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Sturges was supposed to be the representative for the whole crew, but this comment prompted me to revisit some Lubitsch. Many films are on youtube. I used to be a big film buff, but don't watch that many anymore.
Anyway, pretty blown away. You can see Scorsese, Coens, and QT in him. Watching Angel and thinking of Eyes Wide Shut.
I know it's unfair to compare random hackneyed trash to a genius of the past. But I saw some contemporary stuff while visiting my family and watching this, one thing that strikes me is that there is an expectation of intelligence in the audience. Wheras when I see contemporary stuff, it usually seems as if it was written for children. It's not that the writing is opaque or esoteric and part of the joke is "you were smart/educated enough to get the joke." It's witty and subtle but not pretentious. And if some people miss it, that's OK. I'm laughing out loud consistently.
Sturges is one of my favorite directors. I love how he will crowd the frame with tons of people. I also like to use "Ignatz" (Eddie Bracken's made up name in Miracle at Morgan's Creek) for a name in places like Starbucks. When they ask me how to spell the name, I tell them and ask, "Why? How do you spell it?"
Christmas is a great time to watch Lubitch's The Shop Around the Corner. Each character in the film is fleshed out, even minor characters. Ninotchka, the film in which Garbo laughs, is a great comedy.
And Billy Wilder kept a sign on his desk that read "What Would Lubitsch Do?"
And it's delightful to see how all these directors skirted the Production Code.
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