The Pride of the Firm (1914) Poster

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6/10
The Story Of A Clumsy Clerk
FerdinandVonGalitzien12 July 2008
The great German film director, Herr Ernst Lubitsch, before he was one of the greatest directors in the history of film was a successful actor and comedian in the silent early days and that's the most important thing about "Der Stolz Der Firma", a film starring Herr Ernst Lubitsch and directed by Herr Carl Wilhelm.

The film depicts, in three acts and an epilogue, the story of a clumsy clerk, Siegmund Lachmann ( Ernst Lubitsch ), who, after been fired for having broken accidentally the shop window where he works, goes to Berlin in order to get a new job in a prestigious fashion salon. Our hero finds himself surrounded by Teutonic beauties, that is to say, fat fräulein models that wear the latest fashions of the 1910's. Pretty soon he will be attracted to a young rich girl but with the opposition of her father, natürlich!.

Due the fact that the film was directed by the prolific and unknown German director, Herr Carl Wilhelm, there is no Lubitsch touch but there is a touching Lubitsch character, deliciously histrionic and ambitious. And what's more we have the chance to watch the history of costume in Germany, not to mention Berlin, the city where this German Count was in fashion during those old days.

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must take care not to go out of fashion.

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/
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7/10
The Pride of the Firm
boblipton22 January 2009
Ernst Lubitsch, later one of the great directors of the cinema, started out in films as a 'Jewish Comedian.' However, this movie is not a farce, but the story of how a clumsy young man from the sticks -- when we first see him, he is a window dresser in a dry goods shop who breaks the window -- through push and hard work, remakes himself with the advice of the girl he loves. When we first see him, he is an ugly young man with a mop of unruly hair who does not know how to dress. By the end of the movie, he is a distinguished-looking man on his honeymoon.

This is not a farce, but Lubitsch manages to get in a few comic touches, playing his character as sly and cowardly, but sweet. There is some very nice photography, thanks to Danish cinematographer Axel Graatkjaer, and leading lady Martha Kriwitz is charming as Lubitsch's distaff Pygmalion. These make it a better than average picture for the era.
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