Ernst Lubitsch: laughter in paradise

Abstract

Ernst Lubitsch was an influential director of Hollywood’s Golden Age, known for a distinct style characterized by sophistication, humor, and an indirect cinematic treatment of sexuality. Born in Berlin to a tailor, he trained in German theater under Max Reinhardt before transitioning to film, first as a comedian specializing in slapstick and later as a director of historical epics. After moving to Hollywood, he became a key figure in the development of the movie musical and advanced screen comedy, guiding the careers of stars such as Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich. He also served as the head of production at Paramount Pictures, a unique position for a director at the time. This work examines the contrast between the director’s art and his personal life, marked by successes and insecurities. It posits that his films, depicting a world of blithe sexuality and emotional noninvolvement, functioned as an alternative fantasy existence that reflected a life he wished to have lived, framing his career as a paradigm of the immigrant experience in Hollywood. – AI-generated abstract.