Ninotchka
Directed by	Ernst Lubitsch
Produced by	Ernst Lubitsch Sidney Franklin
Written by	Melchior Lengyel, Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder Walter Reisch
Starring	Greta Garbo Melvyn Douglas
Music by	Werner R. Heymann
Released	November 9, 1939
Running time	110 minutes
Language	English
Budget	$1,365,000 (est.)
IMDb profile

Ninotchka is a 1939 American film by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas. It received four Academy Award nominations, for Best Picture, Best Actress in a leading role, best Original Story and best Screenplay. Description and source Low resolution image of the Poster of the film Ninotchka (1939) Source : http://www. ... Ernst Lubitsch (January 28, 1892 – November 30, 1947), was a German-born Jewish film director. ... Sidney Franklin, (born Sidney Frumkin, 1903-1976), was the first American to become a successful bullfighter. ... Melchior(Menyhért) Lengyel (January 12, 1880 - October 23, 1974 Budapest) was Hungarian playwright and film scriptwriter. ... Charles Brackett (November 26, 1892-March 9, 1969) was an accomplished movie screenwriter and movie producer. ... Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was a screenwriter, film director and producer whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films. ... Greta Garbo (September 18, 1905 – April 15, 1990) was a Swedish actress and a recipient of an Honorary Oscar for her unforgettable screen performances. ... Melvyn Edouard Hesselberg (April 5, 1901 – August 4, 1981), better known as Melvyn Douglas, was a United States actor who won all three of the entertainment industries highest awards, two Oscars, one Tony and a televison Emmy. ... November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Ernst Lubitsch (January 28, 1892 – November 30, 1947), was a German-born Jewish film director. ... Greta Garbo (September 18, 1905 – April 15, 1990) was a Swedish actress and a recipient of an Honorary Oscar for her unforgettable screen performances. ... Melvyn Edouard Hesselberg (April 5, 1901 – August 4, 1981), better known as Melvyn Douglas, was a United States actor who won all three of the entertainment industries highest awards, two Oscars, one Tony and a televison Emmy. ...

The film has been deemed "culturally significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. The Great Hall interior. ... The National Film Registry is the registry of films selected by the United States National Film Preservation Board for preservation in the Library of Congress. ...

The musical Silk Stockings was written with this film as the source of its book. It was filmed in 1957, directed by Rouben Mamoulian, starring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse. Silk Stockings was a 1954 musical composed by Cole Porter, based upon Ninotchka. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rouben Mamoulian (October 8, 1897 – December 4, 1987) was an American film and theatre director. ... Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987), born Frederick Austerlitz in Omaha, Nebraska, was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. ... Cyd Charisse Cyd Charisse is an American dancer and actress. ...

Synopsis

Three Russians, Iranoff (Sig Ruman), Buljanoff (Felix Bressart) and Kopalski (Alexander Granach), are in Paris to sell jewelry confiscated from the aristocracy during the Russian Revolution of 1917. Upon arrival, they meet Count Leon d'Algout (Douglas), on a mission from the Russian Grand Duchess Swana who wants to retrieve her jewelry before it is sold. He corrupts them and talks them into staying in Paris. The Soviet Union then sends Nina Yakushova (Garbo), a special envoy whose goal is to go through with the jewelry sale and bring back the three men. Rigid and stern at first, she slowly becomes seduced by the West and the Count, who has fallen in love with her. Sig Ruman (born Siegfried Rumann) (1884-1967) was a German-American actor known for his comic portrayals of pompous villains. ... Alexander Granach was a Polish actor born in April 18, 1890 (his birth first name was Jessaja) that rose to theatrical prominence at the Volksbeinen in Berlin. ... The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a series of political events in Russia, which, after the elimination of the Russian autocracy system, and the Provisional Government (Duma), resulted in the establishment of the Soviet power under the control of the Bolshevik party. ...

The three Russians also attempt to accommodate themselves to capitalism, but the last joke of the film is that one of them carries a sign protesting that the other two are unfair to him.

