The Pride of the Firm (Der Stolz der Firma)
A delightful variation on an old theme--a country boy's clever rise to success in the big city--The Pride of the Firm (subtitled "The Story of an Apprentice") offers a rare opportunity to view Lubitsch in one of his first big hits as a comic actor. Siegmund Lachmann loses his job in Rawitsch and, undaunted, decides to try out his sang-froid on the Berlin job market. He lands a position in a leading dressmaking firm and proceeds to set his sights yet higher, on the boss's daughter, Isolde. One thing leads to another and Siegmund is set for life as a partner in the firm. "Exaggerated gestures, rolling eyes and similar means--on which Lubitsch later frowned as a director--here are his stock in trade. The film ends showing Lubitsch as the country boy on the left side of the screen and as the suave businessman on the right, both talking to the audience and occasionally greeting each other." (Goethe Institute)