The 1939 film Ninotchka starred Greta Garbo as a Russian envoy (Nina ‘Ninotchka’ Yakushova) sent to Paris to curb the excesses of fellow Russians there and once there she meets the ‘corrupter’ of these Russians, Count Leon d’Algout, played by Melvyn Douglas.
In 1930, Greta Garbo’s first talking picture (Anna Christie) was released and the headlines exclaimed, “Garbo Talks!”. In 1939 the headlines exclaimed “Garbo Laughs!” for Ninotchka.
She’s dead serious in the movie until the moment in the picture above and it’s quite delightful to see that thaw, in that scene and what comes after. The scene when she is all dressed up and a little drunk after a party is just pure class! The movie is really worth a watch if you ever come across it.
The Book of Esther 
Thanks for your film posts. I meant to reply back to your previous one. It’s been awhile since I’ve watched this. Used to have loads of black & white movies on weekend tv when I was a kid and I watched many of them. Not much on nowadays – Turner Classic Movies channel used to play them, or Taking Pictures in the UK. I think a lot of under 40s don’t have these in their movie lexicon? They’re missing out! Great performances and cracking scripts! 🤩
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Yeah… even my kids won’t know most of these movies. Glad you you’re enjoying them. 🙂
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Wonderful! Despite its pro-West propaganda, Ninotchka is a great film. Garbo was fantastic. (Aside from Richard Armitage, Mervyn Douglas is my ideal fantasy husband – kind, funny, intelligent, decent, at least his screen persona is anyway.)
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Ooh, you could certainly do worse than Melvyn Douglas! 🙂 I don’t really know anything about him, I should research him more…
Yeah, Ninotchka (just like Woman of the Year in last week’s meetcute) was certainly made in a different time. What was ‘normal’ then in attitudes (and politics) is not that normal now. Times and insights change but the core of the movie still remains fun.
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Not sure that much has changed propaganda-wise.
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Well, we don’t have the USSR to make the butt of our jokes about (alleged) human greed and susceptibility to luxury any more. (Not that it was that great back then — the whole history of East Germany suggests that the people allowed to travel to the West were actually already relatively privileged in their own country and thus less susceptible to temptation).
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Agree. I think I’ve only seen this once. I’m very “meh” on the whole “seductions of the West” trope in this type of film, but I remember really enjoying it.
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It’s so much fun and the magic between the two is electrical. I especially loved Garbo in this.
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I liked “Grand Hotel” better, but it’s like comparing apples and oranges.
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It is indeed. And yes, I remember liking Grand Hotel a lot too, although it’s many many years since I have seen it and I can’t remember that much about it.
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Wonderful movie, “Ninotchka”
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Yeah, I liked it too! Meryvn Douglas and Greta Garbo had great chemistry in this.
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This is a hilarious scene, thanks for sharing!
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It’s my pleasure. 🙂
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