Ernst Lubitsch

The Profile

Ernst Lubitsch (1892–1947) was a German-born American film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor. Renowned for the “Lubitsch Touch”—witty, elliptical, and sophisticated—he helped define Hollywood comedy with films such as Trouble in Paradise, Ninotchka, The Shop Around the Corner, and To Be or Not to Be.

German-born American director famed for sophisticated comedies and the “Lubitsch Touch”; active from the 1910s to the 1940s; influential works include Trouble in Paradise, The Shop Around the Corner, Ninotchka, and To Be or Not to Be.

Six enthusiastic reviews praise Lubitsch’s elegance, narrative precision and comic daring. Pre-Code freedom, Hays Code insinuation and anti-Nazi satire all surface. Performers like Dietrich, Lombard and Benny shine, while Raphaelson’s scripts and visual wit embody the ‘Lubitsch touch.’ The consensus: timeless, sophisticated, and laugh-out-loud smart.