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.