The Shop Around the Corner

Hi guys its soooo cold here . I wanted to take my son to the park today but since it is so cold we decided to stay in which gave me a chance to watch another movie while he napped!!!

Today's romantic saga is The Shop Around the Corner, which I didn't think was to much of a romantic saga at all. Don't get me wrong it was a good movie but it didn't knock me outta my socks by any means, maybe its because I have seen the modern remake You've Got Mail, or maybe it just mediocre compared to some of the classic love stories of its time. I did get a kick out of the store owner referred to as Mr. Matuschek (everyone is referred to by their last names in this story as they all are in the work place the the majority of the movie).As I am watching the movie I start to think I know him from somewhere , I looked him up and sure enough its THE WIZARD OF OZ !!! Frank Morgan.

This movie is set in a store Matuschek and Company. Mr. Alred Kralik ( James Stweart ) is the salesman and Ms.Klara Novak ( Margaret Sullivan ) is a women who comes in looking for a job. She gets the job when she impresses Mr Matuschek going over Mr Kraliks head and selling a musical smoke box that Mr. Kralik advised Mr.Matuchek not to buy, which starts their feud from the beginning! The two of them bicker throughout the whole movie. The music box is a center player in this movie as well.In the meantime Mr. Kralik tells his pal Mr Pirovitch that when he was looking in the paper to buy an encyclopedia he comes across an add about a women he has been writing too. You find out later on that Ms Novak is that women.

There is also another player in this story store clerk Mr.Vadas who to be straight is the brown noser of the century. Mr. Matuschek starts treating Mr. Kralik like crap and no one knows why. After a well deserved outburts from Mr. Kralik, Mr. Matuchek decides to fire him. Mr. Matuschek finds out that his wife has been cheating on him with who other then The Butt kisser Mr. Vadas from the PI who meets him at his store. He realizes he fired the wrong man. That Mr. Kralik who has been like a son and been with him for 9 years is not the young man sleeping with his wife. The courier Pepe breaks in at the last min to save Mr Matuschek from shooting himself.I think this storyline out shadows the love story. I guess I was waiting to see all the similarity's in You've Got Mail and Shop around the Corner and was disappointed that there was only a few. I guess if you had seen this movie first you would be disappointed with You've Got Mail. The scene where Mr Kralick is supposed to meet his girl that he has been pen pals with at the resturant is almost exaclty the same as the scene in You've Got Mail.Even Mr. Kralik chickening out when he finds out its really Ms. Novak.

I loved the ending.It was the only part of the movies where my heart leapt,when they are supposed to meet in the restaurant Klara is to bring the book Anna Karenina by Tolstoy with a red carnation in it and he was to wear a red carnation on his lapel. So Mr. Kralik at the end starts to tear down her letter writing lover and tells her he wishes he could be the once standing there at 8:30 at her door.He tells her to take him outta the post office box and kiss him as he puts a red carnation on his lapel. The End.

This movie is not the Cat's Meow by any means but I will give it three and a half finger waves as I think I was previously influenced by You've Got Mail.

The Shop Around the Corner Quotes:
If you don't like Miss Novak,I can tell you, you won't like that girl.
-Why?
- Because it is Miss Novak.


- Kralik?
- Yes, sir?
-Now that you're the boss,if you want to give yourself a raise..
-I'll talk it over with myself,and if I don't want too much money....l'll give it to myself. Thank you, sir!

Ps. Still trying to decided if I am going to watch The Good Old Summertime the music version of this film.

Waterloo Bridge

So here I am talking about movies !! I have this new found love for the Classics I am going to watch my way through as many as I can and bring you all along!!! I have been researching some of the actresses of the 30's 40's and 50's . All I can say is that these are some tough broads who really had to have talent and the gull to make it in a mans world!! So here we go

