Happy New Year From Budapest!

Happy New Year to one and all from Losh-Man’s Hollywood Classics! I actually meant to post this prior to Christmas 2018 but just never got around to it. And while the title may say Happy New Year from Budapest, it is only because of the movie I am bringing you today as I am posting from Kansas City, Missouri as usual.

Not a lot of romances come out of rivalry, distaste and conflict especially in a business setting but our feature today is one of the exceptions.

And it’s no secret that my all-time favorite actor is James Stewart, so tonight I’m covering another of his movies.

That is the plot of The Shop Around The Corner the January, 1940 Ernst Lubitsch directed classic.

You have to wonder if Alfred Kralik (James Stewart) and Klara Novak (Margaret Sullivan) who end up uncomfortably as co-workers at the leather goods store called Matuschek & Company in Budapest, Hungary at Christmas time knew that in the internet age there would be so many sites out there with tips, rules, etc about office romances.

They are employed by Hugo Matuschek (Frank Morgan) who was not planning to hire more help in the shop until he sees Klara, who was looking for a job sell one of his new musical cigarette boxes that plays “Oh, Chichonia” to a customer, telling her it is a candy box that by playing the song each time the owner takes a piece of candy, they are reminded not to over-indulge by the song playing.

Alfred Kralik (Stewart) was against her being hired and they become instant rivals and  as her manager, he tries to make her work environment difficult.

But we also see Alfred confiding in co-worker Mr Pirovitch (Felix Brassart) about his by-mail correspondence with a woman that he plans to meet soon and from the depth of their letters, he hopes will develop into an in-person courtship and future marriage.

Little do Alfred and Klara know they are actually falling in love with each other as they are the ones exchanging these letters.  They also initially believe that their separate pen pals have such depth that Klara’ s couldn’t possibly be Alfred and vice-versa.

Alfred’s treatment of Klara causes her so much stress that she eventually becomes ill. But Alfred soon becomes Manager of the store after Mr Matuschek attempts suicide and is temporarily committed after the Private Investigator he hired to find out who which of his employees was having an affair with Mrs Matuschek reveals that it was not Alfred (who despite being like a son to him, he had recently terminated under the suspicion) but it was Mr Vadas (Joseph Shildkraut).

After Alfred is brought back into the employ with the promotion and a raise, he feels bad about his treatment of Klara, and goes to visit her at home and they soon realize who their pen pals are.

So check out The Shop Around The Corner! You’ll Be Glad Ya’ Did! I’ll see you next time here on Losh-Man’s Hollywood Classics!