“The Shop
Around the Corner” is a romantic comedy, based on a play by Nikolaus Laszlo and Directed by Ernst Lubitsch.
In
Budapest, Hungary, Matuschek and Company’s gift store is owned by Mr. Hugo
Matuschek (Frank Morgan) and bachelor Alfred Kralik (James Stewart) is his best
and most experienced salesman.
But
everything seems to go awry when Klara Novak (Margaret Sullavan) is hired by Mr
Matuschek, but from the first moment Kralik and she meet they do not get along.
Over the
weeks that follows the lonely and dedicated Kralik has an anonymous pen pal and
through their correspondence he falls in love with her and intends to propose
to her.
Simultaneously
however his relationship with his employer deteriorates and he is fired without
explanation by Mr Matuschek on the very same night that he is going to meet his
secret love and propose.
He goes to
the bar that night regardless where they have scheduled their meeting with his
colleague Pirovitch (Felix Bressart) and he surprisingly finds that Klara is
his correspondent, however he chooses not disclose his identity to her because
he feels ashamed after being sacked.
But
following a shocking incident, involving salesman Ferencz Vadas (Joseph
Schildkraut), shop boy Pepi Katona (William Tracy) and Matuschek himself, he has a change of heart and hires
Kralik back again but this time to manage the shop.
However as
Klara is still fascinated with her correspondent she pays little or no
attention to Alfred so it would take all his guile and cunning to work out a
plan to reveal himself to Klara who exactly he is.
But
anything is possible, it is Christmas after all and everyone loves a happy
ending.
