Orson Welles called Ernst Lubitsch (1892-1947) "a giant" whose "talent
and originality are stupefying." Jean Renoir said, "He invented the
modern Hollywood." Celebrated for his distinct style and credited with
inventing the classic genre of the Hollywood romantic comedy and helping
to create the musical, Lubitsch won the admiration of his fellow
directors, including Alfred Hitchcock and Billy Wilder, whose office
featured a sign on the wall asking, "How would Lubitsch do it?"
Despite the high esteem in which Lubitsch is held, as well as his unique
status as a leading filmmaker in both Germany and the United States,
today he seldom receives the critical attention accorded other major
directors of his era.
How Did Lubitsch Do It? restores Lubitsch to his former stature in the
world of cinema. Joseph McBride analyzes Lubitsch's films in rich detail
in the first in-depth critical study to consider the full scope of his
work and its evolution in both his native and adopted lands. McBride
explains the "Lubitsch Touch" and shows how the director challenged
American attitudes toward romance and sex. Expressed obliquely, through
sly innuendo, Lubitsch's risqué, sophisticated, continental humor
engaged the viewer's intelligence while circumventing the strictures of
censorship in such masterworks as The Marriage Circle, Trouble in
Paradise, Design for Living, Ninotchka, The Shop Around the Corner, and
To Be or Not to Be. McBride's analysis of these films brings to life
Lubitsch's wit and inventiveness and offers revealing insights into his
working methods.
