History Creator / ErnstLubitsch

* ''Film/RomeoAndJulietIntheSnow'' (1920)

Lubitsch began his career in Germany in the 1910s where he made his name as a maker of historical EpicMovie, in which he occasionally appeared as an actor. He gradually found his mark as a comedy director in films like ''Film/TheOysterPrincess'' and ''The Wildcat''. His films were hits around the world and Creator/MaryPickford herself was interested in working with Lubitsch, inviting him to work in Hollywood. The resulting collaboration didn't work out all that well, but Lubitsch stuck around and made films that were successful and original elegant comedies. His ''The Marriage Circle'' and his adaptation of Creator/OscarWilde's ''Lady Windermere's Fan'' were seen as incredibly advanced and sophisticated attempts at telling adult dramas within the limitations of silent film. When sound arrived, Lubitsch became a major innovator with one of the earliest musicals, ''Film/TheLoveParade'' (1929), starring Creator/MauriceChevalier and Jeanette [=MacDonald=]. This led to a series of films with the duo that created a kind of musicals which were RuritanianRomance with fairy tale landscapes that contrasted with the adult LoveDodecahedron that audiences recognized as being very 20th Century. This was made during UsefulNotes/ThePreCodeEra and as such Lubitsch got away with a lot more in these films than would be possible later.

-> ''"I've been to Paris, France and I've been to [[CaliforniaDoubling Paris]], Creator/{{Paramount}}. Paris, Paramount is better."''
-->-- '''Ernst Lubitsch'''

-->-- at Lubitsch's funeral.

* ''Film/TheDoll'' (1919)

* ''[[Film/TheMerryWidow1934 The Merry Widow]]'' (1934)

[[caption-width-right:320:Lubitsch with his 1946 Lifetime Achievement Award. [[note]]And, no, [[AwardSnub he never won]] a competitive Best Director Oscar.[[/note]]]]

Ernst Lubitsch (January 29, 1892 – November 30, 1947) was ThePioneer of a non-flashy kind. His films don't have over-the-top obvious editing gimmicks or lighting and EpicTrackingShot that movie students will go squee about. But he was in his own way, as innovative as Creator/SergeiEisenstein and Creator/JohnFord. He was highly respected in his lifetime and famous enough that promoters talked about "The Lubitsch Touch", a distinctive style that defined his films.

He's best known for ''Film/{{Ninotchka}}'', the film where Creator/GretaGarbo laughs. He's also known for the musicals and comedies he made in ThePreCodeEra, especially ''Film/TroubleInParadise.'' His film ''Film/TheShopAroundTheCorner'' is still well known today and widely seen, starring Creator/JamesStewart and Margaret Sullavan; he later cited it as one of his favorite films. It was remade as ''Film/YouveGotMail''. His anti-Nazi comedy ''Film/ToBeOrNotToBe'' was even cited by Creator/QuentinTarantino for ''Film/InglouriousBasterds''.

-> '''Creator/WilliamWyler''': It's worse than that, [[ToughActToFollow no more Lubitsch pictures]].

Ernst Lubitsch (January 29, 1892 – November 30, 1947) was ThePioneer of a non-flashy kind. His films don't have over-the-top obvious editing gimmicks, or lighting and EpicTrackingShot that movie students will go squee about. But he was in his own way, as innovative as Creator/SergeiEisenstein and Creator/JohnFord. He was highly respected in his lifetime and famous enough that promoters talked about "The Lubitsch Touch", a distinctive style that defined his films.

* ''Theatre/LadyWindermeresFan'' (1925)

-> '''Creator/WilliamWyler''': It's worse than that, [[ToughActToFollow no more Lubitsch films]].

Lubitsch began his career in Germany in the 1910s where he made his name as a maker of historical EpicMovie, in which he occasionally appeared as an actor. He gradually found his mark as a comedy director in films like ''The Oyster Princess'' and ''The Wildcat''. His films were hits around the world and Creator/MaryPickford herself was interested in working with Lubitsch, inviting him to work in Hollywood. The resulting collaboration didn't work out all that well, but Lubitsch stuck around and made films that were successful and original elegant comedies. His ''The Marriage Circle'' and his adaptation of Creator/OscarWilde's ''Lady Windermere's Fan'' were seen as incredibly advanced and sophisticated attempts at telling adult dramas within the limitations of silent film. When sound arrived, Lubitsch became a major innovator with one of the earliest musicals, ''Film/TheLoveParade'' (1929), starring Creator/MauriceChevalier and Jeanette [=MacDonald=]. This led to a series of films with the duo that created a kind of musicals which were RuritanianRomance with fairy tale landscapes that contrasted with the adult LoveDodecahedron that audiences recognized as being very 20th Century. This was made during UsefulNotes/ThePreCodeEra and as such Lubitsch got away with a lot more in these films than would be possible later.

* ''Fim/TheOysterPrincess'' (1919)

-> ''"I've been to Paris, France and I've been to Paris, Creator/{{Paramount}}. Paris, Paramount is better."''

Ernst Lubitsch (January 29, 1892 – November 30, 1947) was ThePioneer of the non-flashy kind. His films don't have over-the-top obvious editing gimmicks, or lighting and EpicTrackingShot that movie students will go squee about. But he was in his own way, as innovative as Creator/SergeiEisenstein and Creator/JohnFord. He was highly respected in his lifetime and famous enough that promoters talked about "The Lubitsch Touch", a distinctive style that defined his films.

Lubitsch eventually found his mark with ''Film/TroubleInParadise,'' the film which made him associated with sophisticated comedies about adults who kept moving between relationships and were pretty interested in sex outside of marriage and monogamy. These elegant comedies have a distinct style. Scenes are underplayed, emotions are subtle and nuanced, and while it's funny, the laughs aren't slapstick either. This came to be called "The Lubitsch Touch" and barring occassional experiments like the underrated ''Broken Lullaby'', a war film, he made comedies for the rest of his life, right up to ''Film/ClunyBrown'', his post-war comedy. He served as TheMentor to Creator/BillyWilder, who worked as screenwriter on his films and was a personal friend. Wilder would hang a message in his office reading, "What would Lubitsch do?"

Ernst Lubitsch (1892–1947) was ThePioneer of the non-flashy kind. His films don't have over-the-top obvious editing gimmicks, or lighting and EpicTrackingShot that movie students will go squee about. But he was in his own way, as innovative as Creator/SergeiEisenstein and Creator/JohnFord. He was highly respected in his lifetime and famous enough that promoters talked about "The Lubitsch Touch", a distinctive style that defined his films.

Lubitsch eventually found his mark with ''Film/TroubleInParadise,'' the film which made him associated with sophisticated comedies about adults who kept moving between relationships and were pretty interested in sex outside of marriage and monogamy. These elegant comedies have a distinct style. Scenes are underplayed, emotions are subtle and nuanced, and while it's funny, the laughs aren't slapstick either. This came to be called "The Lubitsch Touch" and barring occassional experiments like the underrated ''Broken Lullaby'', a war film, he made comedies for the rest of his life, right up to ''Cluny Brown,'' his post-war comedy. He served as TheMentor to Creator/BillyWilder, who worked as screenwriter on his films and was a personal friend. Wilder would hang a message in his office reading, "What would Lubitsch do?"