Ernst Lubitsch and his films

[Konway]

Hello Everyone,
I have enjoyed watching lots of Lubitsch films like Broken Lullaby, Trouble in Paradise, Design for Living, Bluebeard's Eighth wife, Ninotchka, The Shop around the Corner, That Uncertain Feeling, To be or not to be, Heaven Can Wait, and A Royal Scandal.

But my favorite Lubitsch films are The Shop around the Corner, To be or not to be, and A Royal Scandal.

In his conversations with Billy Wilder, Cameron Crowe asked about what a Lubitsch touch is.

Here's Billy Wilder's answer about Lubitsch touch:

"It was the elegant use of the Superjoke. You had a joke, and you felt satisfied, and then there was one more big joke on top of it. The joke you didn't expect."

As you know, Billy Wilder's favorite director was Ernst Lubitsch. Billy Wilder also worked as the screenwriter for Bluebeard's eighth wife and Ninotchka.

[charliechaplinfan]

I like his earlier works best, his films with Chevalier and the later Cluny Brown

We have an earlier thread, if you would like to look at it http://silverscreenoasis.com/oasis3/vie ... 54&start=0

[Konway]

I didn't know there was another thread about Lubitsch. I will read the thread you mentioned. Out of early Lubitsch films, I like Trouble in Paradise a lot. I think That Uncertain Feeling (1941) is highly underrated. What do you think about it?

Heaven can Wait (1943) is an enjoyable film too. Lubitsch wanted to make a character that is in same line with Mrs. Matuschek in The Shop around the corner. But the difference is Henry Van Cleve does have a considerate mind unlike Mrs. Matuschek.

[intothenitrate]

I like Billy Wilder's quote that Lubitsch could "make chocolate out of chicken sh*t."

[charliechaplinfan]

I haven't watched That Certain Feeling and wasn't mad on Heaven Can Wait when I watched it but it was some time ago. I love Trouble in Paradise and tend to prefer his earlier works, I think his comedy sits better with the fashion and performers of the 30s but Cluny Brown is as great as the early movies.

[Western Guy]

Alison, if you can't enjoy HEAVEN CAN WAIT for the story (or possibly Don Ameche), just savor the delicious performance of the brilliant Laird Cregar as His Excellency. That wonderful actor made ANY film watchable.

[Konway]

I agree about Laird Cregar. He was a great actor. Aside from Heaven Can Wait, He was great in I wake up screaming, the lodger, and Hangover Square. I believe his performance dominates the entire film "I wake up screaming." I believe this is also the same case with Kathleen Byron in Black Narcissus.

I highly recommend A Royal Scandal (1945). I was laughing throughout the entire film. It was absolutely hilarious. I also like the nice touch expressed throughout the film.

I am moving this message to charliechaplinfan's Ernst Lubitsch thread. We can continue the discussion in charliechaplinfan's Ernst Lubitsch thread.

[charliechaplinfan]

I discovered Laird Cregar not long ago, he's reason enough for me to revisit Heaven Can Wait.

[RedRiver]

No one can challenge Lubitsch's contributions to film comedy. But in the long run, I prefer Preston Sturges' friendly ribbing of him in SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS. "Oh, allright. Lubitsch!"

[Konway]

Ernst Lubitsch made one drama called Broken Lullaby. It was an interesting drama starring Lionel Barrymore. Playwright Robert Sherwood praised it when this film was released.

Like The Shop around the Corner, Lubitsch's humor in Heaven Can Wait is done in a lighter angle. Ernst Lubitsch and Samson Raphaelson brings the humor most of the time through Grandfather (Charles Coburn). After the death of Grandpa and Martha, I found the father and the son discussion absolutely hilarious. The father is behaving like a son and the son is behaving like a father.

What I like about Heaven Can Wait is that this film is about the successes and failures through a flawed man named Henry Van Cleve who admits his own weaknesses. Henry has a kind and loving heart. But his weaknesses dominates him at the same time. We can connect to Henry Van Cleve through the successes and failures we had in our past.

[charliechaplinfan]

I like Broken Lullaby, others may differ but I found the theme quite moving and unusual for a Hollywood movie.

[Konway]

I agree with you, charliechaplinfan. One of the most powerful moments in the film is Lionel Barrymore's speech at the restaurant in front of other old men. Samson Raphaelson cowrote the screenplay for Broken Lullaby. Samson Raphaelson was Lubitsch's favorite screenwriter. Samson Raphaelson wrote the screenplay for Lubitsch's comedies like Trouble in Paradise, Angel (But Raphaelson wasn't satisfied with the final script of this film), The Shop around the Corner, and Heaven Can Wait. Raphaelson wrote the screenplay for Hitchcock's Suspicion.

charliechaplinfan, That uncertain feeling is available here to download.



One of the reasons why this film is in public domain, because the studio that owned this film got closed after the box office failure of this film.

[Konway]

SPOILERS (Heaven Can Wait)

Below is my viewpoint on Heaven can Wait (1943).

To me, this film is about the successes and failures through a flawed man named Henry Van Cleve who admits his own weaknesses. Henry has a kind and loving heart. But his weaknesses (his romantic affairs) dominates him at the same time. But in the film, I don't think it is ever implied that his romantic affairs with women reached to the dangerous point of sleeping with them. We also have to consider the time period he lived. He lived from 1872 to 1942.

We know that his "romantic" attachment towards women started from the beginning of his life. It is not something that got started at a later age. For Example, Alcoholism.

The problem was that his surroundings (his father, his mother) only allowed his weaknesses to be increased through providing a lot of freedom and money at a young age. We can give some exception to Grandpa (Charles Coburn).

Compared to snobbish Albert, Henry Van Cleve was more understanding and loving. Albert is the kind of person who will pick on the smallest mistakes instead of understanding the other person's position. For Example, the sneezing of Martha. But what Henry wanted to do was love Martha truly. He "truly" did love her. But his weaknesses towards women did cause trouble for his married life.

We know how much he loved Martha and how much he misses Martha during the scene where he accidentally picks the book "How to make your husband happy."

I don't think Henry Van Cleve's weakness can be judged, because it is something that he can't help with. It is the kind of weakness that can be stopped if other family members were willing to help Henry stop it rather than tolerate it.

I think this is still relevant today. For example, let me take allergy. There are so many allergies out there - Gluten, Wheat, Soy, Eggs, peanut, shellfish, etc.

Let me take someone with wheat allergy. A calm and nice person "accidentally" eats a food that contains "traces" of wheat. Due to allergy reaction, the person gets a migraine headache and becomes very angry. We can't blame the person, because it is not his fault. I think this is the case with Henry Van Cleve. He knew about his weakness and he couldn't help it. But he felt guilty that he was conquered by his weaknesses throughout his life. That's why he decided to go to hell instead of heaven.

[charliechaplinfan]

Thanks for The Uncertain Feeling, I must get around to watching it one day, I'll try to make that day soon.

[MissGoddess]

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