The Pride of the Firm (1914)
"Der Stolz der Firma" (original title)

Director:

Carl Wilhelm

Writers:

Jacques Burg, Walter Turszinsky

Stars:

Ernst Lubitsch, Martha Kriwitz, Victor Arnold

Cast

Credited cast:
Ernst Lubitsch	...	Siegmund Lachmann
Martha Kriwitz	...	Lilly Maass
Victor Arnold	...	J.C. Berg
Albert Paulig	...	Charly Forst
Alfred Kuehne	...	Herr Hoffmann (as Alfred Kühne)
Hugo Döblin
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ressel Orla

Storyline

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

31 July 1914 (Germany)

Also Known As:

The Pride of the Firm

Company Credits

Production Co:

Projektions-AG Union (PAGU)

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Ernst Lubitsch in Berlin - Von der Schönhauser Allee nach Hollywood (2006)

User Reviews

The Pride of the Firm

Ernst Lubitsch, later one of the great directors of the cinema, started out in films as a 'Jewish Comedian.' However, this movie is not a farce, but the story of how a clumsy young man from the sticks -- when we first see him, he is a window dresser in a dry goods shop who breaks the window -- through push and hard work, remakes himself with the advice of the girl he loves. When we first see him, he is an ugly young man with a mop of unruly hair who does not know how to dress. By the end of the movie, he is a distinguished-looking man on his honeymoon.

This is not a farce, but Lubitsch manages to get in a few comic touches, playing his character as sly and cowardly, but sweet. There is some very nice photography, thanks to Danish cinematographer Axel Graatkjaer, and leading lady Martha Kriwitz is charming as Lubitsch's distaff Pygmalion. These make it a better than average picture for the era.