Ernst Lubitsch: 130 Years Since the Birth of a Cinematic Master

Ernst Lubitsch, born 130 years ago into an Ashkenazi Jewish family, was a director and actor who pioneered a unique narrative style known as the 'Lubitsch touch.' His early career in Germany saw him as an atypical expressionist filmmaker, blending costume operetta with sophisticated comedy, as in 'Die Austernprinzessin' (1919) and 'Die Puppe' (1919). He directed Pola Negri in seven films. In 1923, he moved to Hollywood, where his technique of leaving details to the audience's imagination helped navigate puritan censorship. His films critiqued American conformity and hypocrisy, as seen in 'Ninotchka' (1939) starring Greta Garbo. In the 1940s, he made 'To Be or Not to Be' (1942), a satire of Hitler, and 'The Shop Around the Corner.' Lubitsch died of a heart attack on November 30, 1947, at age 55.