Margaret Sullavan looks at James Stewart in the eyes. Images via Leow's Inc.
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Rob London
Published 17 minutes ago
A cinematic obsessive with the filmic palate of a starving raccoon, Rob London will watch pretty much anything once. With a mind like a steel trap, he's an endless fount of movie and TV trivia, borne from a misspent youth of watching monster movies on TV, perusing the sun-faded goods at the local video rental shop, and staining his fingers with ink from the Video Movie Guide. Areas of interest include science fiction, film noir, horror flicks, '70s disaster pictures, Bond movies, '90s action, giant robots, dinosaurs, super heroes, and the exuberantly schlocky output of Cannon Films. He also enjoys both Star Trek and Star Wars when they're good, and maybe even more when they're bad. As a Canadian, he also has a vested interest in Canadian movies and TV shows, especially the cheesier ones dubbed "Canuxploitation."
An expert on Marvel Comics, he has also written for the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, and is a member of the Marvel Research Team. He can frequently be found pontificating on comic-book continuity or bemoaning the misfortunes of the Toronto Maple Leafs on his Twitter account.
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You've Got Mail is one of the most beloved romantic comedies of the 1990s. But this holiday season, you can watch the classic 1940 Christmas movie that inspired it at its new streaming home. The Shop Around the Corner will debut on HBO Max on December 1, 2025.
Inspired by the 1937 play Parfumerieby Miklós László, The Shop Around the Corner was directed by Ernst Lubitsch, a German-American director with a deft hand at highbrow comedies; he's best known for Ninotchka, Heaven Can Wait, and To Be or Not To Be. It was written by Samson Raphaelson, who had the distinction of writing the first ever "talking picture," The Jazz Singer, and who would later pen Suspicion for Alfred Hitchcock. It starred Jimmy Stewart, who had just broken out with a string of critical and commercial hits, including You Can't Take It With You, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and Destry Rides Again. The film was ultimately not a box office success, but it has become highly regarded in the ensuing decades.
What Is 'The Shop Around the Corner' About?
In 1930s Budapest, Hungary, Alfred Kralik is the top salesman at Matuschek and Company, a leather goods store. Sensitive about his limited education, he's struck up an anonymous correspondence with a woman who placed an ad in the newspaper; he's been gradually falling in love with her, but has no idea who she is. Meanwhile, Alfred's boss, Hugo Matuschek (Frank Morgan, The Wizard of Oz), has just hired a new sales associate: Klara Novak (Margaret Sullavan, No Sad Songs For Me). She and Alfred instantly clash; meanwhile, Hugo mistakenly believes Alfred is having an affair with his wife. Will Alfred lose his job over this case of mistaken identity? Will he and Klara learn that they're each other's mystery correspondents? And will everyone have a happy Christmas?
The Shop Around the Corner has inspired numerous subsequent works. Most famously, of course, it was remade as You've Got Mail, with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan as a pair of competing bookstore owners; as an homage to the original, Ryan's store is called "The Shop Around the Corner." Decades before, it was adapted into the 1949 musical In the Good Old Summertime, with Judy Garland and Van Johnson. It also inspired the 2025 Prime Video romantic comedy Maintenance Required, with Madelaine Petsch, which was released earlier this year.
The Shop Around the Corner will stream on HBO Max starting December 1, 2025. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
The Shop Around the Corner
Like Follow Followed NR Comedy Drama Romance Release Date January 12, 1940 Runtime 99 minutes Director Ernst LubitschCast
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James Stewart
Alfred Kralik
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Margaret Sullavan
Klara Novak
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Frank Morgan
Hugo Matuschek
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Joseph Schildkraut
Ferencz Vadas
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The Shop Around the Corner
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