IMDb > The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
The Shop Around the Corner
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The Shop Around the Corner (1940) More at IMDbPro »

Videos
The Shop Around the Corner (1940) -- Two bickering co-workers fall in love as anonymous pen pals in this trailer.

IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   7,653 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 17% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Contact:
View company contact information for The Shop Around the Corner on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
12 January 1940 (USA) more
Genre:
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. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
1 win more
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
User Comments:
A Christmas Delight more (99 total)
US TV Schedule:

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
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Additional Details

Runtime:
99 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
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:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
According to Bright Lights Film Journal website, When Kralik mentions "You read Zola's Madame Bovary," Klara immediately corrects him: "Madame Bovary is not by Zola," she snipes. The joke here is that though Klara knows who wrote Madame Bovary, she doesn't understand that she herself is living exclusively in Emma Bovary's world of impossible ideals. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Klara is wrapping the wallet for her mystery boyfriend, Alfred comes into the room, and she stops to talk. However, when they both leave the room, she picks up the package and it's completely wrapped. more
Quotes:
Alfred Kralik: [asking Pirovitch about cost of living for married couple] Suppose a fellow gets an apartment with three rooms. Dining room, bedroom, living room.
Pirovitch: What do you need three rooms for? You live in the bedroom.
Alfred Kralik: Where do you eat?
Pirovitch: In the kitchen. You get a nice big kitchen.
Alfred Kralik: Where do you entertain?
Pirovitch: Entertain? What are you, an embassador? Who do you want to entertain? Listen listen, if someone is really your friend, he comes after dinner.
more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Ochi Tchornya (Dark Eyes) more

FAQ

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30 out of 32 people found the following comment useful.
A Christmas Delight, 4 October 2004
10/10
Author: iandcooper from Cheltenham, England

I have lost count of just how many times I have seen this movie - I probably know the entire dialog backwards - yet I am drawn to it time and again.

Set in Hungary, a young Jimmy Stewart plays the eligible bachelor "Kralik" who becomes the secret admirer of Margaret Sullavan's innocent "Klara". Kralik secretly becomes Klara's pen-friend, and at work together Klara confides in Kralik about the content of his (Kralik's) letters. Clearly Kralik is besotted with Klara - but is unable to make his feelings known whilst he is in competition with the "pen-friend". Confused? Well you wont be - this story has a sweet, almost sugary ending - but we all know it is the ending we all want.

Other characters worth mentioning are Frank Morgan playing his usual role, this time as the shop's owner "Hugo Matuschek", Felix Bressart as "Pirovitch", Kralik's confidant. Joseph Schildkraut as the womanising arrogant "Vadas" - so well played that you cannot help but hate him right from the beginning.

Finally William Tracy who manages to endear himself to us all with his over-confident upstart of a shop junior "Pepi Katona".

Recently re-made as "You've Got Mail" starring Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan for me is not as good as the original - although I suspect younger audiences would disagree.

If this film is on in your area over Christmas, I suggest you pour yourself a nice glass of wine, put a log on the fire and have a box of Kleenex handy.

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