Forbidden Paradise

Many of Ernst Lubitsch’s silent films have either long been unavailable or available only in poor, incomplete prints. Luckily, in recent years four of those films have been restored or reconstructed, among them Forbidden Paradise. For this historical comedy-drama, Lubitsch brought back Adolphe Menjou, with whom he had just worked in The Marriage Circle, and his big discovery Pola Negri, who felt that portraying Catherine the Great would help her American career. This proved to be the case, but her diva antics also guaranteed that Lubitsch would never work with her again. By introducing automobiles and 1920s hairdos into the settings, the director turned 18th century Russia into Ruritania, a mythical, vaguely Central European kingdom he would later feature in sound films like The Love Parade and Monte Carlo. Most importantly, the adapted play was written by Melchior Lengyel, who later provided the story for Lubitsch’s brilliant political comedies Ninotchka and To Be or Not to Be.

Veikko Suvanto

Ernst Lubitsch (1892–1947) was an American director of German origin. He started out in Germany, directing Pola Negri in some of her earliest films. After moving to Hollywood in 1922, he established himself as a master of sophisticated comedy, perfecting a style that came to be known as “the Lubitsch touch”. Among his best-known films are Trouble in Paradise (1932), Ninotchka (1939) and To Be or Not to Be (1942).