The year 1939 is known for its cavalcade of classic film, from “The Wizard of Oz” and “Gone with the Wind” to “Stagecoach” and “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.”

But for me, a lesser known but no less iconic film is at the top of the 1939 heap: “Ninotchka.”

Directed by Ernst Lubitsch and co-written by Billy Wilder, this beloved romcom had a lot going for it before it was even cast.

Lubitsch met with actress Greta Garbo over lunch to discuss the story of “Ninotchka.” She was on the starlet diet, so she didn’t order anything, while Lubitsch ordered a feast. He got so excited by sharing the story that he didn’t eat, but Garbo ate all of the food because she was so enthralled listening to the story.

Garbo absolutely dazzles in her first comedic role, which was played up big time in the marketing for the film, giving it the tagline “Garbo Laughs!” In fact, the whole film was built around that tagline.

And the man responsible for most of those laughs is none other than Melvyn Douglas as Count Léon D’Algout. Cary Grant was originally supposed to fill the role, and while I would have loved to see Grant and Garbo light up the screen together, Douglas holds his own while letting Garbo be the center of attention. (William Powell briefly signed onto the role before Douglas stepped in, too.)

Bela Lugosi, known for playing Dracula, also has a small role as Ninotchka’s superior.

MGM brought in their best below-the-line talent, too, from legendary costumer Adrian to art directing legend Cedric Gibbons to sound boss Douglas Shearer (brother to Norma).

Garbo is luminous in her Oscar-nominated role as the titular character, a Russian envoy sent to Paris to negotiate with a duchess (Ina Claire) about the ownership of some jewelry.

This was only the second Garbo film I watched, after the Hollywood ensemble drama “Grand Hotel.”

It is “Ninotchka” that prompted me to do a deep dive into Garbo’s films, watching some of the work she did in her Swedish homeland like “The Saga of Gosta Berling,” her transition to silent Hollywood classics like “Flesh and the Devil” and her adapting to the world of talking pictures in films like “Queen Christina,” which Lubitsch almost directed.

A lot is discussed about the Lubitsch touch, but the “Ninotchka” filmmaker praised Garbo for her touch: “… she was light, light always, and for comedy, nothing matters more. When someone had a light touch, they can play comedy, and it doesn’t hurt if they’re beautiful.”

The Lubitsch touch is a phrase often used but not consistently defined by film scholars (and marketers when his films were released). It typically refers to how he alludes to scandal or salaciousness without making a melodrama out of his films. One example in “Ninotchka” is when the trio of male Soviet agents send the cigarette girls in and out of their royal suite in Paris, leaving what they all do together up to the viewer’s imagination.

The effect of the Lubitsch touch is to draw viewers in and make them actively participate in the storytelling, filling in the blanks between cuts. Lubitsch himself said the touch is “based on the theory that at least twice a day the most dignified of human beings is ridiculous.”

This self-description calls to mind the hat scenes in “Ninotchka.”

This signature touch made Lubitsch one of the most iconic directors of the 1930s and ’40s. You can find some other Lubitsch film recommendations from me on Letterboxd.

Ultimately, this joining of film legends Lubitsch and Garbo is a seamless blend of romantic comedy and political satire that has snappy dialogue, engaging visuals and everything I want in a comfort film. “Ninotchka” is a must-see for any romcom fan.

Rating: 5/5

Read more of my thoughts on “Ninotchka” and get the recipe for the champagne cocktail I paired with it at vegoutrecipes.com/the-giggling-garbo.

Recommended Reading for More on Garbo, Lubitsch & “Ninotchka”
Ernst Lubitsch: Laughter in Paradise by Scott Eyman (1993)
Garbo by Berry Paris (1994)
How Did Lubitsch Do It? by Joseph McBride (2018)
Master Space: Film Images of Capra, Lubitsch, Sternberg, and Wyler by Barbara Bowman (1992)