Love Billy Wilder? Love Ernst Lubitsch!!! (1 Viewer)

[Mark-W]

Just a brief note since yesturday I got a copy
of Criterion's new release of Ernst Lubitsch's
Trouble In Paradise, and I cannot
believe how fantastic this film is! And, having
been an admirer of Billy Wilder's films, I am a bit
embarrassed that I never bothered to check out the films
of the man he credits with inspiring him.
Looking at the bonus supplements on the Criterion DVD,
I just hope that if there are any other clueless Billy
Wilder fans out there, they need to check out Lubitsch
on DVD.
Peter Bogdonavich calls Trouble in Paradise,
a "lost treasure," and it is sad that more people haven't
seen this work. (Basing this assumption on what I have
heard.)
Other Lubitsch DVDs currently available include
Warner Bros. release of The Shop Around the Corner,
which I hadn't paid much attention to, since I figured
the film that inspired You've Got Mail
wouldn't be that good. (oops).
And That Uncertain Feeling which has
a DVD of questionable quality, but the Roan Group copy
might be better, if someone could give some advice.
Also, any of you Lubitsch fans, please let us (and me)
know what you reccomend on DVD!
Regards,
Mark

 

[Alex Morrow]

Lubitsch is definately "the man" when it comes to cinema. I went to see "To Be or Not To Be" in a small theater with Leonard Maltin during a film festival. I had a great time, even though he commented that since I was too young (21) to know who Jack Benny was or about his popularity.

 

[Scott Calvert]

Mark, you HAVE to watch The Shop Around the Corner. It's one of the most perfect romantic comedies ever made. Warner's DVD is fantastic too.

 

[Randy_M]

I also loved The Shop Around The Corner - I like You've Got Mail , too :b

 

[Rob Ray]

You've already found the best Lubitsch on DVD, but we need to get Universal to release "The Lubitsch Touch" laserdisc box set on DVD and include "If I Had a Million" and "Broken Lullaby" this time.

"The Marriage Circle," a Lubitsch silent film which he remade as the talkie "One Hour With You" is available, as is his last silent, "Eternal Love," which isn't prime Lubitsch. Roan's "That Uncertain Feeling" has a fairly nice transfer as I recall but it's lesser Lubitsch (much as "Love in the Afternoon" is lesser Wilder, it's still worth a watch).

Warners has "The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg," one of his best silents, and I'm sure they will get around to "Ninotchka" someday. It's easily found on tape and laserdisc in the meantime.

But my favorites are the early Paramounts, like "Trouble in Paradise." We need "The Love Parade," "Monte Carlo," "The Smiling Lieutenant," "One Hour With You," "Design for Living" and his drama "Broken Lullaby." Plus, whoever owns "To Be or Not To Be" needs to bring that out. And I Fox needs to release "Heaven Can Wait" and "Cluny Brown." Then we'll be happy.

 

[Jon Robertson]

The Shop Around the Corner is my new annual Christmas Eve film - it's utterly sublime and perfectly captures that new kind of excitement and anticipation one has during Christmas when all grown up.

 

[Rodney]

Shop around the Corner is a very good film (and I didn't like You've Got Mail).
More Lubitsch please!

 

[george kaplan]

I agree that Lubitsch is great (although I think Wilder is greater ).
My faves of his include To Be or Not To Be, The Shop Around the Corner and Ninotchka.

 

[Rodney]

I would love to have To Be Or Not To Be on DVD. Jack Benny is great in it. I TiVo that everytime it comes on. Hilarious!

 

[Larry Sutliff]

And That Uncertain Feeling which has
a DVD of questionable quality, but the Roan Group copy
might be better

I have the Roan THAT UNCERTAIN FEELING; it isn't quite up to a studio quality release, but it looks like the source print is nitrate, and it's a pretty good DVD overall. I would recommend it to any Lubitsch fan, and the movie is definitely underrated. The performances are hilarious, especially Burgess Meredith.

 

[Mark-W]

Thanks for the advice and imput!
I just picked up a copy of The Shop Around the Corner, and will be ordering the Roan Group DVD of
That Uncertain Feeling.
I agree regarding To Be Or Not To Be.
I had seen it because I am an admirer of Carole Lombard's
and always thought (even as a child) that film was hillarious.
Does anyone have the German region DVD of that one?
Mark

 

[Mark-W]

Well, I managed to watch The Shop Around The Corner, and I have to say all you who praise it are correct!
I did like You've Got Mail, but it just
seems like it will not have a long "shelf life."
And The Shop Around The Corner is so
superior in every way to the loose remake.
Also, Ninotchka was on TCM last Sunday,
and I thank those of you who mentioned it, since I would've
missed it while surfing through the TV guide.
(I have yet to see what I guess would be a "lesser work"
for Lubitsch, since the three I've seen are just soooo
fantastic!)
Thanks again!
Mark

 

[Jay Gregory]

How does the Trouble In Paradise DVD look?
Both this movie and My Man Godfrey were aired on TCM last evening.
The difference between the TCM print of the latter, and my Criterion Collection DVD was pretty stunning. Maybe even breathtaking, in the parlance of Criterion copyspeak.
Can I expect similar satisfaction from the Trouble In Paradise disk?

 

[Scott Calvert]

Jay, maybe someone else will chime in with a different opinion, but I think Criterion's dvd of Trouble in Paradise looks just "ok". I'm sure they did the best they could with it, but there's a distinct lack of sharpness and detail as if the transfer had been taken from a dupe several generations away from the negative, as is often the case with very old films like this one where original elements may no longer exist.

 

[Jon Robertson]

By all accounts, one of the problems that Universal had when they took over Paramount's early catalogue is that no original elements were left for them to work with. I can well believe Criterion did the best they could with the best possible elements...which, sadly, weren't up to much.

Still, I wouldn't do anything other than give it my highest recommendation.

 

[Jay Gregory]

I'm definitely in the market for a copy, and spent a few hours Wednesday evening looking at local retailers for one to present to my Valentine today.
Unfortunately, Duluth GA is not a hotbed for much, beyond traffic, and none of the local retailers are apparently stocking that title. So I settled on a Shop Around The Corner/The Philadelphia Story two-fer. Hopefully, that will suffice.
It's too bad that Criterion was not able to work Godfrey-like magic on ...Paradise. I had forgotten just how bad Godfrey had looked in most presentations before the TCM showing the other night. I was wondering why this thread specifically avoided commenting on how the DVD looks, but the movie is so entertaining that I'm sure I'll love the disk anyway. Thanks for the responses.

 

[David Brashear]

I saw the wonderful Ninotchka in one of my film classes last week, the print was very nice too. So when is Warner releasing this?

 

[Jaime_Weinman]

Over on the Criterion Forum it was indicated that Criterion is working on Lubitsch's Heaven Can Wait (a Lubitsch authority is working on a commentary track). Great news. Hopefully Fox will also license out or release Lubitsch's last completed film, Cluny Brown, which has never even been on VHS.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

Wilder's straightest homage to Lubitsch is definitely "Love in the Afternoon" right down to his casting of Maurice Chevalier. This was also Wilder's first collaboration with I.A.L. Diamond.

Regards,

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

Criterion is working on Lubitsch's Heaven Can Wait

That is great news!