FILM 2183: NINOTCHKA (1939)

TRIVIA: Greta Garbo had her misgivings about appearing in a comedy and was particularly nervous about the drunk scene, which she considered to be highly vulgar.

The tagline "Garbo laughs!" came before the screenplay was written; the film was built around that single, now legendary, slogan. This slogan was itself a reference to another legendary advertising slogan about Greta Garbo. Garbo, a famous leading lady of the silent film era, made her first talking picture, Anna Christie (1930). That film was advertised, to great success, with the slogan "Garbo Talks!". When she made this comedy the "Garbo Laughs!" tagline resonated with her fans.

The movie was banned in the Soviet Union and its satellite states.

Curiously enough, this was the very movie Arnold Schwarzenegger studied when he was trying to find his character for Red Heat (1988). The exercise - emulate Greta Garbo - was recommended to him by his director Walter Hill.

Allegedly, after a test screening of Ninotchka, one audience member wrote on the preview card: "I laughed so hard, I peed in my girlfriend's hand!"

This was one of Ernst Lubitsch's personal favorite films. His other favorites were The Shop Around the Corner (1940) and Trouble in Paradise (1932).

When Leon asks if Ninotchka wants to listen to the news, she declines and says, "We want to be left alone." This is the accurate quote from Garbo's famous line in Grand Hotel(1932), and a tongue-in-cheek nod to the former film.

Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

I’m making my way through the book "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider. See my blog post about my copy of the book here…

You can buy an updated version (which I will get after I’ve made my way through this edition) here…

I really hope you can come on this journey with me – if you do I’d love to know which films you’ve enjoyed the most!

Watch this here….