Ernst Lubitsch in Berlin: From Schönhauser Allee to Hollywood
From his early successes in silent German films such as THE OYSTER PRINCESS and MADAME DUBARRY to his mature Hollywood masterpieces (NINOTCHKA, TO BE OR NOT TO BE, THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER), the films of Ernst Lubitsch have had a lasting impact upon the cinema of Europe and America.
ERNST LUBITSCH IN BERLIN, the first-ever feature documentary on the inventor of the “Lubitsch Touch”, tells the story of how the son of a Jewish tailor first came into contact with the theater while still attending school. In 1911 Lubitsch joined Max Reinhardt’s ensemble, and as of 1913 he started performing in film comedies. His immense popularity enabled him to take up directing.
In ERNST LUBITSCH IN BERLIN, it is Lubitsch’s daughter Nicola who guides us through her father’s exciting time in Germany, supported by an illustrious group of film historians, Lubitsch experts and some of today’s most influential German film directors. Rare film clips, newly discovered photographs, newsreel footage and original audio recordings with actress Henny Porten, other first-hand witnesses and Lubitsch himself round off this comprehensive portrait of one of cinema’s few true geniuses.
PUBLISHED ON THE FOLLOWING DVDS:
Coffret Ernst LubitschErnst Lubitsch Collection (D)
Ernst Lubitsch en Berlin (E)
Lubitsch in Berlin (UK: Blu-ray)
Lubitsch in Berlin (UK: DVD)
Lubitsch in Berlin (USA)
The Doll/Ernst Lubitsch in Berlin (USA)