him buy the "Ochi Chornya" cigarette case, he says he wouldn't want to "spend a nickel" on his brother-in-law. Since the film is set in Hungary, and every other reference to money is in Hungarian currency, there is no reason Pirovitch would use a phrase involving an American coin, which phrase (as well as the coin) would likely be unknown to him.

Quotes:

[Alfred Kralik has just disclosed to Klara Novak that he is her anonymous pen pal]
Alfred Kralik: Are you disappointed?
Klara Novak (Miss Novak): Psychologically, I'm very confused... But personally, I don't feel bad at all.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Twice in a Lifetime: Matchmaker, Matchmaker (#2.3)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Ochi Tchornya (Dark Eyes)

Oozes With Charm

The cast really helps make this a pleasant surprise and a cut above the normal man-vs.-woman-argue-all-the-time-but-wind up-in love-type of Hollywood screwball romance/comedy.

I usually don't go for those type of films and that tiresome storyline but this one was refreshing, fun to watch, and oozes with charm.

Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan play off each other well and make a very handsome couple. The supporting cast is outstanding - from the always-likable Felix Bressart to the villain Joseph Schildkraut.

Frank Morgan also plays one of the most interesting characters I've ever seen him do in his career. He takes the film and turns it around into a whole different mood for awhile when something dramatic happens to him. That "twist" is another reason this film rises above others of its kind.

Once again, when a film has a good mix of categories, it usually succeeds. This is a great example of that. In this movie, it's romance, comedy and drama and it's well done. I'll take this over the re-make "You've Got Mail," any day. No comparison.