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58-468: Ninotchka is a 1939 American romantic comedy film made for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer by producer and director Ernst Lubitsch and starring Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas . It was written by Billy Wilder , Charles Brackett , and Walter Reisch , based on a story by Melchior Lengyel . Ninotchka marked the first comedy role for Garbo, and her penultimate film; she received her third and final Academy Award nomination for Best Actress . In 1990, Ninotchka

116-410: A romantic comedy is that two characters meet , part ways due to an argument or other obstacle, then ultimately, realize their love for one another and reunite. Sometimes the two leads meet and become involved initially, then must confront challenges to their union. Sometimes they are hesitant to become romantically involved because they believe they do not like each other. This could be because one of

174-717: A cross between Khrushchev's name and the Russian term for slums. Most communal apartments were replaced after the death of Joseph Stalin with Khrushchevkas , in which each family had their own private apartment. This was then followed by Brezhnevkas which were built taller, had larger apartments, and came with heretofore unavailable amenities such as elevators, interior bathrooms, garbage disposals and central heating systems. Today in Russia, Soviet-style apartment blocks are still built and are termed "Novostroika"; they are often painted colorfully and have all modern amenities. Up until

232-442: A dysfunctional manner, creating "strange spaces, long corridors, and so-called black entrances through labyrinthine inner courtyards." Residents were meant to share the kitchen, bathroom and corridors amongst themselves, but even these spaces could be divided. For example, each family might have their own kitchen table, gas burner, doorbell, and even light switch, preferring to walk down the hall to use their light switch to turn on

290-419: A family. As result of all these unsolvable problems, many of the former residents of communal apartments look either fondly or negatively back on their experience in communal living, although there are some people who are nostalgic for that lifestyle. Historian Yuri Kruzhnov stated that kommunalkas "breed a certain type of psychology. It was not uncommon for people to refuse to move out because they needed

348-627: A kitchen, shower, and toilet. When the Bolsheviks came to power in 1917 after the October Revolution , to cope with the housing shortage, they nationalised luxurious apartment blocks from rich people to make them available to the proletariat . The term communal apartments emerged specifically in the Soviet Union , kommunalkas became the predominant form of housing for generations. Communal apartments were supposed to be

406-402: A peculiar procedure was introduced called "compaction" ( "Уплотнение" ): housing norms were introduced, and if an apartment was "underpopulated", other people were assigned to live there. After Stalin's death in 1953, Khrushchev's regime "embarked upon a mass housing campaign", to eliminate the persistent housing shortages, and create private apartments for urban residents. This campaign was

464-427: A phone call from Buljanoff. Both then realize they are each other's adversaries over the jewelry and Ninotchka promptly leaves Léon's apartment, despite his protestations. The next day, Léon follows Ninotchka to a restaurant where she again rebuffs him; but after valiant attempts at making her laugh, Léon finally breaks down her resistance and she falls in love with him. While attending to the various legal matters over

522-630: A response to popular demand for "better living conditions, single-family housing, and greater privacy"; Khrushchev believed that granting the people private apartments would give them greater enthusiasm for the communist system in place and that improving people's attitudes and living conditions would lead to a healthier and more productive workforce. However, the new apartments were built quickly, with an emphasis on quantity over quality, and in underdeveloped neighborhoods, with poor systems of public transportation, making daily life harder for workers. These apartment blocks quickly became called " khrushchyoba ",

580-809: A sense of awkwardness between the two potential partners by depicting an initial clash of personalities or beliefs, an embarrassing situation, or by introducing a comical misunderstanding or mistaken identity situation. Sometimes, the term is used without a hyphen (a "meet cute"), or as a verb ("to meet cute"). Roger Ebert describes the "concept of a Meet Cute" as "when boy meets girl in a cute way." As an example, he cites "The Meet Cute in Lost and Found [which] has Jackson and Segal running their cars into each other in Switzerland. Once recovered, they Meet Cute again when they run into each other while on skis. Eventually, they fall in love." In many romantic comedies,

638-409: A temporary solution and were in fact phased out in many cities of the country. Due to the outbreak of second world war , to the large population influxes from the countryside and a lack of investment in new housing, kommunalkas still exist in some former Soviet cities, such as Saint Petersburg . The first communal apartments appeared in the early 18th century, when rental lodging was partitioned by

