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At-A-Glance Film Reviews

The Shop Around the Corner (1940)



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Jimmy Stewart's "other" holiday comedy, The Shop Around the Corner is a delightful romantic comedy. Ernst Lubitsch directs, and the famed "Lubitsch touch" is present throughout. The story is of the workers at a small novelty store owned by a Mr. Matuschek (Frank Morgan), in particular one Alfred Kralik (Stewart) and fiesty new hire Klara Novak (Margaret Sullavan, billed above Stewart). The two don't get along very well. If the film has one flaw, it's that the growing tension between the two isn't shown; the film skips that and fills it in later.

But on the whole, the film is a delight. The dialogue is smart, both the humor and the drama works, and it's impeccably cast. The stars -- and not just Jimmy Stewart -- are a joy to watch. Bringing it all together is director Ernst Lubitsch, whose genius lurks just beneath the surface.

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