The Shop Around The Corner Romantic Comedy Film

The Shop Around the Corner is an American romantic comedy film of 1940 which was directed and produced by Ernst Lubistch. The film was probably based on a Hungarian play by Miklos Laszlo, titled Parfumerie. The film was considered culturally significant by the United States Library Congress and was chosen to be preserved at the National Film Registry.

The plot of the film, The Shop Around the Corner revolves around the relationship between Alfred, the Assistant Manger of an upscale bookshop in Hungary and the newest employee Klara. While the two bicker and rail at each other as colleagues, little do they know that they in fact share a secret romantic relationship as two pen-friends unknown to each other. They fall in love through letters while remaining peevish and anti-pathic to each other as co-workers.

A major subplot of the film, The Shop Around the Corner lay in the apparent infidelity of the store owners wife. This leads to various spill over effects on the numerous working relationships in the shop. the subplot brings out the complications in the intricately connected lives of the employees at the upscale shop in far-off, inter-war Budapest.

The main cast of The Shop Around the Corner included James Stewart as Alfred and Margaret Sullivan in the role of Klara. Others actors included Frank Morgan as Hugo Matuschek, Joseph Skildkraut as Ferencz Vadas and Sara Hayden as Flora Kaczek. The film was well received at the box office after its release in 1940 and was even appreciated by the critics. Today it is considered as one of the classics in the history of American cinema.

The perfectly plotted script of The Shop Around the Corner by Samson Raphaelson is impeccably realized by director Ernst Lubistch who also produced the film. The Lubistch touch is there in the combination of wry observation, delicate sentiment and gently controlled romanticism. Though all the complications in the plot of the film are resolved finally, a teasing sense of mystery is left in the end along with the fear of how easily good people can miss their chances of happiness in this world.

The Shop Around the Corner went on to inspire several remakes both in films and theatre. The 1949 musical love story In the Good Old Summertime starred Judy Garland and Van Johnson the lead roles. Again in 1998, came Youve Got Mail, starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks as the warring book store owners who are secretly in love as pen pals over the Internet. the 1940 film inspired many stage productions as well. in 1963 the musical She Loves Me opened at Broadway and in 1964 at West End. The productions were later revived in 1993 and 1994 respectively. Wikipedia

The Shop Around The Corner Romantic Comedy Film