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696-534: Is again sent by Commissar Razinin ( Bela Lugosi ) to investigate the situation and retrieve the trio. After Ninotchka arrives in Constantinople, Iranoff, Buljanoff and Kopalski inform her that they have opened a restaurant and will not be returning to the Soviet Union. When Ninotchka asks them who is responsible for this idea, Buljanoff points to the balcony where Léon is standing. Léon explains that he

754-536: Is closer to tragicomedy ." It was not until the development of the literary tradition of romantic love in the western European medieval period, though, that "romance" came to refer to "romantic love" situations. They were previously referred to as the heroic adventures of medieval Romance . Those adventures traditionally focused on a knight's feats on behalf of a lady, so the modern themes of love were quickly woven into them, as in Chrétien de Troyes 's Lancelot,

812-675: Is denied a Russian visa, because of his nobility. Sometime later in Moscow, Ninotchka invites her three comrades to dinner at her communal apartment and they nostalgically recall their time in Paris. After dinner, Ninotchka finally receives a letter from Léon, but it has been completely censored by the authorities, and she is devastated. More time passes; while in Constantinople to sell furs, Iranoff, Buljanoff and Kopalski once again run afoul of their superiors. Against her wishes, Ninotchka

870-428: Is settled. The amiable, charming and cunning Léon treats the three Russians to an extravagant lunch, gets them drunk and easily wins their friendship and confidence. He sends a telegram to Moscow in their name suggesting a compromise. Moscow, angered by the telegram, then sends Nina Ivanovna "Ninotchka" Yakushova ( Greta Garbo ), a special envoy whose goal is to win the lawsuit, complete the jewelry sale and return with

928-399: Is that the scarcity of housing and obligatory residence registration ( propiska ) made it virtually impossible for residents to part ways in case of conflict. Space in communal apartments was divided into common spaces and private rooms "mathematically or bureaucratically", with little to no attention paid to the physical space of the existing structures. Most apartments were partitioned in

986-477: The dissolution of the Soviet Union , all communal apartments were state-owned public housing . With the start of privatization in Russia , such apartments started to gain ownership, often parts of it being privatized by different persons, which often led to litigations and abuse. Communal living continues to exist in other countries today, such as several students living as roommates in a rented shared apartment. A distinct characteristic of Soviet kommunalkas

1044-518: The film ends on a happy note . Even though it is implied that they live happily ever after, it does not always state what that happy ending will be. The couple does not necessarily get married for it to be a "happily ever after". The conclusion of a romantic comedy is meant to affirm the primary importance of the love relationship in the protagonists' lives, even if they physically separate in the end (e.g., Shakespeare in Love , Roman Holiday ). Most of

1102-556: The Knight of the Cart . The contemporary romantic comedy genre was shaped by 18th-century Restoration comedy and 19th-century romantic melodrama . Restoration comedies were typically comedies of manners that relied on knowledge of the complex social rules of high society, particularly related to navigating the marriage-market, an inherent feature of the plot in many of these plays, such as William Wycherley 's The Country Wife . While

1160-648: The Soviet visa official, is featured in Silk Stockings as Commissar Markovitch. Rolfe Sedan , who portrayed the hotel manager in Ninotchka , appears uncredited as a stage manager in Silk Stockings . The MGM films Comrade X (1940), starring Clark Gable and Hedy Lamarr , and The Iron Petticoat (1956), starring Bob Hope and Katharine Hepburn , both borrow heavily from Ninotchka . MGM had scheduled Madame Curie as Garbo's next film, but pleased with

1218-515: The aristocracy during the Russian Revolution of 1917 . Count Alexis Rakonin ( Gregory Gaye ), a White Russian nobleman reduced to employment as a waiter in the hotel where the trio are staying, overhears details of their mission and informs the former Russian Grand Duchess Swana ( Ina Claire ) that her court jewels are to be sold by the three men. Swana's debonair paramour, Count Léon d'Algout ( Melvyn Douglas ) offers to help retrieve

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1276-519: The bathroom and taking out the trash. The length of time a family was scheduled to work usually depended on the size of the family, and the rotation followed the order of the rooms in the apartment. Tenants in communal apartments are "like family in some respects and like strangers in others." Neighbors were forced to interact with each other, and they knew nearly everything about each other, their schedules and daily routines, profession, habits, relationships and opinions, prohibiting any sense of privacy in

1334-400: The bathroom lights rather than using a closer switch belonging to another resident. The hallways were often poorly lit, because each family had control of one of the lights hanging in the corridor, and would only turn it on for their own benefit. Though communal apartments were relatively small, residents had to wait at times to use the bathroom or kitchen sink. The kitchen was the primary place

