Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Not part of a collection.
Ninotchka
Garbo Laughs!
A stern Russian woman sent to Paris on official business finds herself attracted to a man who represents everything she is supposed to detest.
- Original title
- Ninotchka
- Language
- EN
- Country
- US
- Budget
- $1,365,000
- Revenue
- $2,279,000
CinemaSerf
Mar 6, 2024 · via TMDB
Although Greta Garbo takes top billing here - and she's great - I think this film really belongs to the on-form Melvyn Douglas as the scheming "Leon". He is the boyfriend of the Imperial Grand Duchess "Swana" (Ina Claire) who is living in exile in Paris. The newly formed Soviet Union is a bit broke, so three of it's finest representatives have arrived with what was her priceless jewellery so they can sell it on. "Leon" sees a chance for them to cash in so gets an injunction stalling the sale and that results in Moscow sending their best agent (Garbo) to get the job done. She's a no-nonsense communist in the best tradition, but she hadn't quite factored in the charismatic Frenchman who aims to firmly insert a spanner in the works. What now ensues is a delightfully funny drama that takes a swipe at the establishments of both nations, at the all too frequent ridiculousness of dogma and at flawed and quirky human nature. There's loads of chemistry here - all centring nicely around Douglas, and the triptych of her cohorts "Buljanoff" (Felix Bressart), "Kopalski" (Alexander Granach) and "Iranoff" (Sig Rumann) - who really just want to open a nice restaurant somewhere - add a nice touch of stooge-ness to the proceedings. As with Bergman and Dietrich, the camera simply loves Garbo and her slightest frown or smile speaks a hundred words. Seen here with a leading man who is charming and confident and with an entertaining story underpinning everything, this really is a jolly good watch.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Greta Garbo
Nina "Ninotchka" Ivanovna Yakushova
Melvyn Douglas
Count Leon d'Algout
Ina Claire
Grand Duchess Swana
Bela Lugosi
Commissar Razinin
Sig Ruman
Comrade Iranoff
Felix Bressart
Comrade Buljanoff
Alexander Granach
Comrade Kopalski
Gregory Gaye
Count Alexis Rakonin
Rolfe Sedan
Hotel Manager
Edwin Maxwell
Mercier
Richard Carle
Gaston
George Davis
Porter at Railroad Station (uncredited)
Dorothy Adams
Swana's Maid Jacqueline (uncredited)
Symona Boniface
Gossip (uncredited)
Paul Ellis
Minor Role (uncredited)
Bess Flowers
Gossip (uncredited)
Mary Forbes
Lady Lavenham (uncredited)
Jody Gilbert
Streetcar Conductress - Moscow Roommate (uncredited)
Lawrence Grant
General Savitsky (uncredited)
Winifred Harris
English Lady Getting Visa (uncredited)
William Irving
Bartender (uncredited)
Charles Judels
Cafe Owner Pere Mathieu (uncredited)
Armand Kaliz
Louis the Headwaiter (uncredited)
Ernst Lubitsch
Himself - Director in Trailer (uncredited)
Peggy Moran
First Cigarette Girl (uncredited)
Frank Reicher
Soviet Lawyer (uncredited)
Constantine Romanoff
Man in Restaurant (uncredited)
Harry Semels
Gurganov (uncredited)
Tamara Shayne
Moscow Roommate Anna (uncredited)
Florence Shirley
Swana's Phone Friend Marianne (uncredited)
Edwin Stanley
Soviet Lawyer (uncredited)
Kay Stewart
Cigarette Girl (uncredited)
George Tobias
Russian Visa Official (uncredited)
Ellinor Vanderveer
Gossip (uncredited)
Paul Weigel
Vladimir, with Letter from Leon (uncredited)
Marek Windheim
Manager (uncredited)
Wolfgang Zilzer
Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Cedric Gibbons
Art Direction
Randall Duell
Assistant Art Director
Edwin B. Willis
Set Decoration
William H. Daniels
Director of Photography
Adrian
Costume Design
Sydney Guilaroff
Hairstylist
Ernst Lubitsch
Director
Sidney Franklin
Associate Producer
Ernst Lubitsch
Executive Producer
Sidney Cutner
Orchestrator
Douglas Shearer
Recording Supervision
Douglas Shearer
Sound Director
Billy Wilder
Screenplay
Charles Brackett
Screenplay
Walter Reisch
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