Ninotchka (1939)
- kbroer
- Sep 20, 2024
- 3 min read
Greta Garbo, Melvyn Douglas, Ina Claire
Directed by Ernst Lubitsch
Available to stream on Prime Video
This week we are watching one of Jill's picks - a classic romantic comedy/satire featuring the glamourous Greta Garbo in her first comedic role.
Three Russian trade representatives go to Paris to sell jewels confiscated from a Grand Duchess during the Revolution, but instead start enjoying the good life in Paris so much that a special Soviet representative (Greta Garbo) is dispatched to get them under control. Gradually she too falls under the spell of Paris and of Melvyn Douglas.
Background: After the overthrow of the Russian Tsar in 1917 aristocratic titled Russians (White Russians) were forced to give up the trappings of wealth and flee, mostly to Paris, where many, now penniless, took whatever jobs they could get (like the waiter in Ninotchka). The Bolsheviks (Red Russians) introduced the rigid Soviet system of communal property, selling off the possessions of the aristocrats, and decreeing that everyone was now a "Comrade" and capitalism was their enemy.
Why Jill loves it: Ninotchka turns all this political theory into a hilarious satire of the Soviets. It very cleverly satirizes the authoritarian system, making all the characters gradually succumb to the lure of Paris and capitalism. Greta Garbo as the tough, no-nonsense Comrade finds romance in Paris. It is all fun and light-hearted, with one clever remark after another - and Garbo, who usually played glamorous and dramatic roles, is wonderful in her first comedy.
The three Russian comrades, played to perfection by Sig Rumann, Felix Bressart, Alexander Granach, are so funny together. I never tire of watching them. With a script by the famous Billy Wilder and direction by Ernst Lubitsch, the resulting film is perfect and witty, mixing political jokes with romance. Great acting by all involved.
Fun Facts:
Greta Garbo, born in Sweden in 1905 as Greta Gustaffson, made her first film for MGM in 1926 and by 1927, with the release of her third film, Flesh and the Devil, she was a superstar and the epitome of mysterious glamour. Her transition into talking pictures with the 1930 film Anna Christie only made her a bigger star. Audiences loved her low, husky, Swedish-accented voice. Anna Christie was advertised with the slogan "Garbo Talks!" Nine years later, the ad campaign for Ninotchka played on the famous catchphrase by using the slogan "Garbo Laughs!" to advertise the film. Known for her serious and dramatic roles, Garbo took a huge risk going into comedy, but Ninotchka turned out to be a great success.
Ninotchka was nominated for four Academy Awards: Best Actress, Best Picture, Best Writing - Original Story, and Best Writing - Screenplay. Unfortunately, it didn't win any -- Gone With the Wind swept the Oscars in 1939.
Watch the original trailer for Ninotchka below:
The film was directed by Ernst Lubitsch, a German-born American director, who was famous for his "Lubitsch Touch" of wit and sophistication.
Several other actors were considered for the part of Leon, played by Melvyn Douglas; among them Spencer Tracy, Cary Grant, and William Powell.
Garbo's next film after this one was another comedy with Melvyn Douglas, but it did so poorly that Garbo bought out her contract and retired forever. She never made another film and retreated to New York where she lived mostly in seclusion until her death in 1990.
For more reviews from the time, go to the Fan Magazine Reviews page.
Featured Cocktail:
Vodka Soda
Americans have long associated vodka with Russia even though it is historically linked with many countries—from Ukraine to Sweden. The first vodka distillery in the US was established in 1934 by a Russian immigrant who had acquired the rights to the Smirnoff name and brand. Vladimir Smirnov himself had fled Russia for France after the 1917 revolution and was producing vodka there.
Thanks to the introduction of the Moscow Mule cocktail and creative advertising evoking the mystery of Russia, by 1968 vodka was the second-most popular spirit in the US. Despite anti-Soviet feelings during the Cold War, after Soviet Union-based Stolichnaya arrived here in 1972 vodka was America’s number one well before the end of the decade.
The Vodka Soda is one of the most ordered—and made-at-home—drinks in the US. It is light, subtle, and easy to make and drink. Although its caloric and carbohydrate content is the same as any other spirit and soda drink, it is often thought of as a healthier, dietetic cocktail.
2 ounces (60 ml) vodka
Club soda
Fill a glass with ice; add the vodka
Top with club soda
Garnish with lemon or lime wedge, squeezing some juice into the drink if desired.
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