Ernst Lubitsch waited for James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan — his personal picks to play the leads in THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER ('40) — to become available in the midst of their busy schedules. In the meantime, he shot and completed NINOTCHKA. | Turner Classic Movies: TCM

The Shop Around the Corner (1940) Ernst Lubitsch’s The Shop Around the Corner is one of the most beloved romantic comedies of classic Hollywood, celebrated for its wit, charm, and emotional depth. Released in 1940, the film is an enduring example of the “Lubitsch Touch”—the director’s unique style of blending sophistication, humor, and sentiment. The Source Material The film is based on the 1937 Hungarian play Parfumerie by Miklós László. The play tells the story of two co-workers in a Budapest