"I think people who like to smoke candy and listen to cigarettes will love it."

A Very Vintage Christmas post #7

The Shop Around the Corner

1940

Starring Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan

It's Christmas time at the shop down the street and around the corner in Budapest.One Mr. Alfred Kralik (Stewart) is the top salesman of the little store. There's another employee in the store by the name of Klara Novak (Sullavan).

During the typical work day, Miss Novak and Mr. Kralik despise eachother.They bicker and argue over everything, and never seem to get along.They do have more in common than either of them would think,however.Both of them have a "pen-pal" of sorts, who they regularly send letters to.For both of them, the communication has become more intimate and romantic.They find themselves falling in love with the person on the other end.The only problem is that they've never actually met their pen-pal's in real life.If they want to continue the relationship,then they need finally come together and meet, and get to know eachother.

So, Mr. Kralik sets up a meeting with his pen pal at the same time, place, and night as Miss Novak, only to find out that his love letters have been sent all along to Miss Novak!She is his pen pal.Mr. Kralik is shocked beyond belief, and a little bitter, at first.He just can't bring himself to go into the restaurant and be her date.Plus he knows she'd never believe him if he told her the truth.

So, while Mr. Kralik has discovered the truth about the whole thing for himself, Miss Novak is still oblivious.She feels that her date, whoever he was, stood her up.She's very upset about it, and believes it's all Mr. Kralik's fault, because he came into the restaurant and caused trouble for her that night.So, things continue on just as they had been before in the little shop-with difficulty.Over time, Mr. Kralik begins to see that it's not so unreasonable to think that Miss Novak has been his romantic pen pal along.In fact, he actually finds that he has feelings for her.He just has to work up the nerve to tell her how he feels, which he eventually does, and he and Miss Novak have a very merry Christmas in the shop around the corner.

"Well,I really wouldn't care to scratch your surface, Mr. Kralik, because I know exactly what I'd find.Instead of a heart, a hand-bag.Instead of a soul, a suitcase.And instead of intellect, a cigarette lighter.Which doesn't work."

The Shop Around the Corner is a really fun movie.It's witty, sarcastic, romantic, and of course has to do with Christmas (And, honestly, who doesn't love Jimmy Stewart?).

It's always been very popular, and has been remade a couple of times.

First, in 1949, as In The Good Old Summertime, starring Van Johnson and Judy Garland.

And, if you've ever seen the movie You've Got Mail, you'll notice a lot of similarities.That's because the 1998 flick starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks was based on the original, The Shop Around the Corner.

Ordinarily I would go ahead and post the trailer, and maybe a couple scenes from the movie, but instead I'm just going to tell you to watch the movie tonight, at 12 am ET on Turner Classic Movies!I promise you won't regret it.

I think two is the limit on posts for today.

I will pick out two more classic Christmas movies to do posts on this Saturday and Sunday.

Then everything should be running on the original schedule for this next week.

So, as usual, subscribe and comment, please.

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And have a very merry and A Very Vintage Christmas!