Released – March, 1942 

Directed By - Ernst Lubitsch

Starring – Carole Lombard (Maria Tura), Jack Benny (Joseph Tura), Robert Stack (Lt. Stanislav Sobinski), Felix Bressart (Greenberg), Lionel Atwill (Rawitch).

Description – The efforts of a Polish soldier to track down a Nazi spy are aided (sort of) by a troupe of ham stage actors who use their skill at disguise to fool the occupying troops in Poland.

The Nazi spy has information that would hurt the Polish resistance and this information must not make it into German hands.

Enjoy this comedic exercise in espionage which caused considerable controversy when released.

NOTABLE: In 1996 this film was chosen for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

This motion picture received one Oscar nomination for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or comedy picture.

Director Lubitsch never considered another actor for the role of Joseph Tura beside Jack Benny and had developed the character with Benny in mind.

Although Director Lubitsch was heavily critisized, and his career hurt  for this satire about Nazi’s, this film is now regarded as one of his best.

Sadly, actress Carole Lombard was killed in a plane crash during post-production of the film. She had been returning from a tour selling war bonds.

In 2006 Premiere voted this film as one of “The 50 Greatest Comedies of All Time.” 

To Be or Not to Be

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January, 1942 – Actress Carole Lombard, beautiful, talented, and far too young to die, was killed in a Sierra, Nevada mountain plane crash last evening. She was 34. All 19 passengers on board were killed. They included the stars mother and press agent. Lombard was returning from a very successful tour promoting the sale of War Bonds. 

In 1937 Carole Lombard was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in the screwbal comedy My Man Godfrey opposite her ex-husband William Powell who received the Best Actor nomination.

At that time, Lombard was the highest paid actress in Hollywood. Her final role was in the now famous Ernst Lubitsch production of To Be or Not To Be, the strong anti-Nazi film completed just after the bombing at Pearl Harbor.

In 1939, after a long courtship, Carole Lombard married fellow Hollywood superstar Clark Gable.

Released – October, 1932  

Directed By - Ernst Lubitsch

Starring – Miriam Hopkins (Lily), Kay Francis (Madame Mariette Colet), Herbert Marshall (Gaston Monescu), Charles Ruggles (The Major), Edward Everett Horton (Francois Filiba).

Description – A romantic comedy that tells the story of Gaston Monescu a master thief who meets and falls for Lily a beautiful pickpocket. The two team up and take jobs with famous perfume manufacturer Madame Colet, herself a beautiful woman.

Intent on making Madame Colet their next victim, her beauty only creates a love triangle of trouble. Affairs of the heart, hundreds of thousands of Franc’s, and diamonds just don’t mix.

NOTABLE: In 1991 this film was selected for inclusion in the United States National Film Registry.

This motion picture was produced before the activation of the Hays Code and contained a great deal of adult themes and sexual innuendo. After the inception of the code the film was denied a reissue and was not viewed again until 1968.

Cary Grant was considered for the lead male role, but was considered too young.

This movie is probably the most widely known of Director Lubitsch and showcased what came to be known as ‘The Lubitsch Touch;’ that included subtlety, elegance, expressions of good taste, and the desire to let the audience decide what should be shown or not shown.

Trouble in Paradise – Criterion Collection

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Released - March, 1932 

Directed By - Ernst Lubitsch

Starring – Maurice Chevalier (Dr. Andre Bertier), Jeanette MacDonald (Colette Bertier), Genevieve Tobin (Mitzi Olivier), Charles Ruggles (Adolph), Roland Young (Professor Olivier).

Description – When you are the perfect couple and as happily married as Dr. Andre Bertier and his wife Colette, what could possibly go wrong?

Well, start with an introduction of the Doctor to the very attractive, flirtatious, and persistent Mitzi Olivier whose husband wants to divorce her, and the unexpected attraction of Colette to another man and lets see what happens.

NOTABLE: This picture was nominated for Best Picture Oscar.

The title song for this film was later used as the theme song for Eddie Cantor’s radio show.

Included in Eclipse Series 8 Lubitsch Musicals 

Eclipse Series 8 – Lubitsch Musicals (The Love Parade / The Smiling Lieutenant / One Hour with You / Monte Carlo) (Criterion Collection)

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Released – August, 1931 

Directed By - Ernst Lubitsch

Starring – Maurice Chevalier (Lt. Nikolaus ‘Niki’ Preyn), Claudette Colbert (Franzi), Miriam Hopkins (Princess Anna), Charles Ruggles (Max).

Description – The love triangle has been around forever; this is the story of the Princess who loves the soldier, who loves another woman. Lt. Preyn, in a pre-parade formation, uses the opportunity to send a wink and a smile to his girlfriend Franzi without realizing that a visiting Princess believes the wink and smile are for her.

In order to avoid an international incident, Lt. Preyn is forced to marry the Princess. After the forced marriage, Lt. Preyn (who finds the Princess boring) continually slips away to see Franzi who decides to confront the Princess only to find her deeply in love with her boyfriend.

In an emotional change of heart, Franzi decides to help save the marriage by turning the Princess into an irresistible ‘new princess’.

NOTABLE: This film received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.

Included in Eclipse Series 8 – Lubitsch Musicals 

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Released – August, 1930 

Directed By - Ernst Lubitsch

Starring – Jack Buchanan (Count Rudolph Falliere/Rudy the hairdresser), Jeanette MacDonald (Countess Helene Mara), Claud Allister (Prince Otto Von Seibenheim), Zasu Pitts (Bertha).

Description – Down to her last 10,000 francs, Countess Helene Mara has fled to Monte Carlo after leaving her fiance at the alter. 

Posing as a hairdresser, Count Rudolph Falliere is hired by the Countess and they begin to fall in love.  Countess Mara, believing Count Falliere a commoner, believes they have no future as she is prohibited as royalty to marry a commoner.

With her jilted fiance on his way to Monte Carlo, will the Countess find out about her hairdresser actually being royality himself in time for them to marry?

NOTABLE: This film was hailed by critics as a masterpiece of the newly emerging movie genre the musical.

Introduced in this film, the song ‘Beyond The Blue Horizon’ became an immediate hit and was known as the theme song for Jeanette MacDonald.

Included in the Eclipse Series 8 – Lubitsch Musicals

Eclipse Series 8 – Lubitsch Musicals (The Love Parade / The Smiling Lieutenant / One Hour with You / Monte Carlo) (Criterion Collection)

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