Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.5

The Shop Around the Corner Blu-ray Movie Review

Christmas Eve on Balta Street.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III December 4, 2020

Although it's doomed to lay forever in the shadow of that other Christmas movie starring Jimmy Stewart, The Shop Around the Corner is an entertaining and well-acted little gem that's held up perfectly well during the last 80 years. Famously remade as 1998's capable but inferior You've Got Mail, this charming production pits two co-workers against each other as the holiday shopping season approaches... but despite the personality clash, Alfred Kralik (Stewart) and Klara Novak (Margaret Sullavan) have actually been anonymous pen pals for several months. As the drama unfolds at Matuschek and Co. in Budapest, The Shop Around the Corner effortlessly works its magic from start to finish.

Filled with memorable supporting characters (and a few wallflowers who barely make themselves known), the leather goods shop owned by Hugo Matuschek (Frank Morgan) serves as the film's official headquarters. Mr. Matuschek has nurtured a long professional relationship with Alfred, his longest-running top salesman, although there's been some recent friction between them for as-yet-unknown reasons. Klara, on the other hand, is brand-new to the company: she's got experience working for Matuschek's competitors and, from the start, doesn't take a liking to confident young Alfred. Other co-workers contribute to the resulting drama in their own way: well-dressed womanizer Ferencz Vadas (Joseph Schildkraut), Alfred's trusted friend Pirovitch (Felix Bressart), and even young Pepi Katona (William Tracy), the company's ambitious delivery boy. After a personal issue leads to Mr. Matuschek's extended absence, the dynamics change dramatically... and just in time for the big holiday rush. Nonetheless, Alfred and his hard-working crew are determined to give their bristly, beloved boss the best present he could hope for: full cash registers.

It's admirable how The Shop Around the Corner manages to hide an unfolding love story within the crevices of its primary plot, but it does so in a natural and organic way. There are almost no wasted moments here -- and only the bare minimum of window dressing, somewhat ironically -- even though its setup and fallout never feel rushed for time. Very few elements feel anything close to out of place and, most importantly, the film ends almost exactly when it needs to -- eight decades' worth of romantic comedies could still learn a thing or two in The Shop Around the Corner's wake. It almost goes without saying that Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan play wonderfully off each other, just as they did in The Mortal Storm (released later in 1940, and also featuring Frank Morgan) and their earlier pairings, with almost every supporting actor following suit. All things considered, it's a "total package" picture elevated just beyond the sum of its parts and, factoring in a bonus point for its understated but fitting holiday backdrop, The Shop Around the Corner still plays extremely well this time of year. (Or even the middle of January, when it debuted in theaters.)

Warner Archive Collection has once again come to the rescue of a beloved catalog title, although this one at least enjoyed many spins on Warner Bros.' dated but respectable "snapper case" DVD edition, which was released all the way back in 2002 and has since gone long out-of-print. Not surprisingly, it comes equipped with a nicely remastered 1080p transfer and lossless audio, as well as most of the old extras and a couple of new ones. The Shop Around the Corner just might be my most-anticipated Warner Archive title of the year, and it's certainly been worth the wait.

The Shop Around the Corner Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Although Warner Archive was not specific as to the source material(s) used for this new 1080p transfer of The Shop Around the Corner, all signs point to a fresh 2K scan of the film's interpositive. Overall this is a very clean and stable image that easily surpasses the old "snapper case" DVD; one that features a rich amount of grain, much stronger fine detail, and more refined contrast levels. There are times when the brightness levels almost seem too high, mostly in scenes shot outdoors, as some of the brightest whites almost buckle under the spotlight. But this is likely more due to the original photography than incorrect gamma levels or boosted contrast, as a full range of silvery grays and a handful of deep black items (hats, winter coats, etc.) could easily be spotted during those moving scenes and static shots. Not surprisingly, the most obvious improvements are fine detail and texture, from the shop's trinkets to clothing material and, of course, even in soft-focus close-ups. Interior shots look fantastic, as do stray nighttime scenes like the snowy Christmas Eve sequence during the film's final stretch. As usual, Warner Archive's Blu- ray is perfectly authored and runs at a very high bit rate, displaying no obvious compression artifacts or defects along the way.

Bottom line: I've played the DVD of this film every year for the better part of two decades, and this handsome Blu-ray presentation felt, in some ways, like I was seeing The Shop Around the Corner for the first time.

The Shop Around the Corner Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The film's DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix, which preserves its one-channel roots, likewise shows improvement but the differences are not as drastic or immediately noticeable. Since The Shop Around the Corner is much lighter on music cues than most films of its era, dialogue does most of the heavy lifting; for the most part, it comes through very clearly with no audible distortion or clipping. There are some brief exceptions, such as Werner Heymann's opening theme and a few exchanges along the way, but those barely-distracting defects are likely source-related and thankfully left intact rather than artificially sweetened. Although not much depth or weight is achieved, what's here is certainly good enough for a film that basically boils down to 90% interior dialogue, and most of it one-on-one at that.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the film; they're formatted nicely and contain no obvious sync issues. As usual, I'm not crazy about their bright yellow hue but that's hardly worth complaining about.

The Shop Around the Corner Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release arrives in a standard keepcase with poster-themed cover art that's more or less identical to the older DVD. Those as familiar with that disc as I am will notice some changes to the bonus features: one featurette seems to be missing in action*, although we get two vintage radio adaptations to make up for it.

• The Miracle of Sound (10:57) - More of an interesting time capsule than a movie-specific extra, this vintage 1940 documentary short takes a quick look at MGM films of the era through film clips, a Greer Garson screen test, and a few trailer segments including Bitter Sweet, Blossoms in the Dust, and Comrade X.

• Screen Guild Players (29:46) - Hosted by Roger Pryor, this vintage broadcast (which originally aired on 9/29/40) features Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Frank Morgan, and others reprising their roles.

• Lux Radio Theater (59:53) - This longer adaptation, which aired on 6/23/41 and starred Don Ameche and Claudette Colbert, was directed by Sanford Barnett and produced by Cecil B DeMille.

• Theatrical Trailer (4:05) - One of the most long-winded and corny trailers of its era (and therefore extremely entertaining), this charming promotional piece is hosted by Frank Morgan -- in character as Hugo Matuschek -- with a special appearance by cigar-chomping director Ernst Lubitsch. Watch it here.

* - The DVD featurette A Great Story is Worth Retelling has not been ported over -- presumably due to rights issues, as it mostly concerned the film's 1998 remake, You've Got Mail. Not a huge loss, but unfortunate.

The Shop Around the Corner Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Charming, well-acted, and perfectly paced, Ernst Lubistch's career highlight The Shop Around the Corner is a perennial Christmas favorite around these parts and it's wonderful to finally have the film on Blu-ray... let alone from the one of the best labels in the business. Warner Archive's disc, as usual, supports the film very strongly with an outstanding new 1080p transfer and carries over most of the DVD-era bonus features while adding a few new ones too. Even if you don't get it in time for the holidays, this one's absolutely recommended for die-hard fans and first-timers alike.