Original and Remake: The Shop Around The Corner

Since we're in December I thought I'd make another holiday themed original and remake. This time it's the 1940 film, The Shop Around the Corner. There are 2 remakes of this and it is based on the Hungarian play Parfumerie. 

The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

Directed By: Ernst Lubitsch

Starring: James Stewart, Margaret Sullavan, Frank Morgan

Running Time: 99 Minutes

In the Good Old Summertime (1949)

Directed By: Robert Z. Leonard and Buster Keaton (uncredited)

Starring: Judy Garland, Van Johnson, Buster Keaton

Running Time: 102 Minutes

You've Got Mail (1998)

Directed By: Nora Ephron

Starring: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Greg Kinnear

Running Time: 119 Minutes

So again, I'm completely biased as a fan of both Judy Garland and Buster Keaton and because I love musicals, so my pick is the 1949 version. That being said the other two films are fun to watch. All the movie couples have chemistry, the supporting cast in all three films is great and they have equal parts comedy and romance to keep everyone entertained. It all comes down to which era would you want to watch? If you like classic black and white films then The Shop Around the Corner is for you. If technicolor musicals are more your thing then In the Good Old Summertime is for you. And if you're in the mood for a late 90s rom-com then You've Got Mail is your pick. The storyline in all three movies is the same a man and a woman who are writing (aka pen pals) each other think they've never met but in real life not only have they met but they despise each other. It's hard sometimes to make a remake completely fresh but that's exactly how these remakes work. With In the Good Old Summertime it was the late 1940s when musicals were still so popular so it only made sense to take one of it's biggest stars (Judy Garland) and make a movie musical. With You've Got Mail, Nora Ephron manages to make it current with the times (or at least the late 90s) with something that everybody had- E-mail! I think any of these versions would be a fun pick to watch on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. 

Until Next Time,

Ashley A.