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The Shop Around the Corner 1940 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Ernst Lubitsch
NR, 99 min. |
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Starring: James Stewart, Margaret Sullavan, Frank Morgan, Joseph Schildkraut, Sara Haden, Felix Bressart, William Tracy, Inez Courtney
Producer: Ernst Lubitsch
Screenplay: Samson Raphaelson
Cinematography: William Daniels
Distributor: MGM
Released: 1.12.40 |
Rating:
  (out of ) |
Director Ernst Lubitsch's favorite film, The Shop Around the Corner, probably showed him at his best. Though a relatively
simple story, the tension lying just beneath the surface in this film is a masterful piece of work by Lubitsch - who is also
responsible for Trouble in Paradise, Ninotchka, To Be or Not To Be, and Heaven Can Wait. After recently
viewing the dismal remake of this film, You've Got Mail, I decided to go back and watch the original. The tension-filled
chemistry between James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan is brilliant compared to the more subdued Hanks/Ryan duo. The
story in this film is also much better and more interesting because of the many strong supporting characters that Lubitsch engrosses
the audience with - you can connect with those characters because they are everyday people trying to make a living during
the Depression.
Most of the film takes place in a leather goods shop where we are introduced to Alfred (Stewart), a top salesman, and Klara
(Sullavan), a job-seeking young woman. Klara has pleaded with Hugo (Morgan), the shop's owner, to give her a job, and when he refuses, she
proceeds to sell a musical cigarette box to a cynical old woman. Hugo gives her a job, but Alfred is immediately threatened by
her selling techniques. Alfred has been corresponding with a woman he found in an ad by writing love letters and leaving them
in her mailbox number. Unknowingly to him, his secret corresponder is none other than Klara, who is also in love with his
letters. However, their relationship in the shop is becoming increasingly hostile, which makes an eventual showdown inevitable.
They arrange to meet one night, with only Alfred realizing that Klara is his pen pal. Alfred must find a way to heal their
relationship so when she does discover it's him, she will be more receptive.
Besides the cat and mouse game ongoing between Alfred and Klara, the supporting characters make the movie even more
involving. Hugo, Pirovitch (Bressart), Ferencz (Schildkraut), and Pepi (Tracy) all give strong performances, making their
characters an integral part of the story. Morgan, in particular, shows a great deal of delicacy in his part - he is a father figure
of sorts, yet also a firm right hand for his employees.
The Shop Around the Corner has a rewarding conclusion, but it would have been even more so had the two main characters,
Stewart and Sullavan, been onscreen together a bit more. There are a few sideplots throughout the movie that seem a little
unnecessary, but this is only a minor complaint. As a whole, this film is almost a forgotten gem for many movie enthusiasts, and
is worth another look. What they will discover is a wonderful film, full of interesting and complex characters, that ultimately
lead to satisfying resolutions - a sign of a very good film. The Shop Around the Corner is a film that is not to be missed.
© 2001 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
| Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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