One of the most distinctly Hungarian films of the classic Hollywood era, Ernst Lubitsch’s The Shop Around the Corner is not only based on Miklós László’s play Parfumerie but also set and filmed on location in Budapest, using the original Hungarian character names to enhance its authenticity further.
The plot revolves around the lives of the people working in a titular leather goods shop, with a particular focus on salesman Alfred Kralik (James Stewart) and the newly hired Klara Novak (Margaret Sullavan). The Shop Around the Corner provides us with the perfect basis for a classic screwball comedy. After all, it is apparent early on that Kralik and Novak can’t stand each other. Yet they have also been exchanging letters anonymously, both slowly falling in love with their secret pen pal.
In my opinion, one of the greatest achievements of Lubitsch’s film is that it inhabits the classic Christmas template while embracing a realistic, human focus. Here, the festive season is not excessively jolly or kitsch but is rooted in rare realism. But let me explain this further.
Screwball comedy is notable for satirising love stories where the two leads engage in a humorous battle of the sexes. In most cases, the result is exclusively comprised of over-the-top conflicts, absurd situations, and extremely fast-paced storytelling – as seen in Bringing Up Baby (1938) or His Girl Friday (1940). Yet Lubitsch takes the central conflict of the screwball genre and turns it into an endearing comedy that doesn’t shy away from the lingering sadness of its characters. The result is a genuinely funny, moving, and emotional film that demonstrates the complexities of human interactions, perceptions, and judgements.
While James Stewart’s name is already associated with the ultimate Christmas classic, It’s a Wonderful Life, Lubitsch’s film is just as charming. Just take a look at the numerous adaptations the original play has inspired, from Robert Z. Leonard’s musical In the Good Old Summertime (1949) to Nora Ephron’s You’ve Got Mail (1998) and Kadhal Kottai, an unofficial Tamil-language remake in 1996. However, it’s Lubitsch’s original film that remains a timeless classic worth rewatching every festive season.
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