1392-482: The bathroom. The communal apartment was the only living accommodation in the Soviet Union where the residents had "no particular reason to be living together." Other forms of communal living were based around type of work or other commonalities, but the communal apartment residents were placed together at random, as a result of the distribution of scarce living space by a governing body. These residents had little commitment to communal living or to each other. In spite of

1450-471: The characters already has a partner or because of social pressures. However, the screenwriters leave clues that suggest that the characters are attracted to each other and that they would be a good love match. The characters often split or seek time apart in order to sort out their emotions or deal with external obstacles to being together, which they eventually overcome. While the two protagonists are separated, one or both of them usually realizes that they love

1508-549: The communal apartment and drafted a plan to "expropriate and resettle private apartments" shortly after the October Revolution. His plan inspired many architects to begin communal housing projects, to create a "revolutionary topography." The communal apartment was revolutionary by "uniting different social groups in one physical space." Furthermore, housing belonged to the government and families were allotted an extremely small number of square meters each. At these time

1566-437: The communal apartment. A woman that lived in a kommunalka described her experience of communal living, "both intimate and public, with a mixture of ease and fear in the presence of strangers and neighbours". The communal kitchen was an epicenter of the communal life in the apartment: gossips, lies, defamation, news, dramas, and nasty jokes. Spying was especially prevalent in the communal apartment like nowhere else, because of

1624-717: The decades. We can see this through the screwball comedy in response to the censorship of the Hays Code in the 1920s–1930s, the career woman comedy (such as George Stevens' Woman of the Year , starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy ) post-WWII, and the sex comedy made popular by Rock Hudson and Doris Day in the 1950s–1960s. Over the years, romantic comedies have slowly been becoming more popular to both men and women. They have begun to spread out of their conventional and traditional structure into other territory, and to explore more complex topics. These films still follow

1682-591: The excellent American anti-Soviet film Ninotchka ." He would later tell multiple German actors that he thought it was one of the best films he had ever seen. During the 1948 Italian general election the US State Department encouraged film distributors to show the film as a means of countering the increasingly popular Italian Communist Party . "Colonel Ninotchka" was a character in the 1980s women's professional wrestling promotion, Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling . Romantic comedy The basic plot of

1740-413: The extremely close quarters in which people lived and where everyone heard of each other. It was not unusual for a neighbor to look or listen into another resident's room or the common room and to gossip about others. Cultural theorist Svetlana Boym stated that the communal apartment was "a breeding ground of police informants". Some people resorted to denouncing their neighbours for their conviction in

1798-468: The fact that these films are still romantic comedies. One of the conventions of romantic comedy films is the entertainment factor in a contrived encounter of two potential romantic partners in unusual or comic circumstances, which film critics such as Roger Ebert or the Associated Press's Christy Lemire have called a " meet-cute " situation. During a "meet-cute", scriptwriters often create

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1856-453: The fight against elements opposed to the Soviet government, others to obtain their room in case they were imprisoned. Some individuals chose to get married simply to upgrade to a bigger apartment. One way that families were able to improve their living conditions was to "exchange" their living quarters. If a family was separated by divorce they could trade spaces, for example one could swap out one large space for two smaller units to accommodate

1914-436: The follies and misunderstandings of young lovers, in a light‐hearted and happily concluded manner which usually avoids serious satire". This reference states that the "best‐known examples are Shakespeare's comedies of the late 1590s, A Midsummer Night's Dream , Twelfth Night , and As You Like It being the most purely romantic, while Much Ado About Nothing approaches the comedy of manners and The Merchant of Venice

1972-473: The following lists: Ninotchka is based on a three-sentence story idea by Melchior Lengyel that made its debut at a poolside conference in 1937, when a suitable comedy vehicle for Garbo was being sought by MGM: “Russian girl saturated with Bolshevist ideals goes to fearful, capitalistic, monopolistic Paris. She meets romance and has an uproarious good time. Capitalism not so bad, after all.” An attempt by MGM to re-release Ninotchka later during World War II

2030-735: The gender role that society has imposed upon them, as seen in Forgetting Sarah Marshall , in which the male protagonist is especially in touch with his emotions. It can also be seen in Made of Honor , in which the female bridesmaids are shown in a negative and somewhat masculine light in order to advance the likability of the male lead. Other remakes of romantic comedies involve similar elements, but they explore more adult themes such as marriage, responsibility, or even disability. Two films by Judd Apatow , This Is 40 and Knocked Up , deal with these issues. This Is 40 chronicles