Commentary

Launched with the tagline "Garbo Laughs!", Ninotchka is Greta Garbo's first full comedy, and her next to last film. It is one of the first American movies which, under cover of humorous light romance, deliberately criticizes the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin. It depicts the Soviet system as rigid and gray, comparing it to the free and sunny Parisian society. Released in 1939 in the United States, the movie was released during World War II in Europe, where it became a great success. Greta Garbo (September 18, 1905 – April 15, 1990) was a Swedish actress and a recipient of an Honorary Oscar for her unforgettable screen performances. ... Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed. ... (Russian, in full: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин [Iosif Vissarionovich Stalin]; December 18 [O.S. December 6] 1878[1] – March 5, 1953) was the leader of the Soviet Union from mid-1920s to his death in 1953 and General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1922-1953), a... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II... Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ...

Although much of the marketing surrounding Ninotchka played on Garbo's super-serious image, suggesting she had never laughed or played comedy on film before, an examination of her canon reveals this to not be the case. Most notably her 1933 film, Queen Christina saw her laughing and had her play clear romantic-comedy moments with her co-star John Gilbert, although the movie is generally regarded as an historical drama. 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... This highly fictionalized feature film, based on the life of Queen Christina of Sweden, starred Greta Garbo and John Gilbert and was released in December 1933. ... John Gilbert may refer to several people: John Gilbert (actor) John Gilbert (naturalist) John Gilbert (painter) John William Gilbert (British, Labour Party politician) John Gilbert (Canadian politician) (NDP) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Cast

• Greta Garbo : Nina Ivanovna Yakushova, aka Ninotchka
• Melvyn Douglas : Comte Léon d'Algout
• Ina Claire : Grand Duchess Swana
• Sig Ruman : Michael Simonavich Iranoff
• Félix Bressart : Buljanoff
• Alexander Granach : Kopalski
• Bela Lugosi : Commissar Razinin
• Tamara Shayne : Anna, Ninotchka's roommate in Moscow
• Rolfe Sedan : Hotel Manager

Greta Garbo (September 18, 1905 – April 15, 1990) was a Swedish actress and a recipient of an Honorary Oscar for her unforgettable screen performances. ... Melvyn Edouard Hesselberg (April 5, 1901 – August 4, 1981), better known as Melvyn Douglas, was a United States actor who won all three of the entertainment industries highest awards, two Oscars, one Tony and a televison Emmy. ... Sig Ruman (born Siegfried Rumann) (1884-1967) was a German-American actor known for his comic portrayals of pompous villains. ... Alexander Granach was a Polish actor born in April 18, 1890 (his birth first name was Jessaja) that rose to theatrical prominence at the Volksbeinen in Berlin. ... Bela Lugosi as Dracula United States stamp Béla Lugosi was the stage name of actor Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (October 20, 1882–August 16, 1956). ... Rolfe Sedan in The Addams Family (1965) Rolfe Sedan (January 20, 1896 - September 16, 1982) was an American character actor. ...

Technical details and crew

• Title : Ninotchka
• Directed by Ernst Lubitsch
• Screenplay: Melchior Lengyel, Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder et Walter Reisch
• Production : Ernst Lubitsch, Sidney Franklin
• Cinematography: William H. Daniels
• Original Music: Werner R. Heymann
• Make-up: Jack Dawn
• Costumes: Adrian
• Editing: Gene Ruggiero
• Set decoration: Edwin B. Willis
• Released: November 9, 1939
• Country: United States
• Genre: comedy
• Color: black and white
• Length: 110 minutes

Ernst Lubitsch (January 28, 1892 – November 30, 1947), was a German-born Jewish film director. ... Melchior(Menyhért) Lengyel (January 12, 1880 - October 23, 1974 Budapest) was Hungarian playwright and film scriptwriter. ... Charles Brackett (November 26, 1892-March 9, 1969) was an accomplished movie screenwriter and movie producer. ... Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was a screenwriter, film director and producer whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films. ... Ernst Lubitsch (January 28, 1892 – November 30, 1947), was a German-born Jewish film director. ... Sidney Franklin, (born Sidney Frumkin, 1903-1976), was the first American to become a successful bullfighter. ... William H. Daniels (December 1, 1901 - June 14, 1970) was a film cinematographer best known as Greta Garbos personal lensman. ... Edwin B. Willis (b. ... November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Memorable quotes

Ninotchka, on her arrival at the train station, updating her fellow countrymen about latest news in Moscow: "The last mass trials were a success: there will be fewer, but better Russians."