My First screening is Waterloo Bridge. Its an amazing and tragic love story about a solider and a dancer.It starts out with an older gentleman (Robert Taylor ) on Waterloo Bridge going back in his memory about days long ago as he holds a lucky charm. The scene fades to him as a young solider overlooking the bridge when an bunch of women come walking up the bridge as an air raid siren goes off. The ask him where to go and scramble to get to the air raid shelter. Myra (Vivien Leigh ) falls behind as her purse falls open and everything falls out including her lucky charm. Captain Roy takes her to the shelter and they hang out and get to know each other as the bombs are going off above. He tells her he is to leave to France on duty the following morning. She explains that she is part of a ballet and he is welcome to come that night. He tells her he cant because he has a dinner with the General.She gives him her good luck charm.
This starts there sweet love affair! He goes to the ballet instead to her astonishment, afterwards he sends a message to her dressing room to ask her to dinner. He would rather spend his last night with her then at a stuffy dinner!
She accepts against the wishes of the madame of the ballet. They met at the Candle Club, and as they dance to the last dance , a waltz the she asks what all the candles are about? He tells her she will see, as they dance falling in love each group of instruments fade out and as they do they put out their candles. Eventually they are in the dark dancing and then they kiss a pivotal moment of passion, of no return!

The next day as she sulks that he is gone she stares out the rainy window just to find that he is waiting for her across the street. She goes to him and he tells her he has 48 hrs to ship off and asks her to marry him !!! The plans don't go so well according to the law you cant marry after three pm so they have to come back in the morning. In the mean time she spends all of her money on clothes , a wedding dress to be exact. As she is leaving for the ballet that evening. He calls her in distress he has been called to duty early and has to report to the train station in 20 mins could she meet him there . She agrees knowing she will lose her job at the ballet, unfortunately she cant get a cab and gets the wrong directions and makes it just in time to wave to him as the train pulls away.

She arrives back at the theater just to be fired by the mean old crotchety madame! Her best friend Kitty decides to stick up for her and is fired too. They get a place a small flat together and they are running out of money fast. Myra gets a letter from Roy stating that his mother is coming to town to see her. So they are to meet for tea. Myra sits waiting for her for a long long time. What seems like forever when the waitress comes by and asks her if she would like to read the evening paper. As she is reading she sees the fallen soldiers list and is schocked to see Roys name on it she faints and awakes to the manger giving her a drink and wakeing her up. Roys mother arrives a few mins later apologizing for the wait. She goes on an on about Roy as Myra gets angry. His mother doenst even know he is dead yet. The mother takes her behavior as strange and decides they should try and meet another time.

Kitty takes care of the devastated Myra telling her she has a job at the theater instead she has a job of a different kind. Myra finds out the Kitty is a Lady of the Evening and this is how she has been making the money to take care of them. She walks to the bridge to reminisce when she is propositioned by a man an is seen walking off. Fades to black

Myra is in the trains station looking for soldiers who might need a night of fun when who does she see ??? The hot Captain Roy who thinks she is there waiting on him . He is so thrilled to see her and still wants to marry her.He gives her back the charm and tells her it has given him luck. And that he was in a german war camp and unable to contact her. She decided this is her chance for life and she is gonna take it. She keeps her sercert as they go to his mothers place to meet everyone. When she is there, there is a ball and everyone falls in love with her . Happy Ending??? Think again.
That night Roys mother comes to her room and tells her she loves her and calls her dauthger and is so happy she is going to be Roys wife. As the mother exits the room Myra cpmes to terms with the fact this is a complete sham and goes running down the hall after her. She reaches her room and tells her that there were " others " and that she will leave in the morning as long as Roy is never to know.

The next day Roy gets a goodbye letter from Myra and decides to find her.He goes to Kitty and her apartment only to find Kitty there alone who hasn't seen Myra. Roy knows something is up and begs Kitty to tell him. She asks him if he can handle it and instead of telling him takes him on a trip around the city to all the sleazy bars and the trains station looking for Myra. He gets the hint during this time and all the while you see the hurt in his face but he still looks for her.

Cut to Myra on Waterloo Bridge she runs into one of her call girl friends who states she thought she was going to be married and knew it was too good to be true.She asks if she is coming to the station a glassy eyes Myra says no the lady walks away. Myra starts to walk off the bridge and you see Military medic trucks flying bye as she is walking . She throws her self in front of one of them and you see a crowd around her and you see her Lucky Charm on the ground. Fades to the older Captain Roy at the bridge getting in his car. THE END!

What a wonderful movie I give it two finger waves and a big six if you know what I mean!!!

Waterloo Bridge Facts:
Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor's personal favorite movie they started in.
Waterloo Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge crossing the River Thames in London, England.
Waterloo Bridge is a remake of a 1931 movie with the same title
Waterloo Bridge was nominated for Two Academy Awards.