2088-410: The haphazard nature of their cohabitation, residents had to navigate communal living, which required shared responsibilities and reliance on one another. Duty schedules were posted in the kitchen or corridors, typically assigning one family to be "on duty" at any given moment. The family on duty would be responsible for cleaning the common spaces by sweeping and mopping the kitchen every few days, cleaning

2146-455: The jewelry before it is sold. In their hotel suite, Iranoff, Buljanoff and Kopalski negotiate with Mercier ( Edwin Maxwell ) a prominent Parisian jeweler, when Léon interrupts the meeting. He explains that the jewels were seized illegally by the Soviet government and a petition has been filed preventing their sale or removal. Mercier withdraws his offer to purchase the jewelry until the lawsuit

2204-457: The jewels and drop the litigation if Ninotchka returns to Moscow immediately so that Swana can have Léon to herself. Ninotchka reluctantly agrees to Swana's proposal and after completing the sale of the jewelry to Mercier, she and Iranoff, Buljanoff and Kopalski fly back to Moscow. Later that evening, Léon visits Swana and confesses his love for Ninotchka. Swana then informs Léon that Ninotchka has already left for Moscow. He attempts to follow her but

2262-482: The landlords into "corners", often walk-through tiny dwellings. From the mid-19th century the number of such apartments had drastically increased. Usually they consisted of units with three to six rooms. In the 20th century, the Soviet Union undertook "intensive industrialization and urbanization", shifting from eighty percent of the population living in rural villages and towns at the time of the Revolution, to nearly

2320-445: The lawsuit, Ninotchka gradually becomes seduced by the west. At a dinner date with Léon where she unexpectedly meets Swana face-to-face (her rival for the jewelry and for Léon's affections), Ninotchka consumes champagne for the first time and quickly becomes intoxicated. The following afternoon, a hungover Ninotchka is awakened by Swana and discovers Rakonin has stolen the jewelry during the night. Swana tells Ninotchka that she will return

2378-567: The melodramas of the Romantic period had little to do with comedy, they were hybrids incorporating elements of domestic and sentimental tragedies, pantomime "with an emphasis on gesture, on the body, and the thrill of the chase," and other genres of expression such as songs and folk tales. In the 20th century, as Hollywood grew, the romantic comedy in America mirrored other aspects of society in its rapid changes, developing many sub-genres through

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2436-429: The mid-life crisis of a couple entering their 40s, and Knocked Up addresses unintended pregnancy and the ensuing assuming of responsibility. Silver Linings Playbook deals with mental illness and the courage to start a new relationship. All of these go against the stereotype of what romantic comedy has become as a genre. Yet, the genre of romantic comedy is simply a structure, and all of these elements do not negate

2494-436: The other person. Then, one character makes some extravagant effort (sometimes called a grand gesture ) to find the other character and declare their love. However, this is not always the case; sometimes, there is a coincidental encounter where the two characters meet again. Alternatively, one character plans a romantic gesture to show that they still care. Then, with some comic friction, they declare their love for each other, and

2552-528: The other zombies and even starts to cure them. With the zombie cure, the two main characters can now be together since they do not have a barrier between them anymore. Another strange set of circumstances is in Zack and Miri Make a Porno where the two protagonists are building a relationship while trying to make a pornographic film together. Both these films take the typical story arc and then add strange circumstances to add originality. Other romantic comedies flip

2610-599: The potential couple comprises polar opposites, two people of different temperaments, situations, social statuses, or all three ( It Happened One Night ), who would not meet or talk under normal circumstances, and the meet cute's contrived situation provides the opportunity for these two people to meet. Communal apartment Communal apartments (Russian singular: коммунальная квартира , romanized:  kommunal'naya kvartira , colloquial: kommunalka ) are apartments in which several unrelated persons or families live in isolated living rooms and share common areas such

2668-410: The residents interacted with one another and scheduled shared responsibilities. Wary of theft, residents rarely left groceries in the kitchen unless they put locks on the kitchen cabinets. However, they often stored their toiletries in the kitchen as opposed to the bathroom, because other residents could more easily use things left unattended in the bathroom. Laundry was left to dry in both the kitchen and

