Ninotchka (1939) in Color — Starring Greta Garbo & Melvyn Douglas

Ninotchka (1939) — Buy This Classic in Color

Ninotchka (1939) is the legendary romantic comedy directed by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas. Famous for the tagline “Garbo Laughs!” this sparkling satire of Soviet bureaucracy and Parisian romance became one of the most beloved comedies of the golden age. With a razor-sharp screenplay by Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett, and Walter Reisch, the film transforms Cold War ideological tensions into irresistible romantic comedy gold. This professionally colorized version brings the glamour of Paris and the wit of Lubitsch to vivid new life. Buy your colorized copy today for €15.00 and own this timeless classic movie in color.

Plot Summary

Three bumbling Soviet envoys — Iranoff (Sig Ruman), Buljanoff (Felix Bressart), and Kopalski (Alexander Granach) — are sent to Paris to sell confiscated jewels for the Soviet government and raise desperately needed foreign currency. Instead, they are immediately and gleefully seduced by the pleasures of capitalism — fine restaurants, luxurious hotel suites, and the decadent charms of Parisian nightlife. The glamorous Grand Duchess Swana (Ina Claire), who claims the jewels as rightful property seized during the revolution, enlists the dashing Count Leon d’Algout (Melvyn Douglas) to wine and dine the envoys into submission, and his strategy works beautifully. Moscow, alarmed by the envoys’ enthusiastic capitalist corruption and total failure to complete their mission, sends a no-nonsense special envoy, Nina Ivanovna “Ninotchka” Yakushova (Greta Garbo), to take charge and complete the sale. Stern, humorless, utterly devoted to Communist ideology, and suspicious of every Western pleasure, Ninotchka seems entirely immune to Parisian charm — she evaluates the Eiffel Tower only as an engineering structure and dismisses romance as a bourgeois affectation. Count Leon, assigned to distract this new Soviet threat just as he charmed the envoys, sets out to break through her ideological armor. What he does not expect is that something genuine happens: Ninotchka begins to fall in love, to laugh for the first time in her life, and to discover the joy and spontaneity that rigid ideology has forbidden her to experience. In a famous restaurant scene, Leon’s persistent attempts at humor finally crack her defenses, and Garbo’s legendary laugh rings out — transforming both the character and cinematic history. But when the Duchess threatens to return the jewels to Soviet hands unless Ninotchka leaves Paris and Leon forever, politics and passion collide with devastating force. Both Ninotchka and Leon must choose between duty and the heart, between ideology and love, in a conclusion that is both moving and brilliantly witty.

Cast & Crew

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Stars: Greta Garbo, Melvyn Douglas, Sig Ruman, Felix Bressart, Alexander Granach, Ina Claire, Bela Lugosi, Gregory Gaye, Rolfe Sedan, Edwin Maxwell

Why Buy This Classic in Color?

This colorized version of Ninotchka transforms the Parisian boulevards, the elegant hotel suites, and Garbo’s luminous screen presence into an absolute feast for the eyes. The original black and white film captured Lubitsch’s visual wit perfectly, but the professionally colorized restoration reveals the glamorous Parisian couture that gradually replaces Ninotchka’s severe Soviet wardrobe, the sparkling City of Light with its grand cafés and tree-lined avenues, the opulent jewelry at the center of the plot glittering in their display cases, and the warmth of candlelit restaurant scenes where romance blossoms, all with frame-by-frame precision. Garbo’s extraordinary beauty and expressiveness — particularly the transformation from stone-faced commissar to radiant woman in love — gain breathtaking new dimension in color. The contrast between the gray severity of Soviet officialdom and the colorful exuberance of Parisian life becomes a visual metaphor that enriches the entire film. Watch this restored classic film in dazzling, romantic color. Now also available in colour.

Buy Ninotchka in color today for just €15.00. Your DRM-free MP4 download is available for instant access.

Historical Significance

Ninotchka is one of Ernst Lubitsch’s supreme achievements and a landmark of sophisticated comedy that exemplifies the famous “Lubitsch Touch” — that indefinable quality of wit, elegance, and sly innuendo that made him Hollywood’s most admired comedy director. The film marked a dramatic and hugely successful departure for Greta Garbo, who had been known almost exclusively for tragic, dramatic roles. Her performance proved she could be brilliantly funny, and MGM’s marketing campaign — simply “Garbo Laughs!” — became one of the most iconic taglines in cinema history. The screenplay by Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett, and Walter Reisch is considered one of the wittiest in Hollywood history, balancing sharp political satire with genuine romantic warmth and earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Story. The film received four Academy Award nominations in total, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Garbo. Its influence extended far beyond its initial release: it was adapted into the Cole Porter stage musical Silk Stockings in 1955 and a subsequent film version starring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse in 1957. The colorization brings radiant new beauty to this beloved classic, allowing modern audiences to experience the glamour and romance that made Ninotchka a defining film of Hollywood’s golden age.

Technical Details

• Format: MP4 digital download
• Resolution: HD restored
• Colorized: Professionally colorized from original black and white
• Audio: Original mono restored
• Runtime: Approximately 110 minutes
• DRM-free: Yes — watch on any device
• Instant download: Available immediately after purchase
• Price: €15.00

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Movie-Specific Questions

Q: Is this the original 1939 Ernst Lubitsch film?
A: Yes, this is the original Ninotchka starring Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas, directed by Ernst Lubitsch, presented in its professionally colorized version with all of Lubitsch’s comedic brilliance intact.

Q: Is this the complete version?
A: Yes, this is the full theatrical release of Ninotchka, including the legendary restaurant scene where “Garbo Laughs” and every moment of the film’s sparkling comedy.

Q: Why is this film considered a comedy classic?
A: Ninotchka combines one of cinema’s greatest performances — Garbo’s transformation from humorless ideologue to woman in love — with a script by Billy Wilder that is endlessly quotable, political satire that remains relevant, and the masterful comic direction of Ernst Lubitsch. It was nominated for four Academy Awards and continues to top lists of the greatest comedies ever made.

Digital Download Questions

Q: What format is the download?
A: DRM-free MP4, compatible with virtually any device or media player.

Q: How much does it cost?
A: €15.00 for instant download. The colorization process ensures every scene looks stunning in color.

Q: Can I watch on multiple devices?
A: Absolutely. The file is DRM-free, so you can watch on your TV, tablet, phone, or computer.

Related Colorized Classics

• The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)
• Follow the Fleet (1936)
• The Model and the Marriage Broker (1951)
• Two (1941)
• Unfaithfully Yours (1948)