MovieChat Forums > The Shop Around the Corner (1940) Discussion > Pepi was such a scheming little scut

Pepi was such a scheming little scut

posted 14 years ago by BigWhiskers
18 replies | jump to latest

He is an errand boy ,basically a nobody.
he just happens by coincidence to catch Mr Matuschek trying to commit suicide and stops him. Then while visiting Mr Matuschek in the hospital he starts his scheming, basically milking Mr Matuschek into making him a clerk .

Then he walks into the shop all haughty taughty . picks up the phone and calls an employment agency to hire a new errand boy . Who the hell gave him the right to do so, he's not the manager or the owner .Then he basically tells Mrs Matuschek off on the phone about Vardash- telling everyone to draw their own conclusions when Matuschek told even Mr Kralik not to mention it to anyone. When they ask him who made him a clerk. even Pirovitch says " who would do such a horrible thing" and he says "well if it wasn't for him youd all be out of jobs this xmas" real snotty like.

And to top it off , when Mr Matuschek is giving out Xmas bonuses ,he hands the new errand boy Rudy some money to which Pepi says to Rudy "it's too much". What a scheming little stuck up scut. For a sales clerk , he seems to think he ran the place and that Rudy worked just for him. I would have kicked his tail out the door .

"So, a thought crossed your mind? Must have been a long and lonely journey"

[–] louiseculmer 8 years ago

i think he's very amusing He does save Mr Mutaschek's life, and he certainly deserves to be made a clerk for that. he is a little self important when he goes into the shop the next day, but who could blame him? he is excited and proud to be a clerk. And his conversation with mrs Mutaschek on the phone is very funny. In fact all his lines are funny.

[–] Urmelita 8 years ago

Yes, he is at the bottom of the pecking order. Yes, it is just coincidence that he arrives when Mr Matuschek attempts suicide. But that's the only points you got right.

He's running errands, not only for the company and his fellow employees, but also for Mrs Matuschek, who regards him as her personal servant, to go by the early phone conversations with her. And he puts up with it, and has done so presumably for quite some time. So there is no question where his loyalty lies.

So he does what has to be done, when he stumbles upon the suicide. That he came in by chance doesn't make his actions any less noble. And remember: he was there in the first place, because he was returning from running errands long after everyone else had gone home.

Later, it is Mr Matuschek himself, who brings up that he would be happier as a clerk.

The next morning he is proud as a peacock over his promotion, but then, who wouldn't be?

The bad attitude is only directed at Mrs Matuschek (on the phone) and at Vadas, both of them deserve it.

The comment about Rudi's Christmas bonus is just to showing that it was more generous than was called for. And he would know, having done the job before Rudi joined the company. Frankly, it says more about Mr Matuschek, then it does about the bonus itself or Pepi.