In ‘The Shop Around the Corner,’ Alfred Kralik and Klara Novak are employees at Matuschek and Company, a general store in Budapest. Klara and Alfred are constantly at odds with each other, butting heads and disagreeing on almost everything.
Both are enamored of their respective pen pals, who serve as welcome distractions in their lives. Little do they know, they are each other’s pen pal and, despite outward differences, have unwittingly fallen in love through their letters.
‘The Shop Around the Corner’ is a delightful, funny film that is a great watch during the holiday season.
Everything about this 1940 classic is simply great - the cast, the story, everything. There are a few moments that will give you a light chuckle, mainly when James Stewart (Alfred) and Margaret Sullavan (Klara) can be arguing and getting on each other’s nerves a bit. The character of Pepi (played by William Tracy) definitely serves as the film’s main comic relief and is one of the many highlights of this film.
The film also has some scenes that can be a little emotional and moving. We see people fearing about losing their jobs during a time when finding a job was tough (the early days of WWII) and some people dealing with loneliness and so much more.
The theme of loneliness is mainly represented in the character of the shop’s owner/manager, played amazingly by Frank Morgan. In the film, his character discovers that his wife is having an affair and later realizes that the successful life he’s created for himself isn’t enough to keep him from feeling lonely when he doesn’t have someone to share it with. His discovery of the affair also leads to a very pivotal moment that I didn’t see coming.
Even though there are times that Alfred and Klara can’t stand each other most of the time, the chemistry between James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan is astounding. You know they’ll eventually find out that they’re each other's pen pals, yet when it’s finally revealed to her, the moment is truly uplifting!
Cast: James Stewart (Alfred Kralik); Margaret Sullavan (Klara Novak); Frank Morgan (Hugo Matuschek); Joseph Schildkraut (Ferencz Vadas); Sara Holden (Flora); Felix Bressart (Pirovitch); William Tracy (Pepi Katora); Inez Courtney (Ilana).
Writer/director: Samson Raphaelson (writer) (Main Street to Broadway; In the Good Old Summertime); Ernst Lubitsch (director) (Heaven Can Wait; That Uncertain Feeling)
Trivia: The director purchased the rights to the play that the film is based on for approximately $7500. Lubitsch delayed the start of the film until both Stewart and Sullavan were available. In the meantime, he filmed ‘Nebraska’ (1939). This film is included among the AFI’s 2002 list of the Top 100 American Greatest Love Story Movies and among their 2000 list of the 500 movies nominated for the Top 100 Funniest American Movies.
Rating: Not Rated (running time 99 minutes)
Where to find the film? If you didn’t get a chance to see the film during the 12 Movies of Christmas festival at the Dietrich, you can currently stream the film on the Max streaming service.
Make sure to check my Wyoming County Examiner reviews page on Facebook to see what I have planned for the remaining holiday selections I will be checking out!
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