2726-464: The same percentage living in cities by the 1990s. People were driven from the countryside by poverty and harsh collectivization , and pulled to the city by the industrialization of the economy. This exodus put enormous pressure on existing urban housing accommodations. Communal apartments were one answer to the housing crisis, and many considered them a step up from the alternatives of housing communes, hostels, and barracks. Vladimir Lenin conceived

2784-469: The standard conventions of the romantic comedy genre. In films like 500 Days of Summer , the two main interests do not end up together, leaving the protagonist somewhat distraught. Other films, like Adam, have the two main interests end up separated but still content and pursuing other goals and love interests. Some romantic comedies use reversal of gender roles to add comedic effect. These films contain characters who possess qualities that diverge from

2842-603: The success of Ninotchka , the studio quickly decided to team Garbo and Douglas in another romantic comedy. Two-Faced Woman (1941) was the result and Garbo received the worst reviews of her entire career. It turned out to be her final film and Greer Garson eventually starred in Madame Curie . The Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa cited Ninotchka as one of his favorite films. Nazi German Reich Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels remarked in his meeting notes on June 9, 1940 that "The German press should go and see

2900-663: The three renegade Russians. Ninotchka is methodical, rigid and stern, chastising Iranoff, Buljanoff and Kopalski for failing to complete their mission. Ninotchka and Léon first meet each other on the street, their identities unknown to one another. He flirts, but she is uninterested. Intrigued, Léon follows her to the Eiffel Tower and shows her his home through a telescope. Ninotchka tells him he might be an interesting subject of study and suggests they go to his apartment. Léon, fascinated by Ninotchka, continues to flirt and he soon falls in love with her. They kiss, but are interrupted by

2958-401: The time the ending gives the audience a sense that if it is true love, it will always prevail, no matter what the two characters have to overcome. Comedies, rooted in the fertility rites and satyr plays of ancient Greece , have often incorporated sexual or social elements. The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms defines romantic comedy as "a general term for comedies that deal mainly with

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3016-468: The typical plot of "a light and humorous movie, play, etc., whose central plot is a happy love story" but with more complexity. Some romantic comedies have adopted special circumstances for the main characters, as in Warm Bodies where the protagonist is a zombie who falls in love with a human girl after eating her boyfriend. The effect of their love towards each other is that it starts spreading to

3074-538: The unholy three emissaries; through Mr. Lubitsch's facile direction; and through the cleverly written script of Walter Reisch, Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder, has come off brilliantly. Stalin, we repeat, won't like it; but, unless your tastes hew too closely to the party line, we think you will, immensely. Ninotchka is recognized as well by the American Film Institute in the AFI 100 Years... series in

3132-459: Was barred from entering Russia to win Ninotchka back, so he and the three Russians conspired to get her to leave the country. He asks her to stay with him and she happily agrees. The final shot in the film is of Kopalski carrying a protest sign complaining that Iranoff and Buljanoff are unfair, because his name does not illuminate on the electric sign in front of their new restaurant. The movie

3190-525: Was marketed with the catchphrase "Garbo Laughs!", commenting on Garbo's largely somber and melancholy image (though Garbo laughs several times in many of her previous pictures). When the film was shown at the Radio City Music Hall , The New York Times film critic Frank S. Nugent praised it: The comedy, through Mr. Douglas's debonair performance and those of Ina Claire as the duchess and Sig Ruman, Felix Bressart and Alexander Granach as

3248-533: Was released in late 1939, shortly after the outbreak of World War II in Europe, where it became a great success. It was, however, banned in the Soviet Union and its satellites. Despite that, it went on to make $ 2,279,000 worldwide. USA: $ 1,187,000. International: $ 1,092,000. Profit: $ 138,000. In a play on the famous "Garbo Talks!" ad campaign used for her " talkie " debut in Anna Christie (1930), Ninotchka

3306-657: Was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". In 2011, Time also included the film on the magazine's list of "All-Time 100 Movies". Iranoff ( Sig Ruman ), Buljanoff ( Felix Bressart ), and Kopalski ( Alexander Granach ), three agents from the Russian Board of Trade, arrive in Paris to sell jewelry confiscated from

3364-657: Was suppressed on the grounds that the Soviets were then allies of the West. The film was re-released after the war ended. In 1955, the musical Silk Stockings , based on Ninotchka , opened on Broadway . Written by Cole Porter , the stage production was based on Ninotchka's story and script and starred Hildegard Neff and Don Ameche . MGM then produced a 1957 film version of the musical directed by Rouben Mamoulian and starring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse . Actor George Tobias , who appeared uncredited in Ninotchka as

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