--- title: "The Shop Around the Corner: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-shop-around-the-corner/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-shop-around-the-corner" critics_score: 85 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Shop Around the Corner (1940): what the critics said Critics' score 85 from 9 reviews: 8 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Nearly all the reviews are warm, and the praise clusters where you would expect: on Ernst Lubitsch’s direction, his handling of the small quarrels and loyalties of the shop floor, and the irony of two lovers whose grand letters keep them from recognising each other across the counter. Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart are singled out repeatedly, Sullavan for her warmth and Stewart for the ease of his comic playing. Several critics treat the film as seasonal viewing and find it more affecting than the later films made in its image. Reservations are mild and few. Slant Magazine thinks the second half loses dramatic weight once the central crises resolve, and Radio Times calls the plot thin, though charm carries it. Empire finds the clerks’ money worries as touching as the romance. The spread is narrow, from good to glowing, with no negative notice; the one contemporaneous New York Times review could not be read in full, so its verdict stands unverified. ## Slant Magazine — Jaime N. Christley Rating 4/4. 22 December 2014. The critic finds the film charming and structurally engaging, though its second half loses dramatic weight after the central crises are resolved. The review especially praises Lubitsch’s delicate portrayal of the shop’s workplace dynamics and the subtle ironies in its characters’ misunderstandings. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-shop-around-the-corner/) ## Time Out — David Jenkins Rating 5/5. 7 December 2010. The review presents the film as a delicately rendered story of struggling shop clerks. It praises the film’s grace and delicacy. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-shop-around-the-corner) ## The Hollywood Reporter — THR Staff Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 23 December 2021. The review calls the film grand entertainment and a triumph for Lubitsch. It especially praises Lubitsch’s distinctive direction, alongside the writing and performances. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/shop-around-the-corner-1940-review-1235067096/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 2 December 2021. Bradshaw finds the film an eccentric Christmas delight, praising its ingenious construction. He particularly singles out how the lovers’ grand, impersonal letters keep them from recognizing each other. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/dec/02/the-shop-around-the-corner-review-1940-lubitsch-romcom-still-a-christmas-delight) ## Radio Times — Tony Sloman Rating 4/5. Sloman praises the film’s abundant charm despite its thin plot. He singles out Margaret Sullavan’s warmth and James Stewart’s performance as especially delightful. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ga3fnb/the-shop-around-the-corner/) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1939. The review is strongly positive, praising Lubitsch’s humor and human interest. It especially singles out the performances of Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1939/film/reviews/the-shop-around-the-corner-1200412964/) ## Empire — David Parkinson Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 26 June 2006. Parkinson finds the film nostalgic, charming, and more affecting than its later descendants. He singles out its vivid sense of community and the clerks’ economic uncertainty as especially charming. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/shop-around-corner-review/) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 26 January 1940. The URL identifies this as a contemporaneous screen review of the named film, but the page text is inaccessible. The critic’s verdict and specific praise or criticism therefore cannot be verified. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1940/01/26/archives/the-screen-in-review-ernst-lubitsch-offers-james-stewart-and.html) ## Eye for Film — Owen Van Spall Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 20 November 2010. The critic finds the film to be ideal seasonal fare and a showcase for Lubitsch’s distinctive comic touch. They single out James Stewart’s effortless comedic performance as helping hold together its sweetly sentimental romance. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-shop-around-the-corner-film-review-by-owen-van-spall) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-shop-around-the-corner.md