eMoviePoster.comAuction History Result 6t544 ERNST LUBITSCH 8x10.25 still '28 smoking one of the dozens of cigars he smoked each day! Date Sold 3/23/2014Sold For: Login or Register to see sold price. An Original Vintage Theatrical 8" x 10 1/4" [20 x 26 cm] Movie Still (Learn More) Ernst Lubitsch was born in Berlin, Germany in 1892, to Russian/Jewish immigrants, and he was expected to become a tailor like his father. If he had done so, the movies would have been robbed of one of its greatest directors ever, and his sophisticated romantic comedies were so distinctive (and wonderful) that they were described as having "the Lubitsch touch"! But when Lubitsch first decided to not be a tailor, in 1911, it was to become a stage actor. A year later he made his first movie, and he was in 23 of them between 1914 and 1916 alone! But in 1914, he had also begun to direct (often directing himself), and in 1920, after having appeared in 36 movies, and directing 38, he decided to quit acting and concentrate on directing. His first big successes were historical melodramas, Madame Du Barry, Anna Boleyn, and Carmen. American star Mary Pickford saw his work and hired him to direct her in the U.S. in Rosita. They clashed during the filming, but he stayed in the U.S. and he signed a deal to make six pictures for Warner Bros, and he was given "final cut" privileges, something rarely ever given, and cherished by directors! It was here that Lubitsch first made his first trademark sophisticated romantic comedies. But those films were not big successes, and Warners sold his contract to MGM. This was the time of the beginning of sound movies, and Lubitsh added both sound and music to his comedies, with great success. In 1932, he directed Trouble in Paradise for Paramount, and it was written by Samson Raphaelson, and starred Herbert Marshall, Kay Francis, and Miriam Hopkins. Many people, myself included, consider this the best romantic comedy ever made, and if you have never seen it, I envy you the joy you will have once you do! In 1935, Paramount was so taken with Lubitsch (and his success) that he became head of the studio, the only director ever to both head a major studio and still direct movies. But he could not do both, and he was fired after a year. In 1939, Lubitsch signed a contract with MGM and made Ninotchka (a comedy with the ultra-serious actress Greta Garbo, promoted as "Garbo Laughs") and The Shop Around the Corner, which again paired Lubitsch with writer Samson Raphaelson. The movie is set in Budapest, and it has two co-workers who bicker by day and write love letters to each other by night, and it is a marvelous movie that also simply must be seen (and please try to see it before seeing either of the re-makes, In the Good Old Summertime, or You've Got Mail). In his later life, Lubitsch was in poor health and he suffered a series of heart attacks, and one in 1947 proved fatal. He was 55 years old. The story (perhaps apocryphal) goes that when legendary director Billy Wilder left his funeral he said, "No more Lubitsch" to which equally legendary director William Wyler replied, "Worse than that. No more Lubitsch pictures."! Some of his other movies include: Love Parade (nominated for the Best Director Academy Award for this film), The Patriot (nominated for the Best Director Academy Award for this film), and The Merry Widow. Important Added Info: Note that it seems ironic that the snipe on the back of the still references the "dozens of cigars he smokes a day", and that the number of cigars he smoked during the making of one film "would last the ordinary smoker for a lifetime". This is ironic, both because Lubitsch died at just 55 after a series of heart attacks (no doubt related to his endless smoking) and it is also ironic because this still was reused by a newspaper after his passing, and the word "DECEASED" is stamped below the snipe. Also note that this still measures 8" x 10 1/4" [20 x 26 cm]. Note that not only does our current auction of 999 stills represent the absolute finest selection we have ever had in terms of quality of image and film, but it also represents the finest CONDITION group of stills we have ever had! Half of the stills are graded as being in "very good to fine" condition (which is our highest grade for vintage stills), but we were very strict on this, because otherwise, perhaps two thirds or three quarters of the stills would have received this grade! We downgraded stills to "very good" for pretty minor defects, and many of these might have received our "very good to fine" grade in the past. And the half of the stills that ARE in very good to fine condition would likely be graded "mint" by any other auction! This is the finest group of stills I have ever seen, and I can only hope to equal it someday! Condition: very good to fine. The still is in very nice condition! Learn More about condition grades
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