From one filmmaker to another, this is what Peter Bogdanovich thinks:
1961: Excellent* (One of Lubitsch’s most touching, gently satiric, heartwarming and quietly delightful pictures: a beautifully acted, written and directed comedy-romance about a Budapest department store and a pair of employees who fall in love through anonymous correspondence but detest each other in the shop. Subtle, expert performances by James Stewart, Frank Morgan, Margaret Sullavan in a truly memorable, deeply human film.)
Added 2013: Exceptional* through the roof, please! This is one of the greatest of American films: an absolute masterpiece of wit, humanity understood and defined. Each character is vividly brought to life with compassion and love; it makes you laugh, and it can make you cry. It is essentially a celebration of “average” people. If you haven’t experienced this movie, you haven’t seen the depth and breadth of Lubitsch at his finest.
Not a lot to add, other than William Tracy steals the film as Pepi, but all the acting is great. It isn't the funniest Lubitsch, but it's terrific. Shot by William H Daniels at MGM, the film is distinctive in that it features no music apart from that which naturally occurs (notably, music boxes).
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