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Remakes: we either hate them or we cannot live without them. As media consumers, we seek to connect with and find meaning in a particular story, feeling overjoyed when our creative vision is properly brought to life by a talented cast and crew. When we can't get enough of our favorite characters, settings and situations, we eagerly await to rediscover them all over again and share our experience with an entirely new generation of viewers. And in the fascinating case of a Hungarian play and its four reincarnations, unconditional success is an assured birthright.

*Contains spoilers*

Overture: Parfumerie

The captivating story of Miklós László's Parfumerie first made its way into the world in 1937. Planting its roots at a quaint perfume store in the charming city of Budapest, the play introduced an enthusiastic theater audience to the story of George Horváth, a shop employee whose life takes many unsuspecting twists and turns when love comes knocking at his door. Over a course of several months, George exchanges secret letters with a captivating woman who seems like a match made in heaven. On paper, she is the complete opposite of Amália Balás, a co-worker who infuriates George like no other; in reality, the two individuals are one and the same. Fighting his own romantic feelings, George refuses to share the truth with Amália in disclosing his identity. And when he is suspected of having an affair with the perfume store owner's wife, only a Christmas miracle can save the day.

Even as Parfumerie lit a spark that has yet to be extinguished, it didn't take long for more fuel to be added to the cozy fire. Seizing a perfect opportunity to adapt a play that had all the makings of an unforgettable motion picture, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) called upon the expertise of writer Samson Raphaelson to adapt Parfumerie for the silver screen.

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Act I: The Shop Around the Corner

Released in 1940, only three years after László's play made its glorious debut, Ernst Lubitsch's The Shop Around the Corner crossed over continents to make its way into plenty of holiday hearts, remaining an essential part of cinematic history to this day. Ranked highly by the American Film Institute, hailed by Time as one of 100 best films of all time and preserved by the Library of Congress as part of the National Film Registry, the film is an essential, must-see Christmas classic.

Even as Parfumerie provides the framework for its Hollywood contender, Budapest still serving as the primary backdrop for the holiday, the 1940 film takes the driver's seat in steering the story in a slightly new direction. Perfume-shop proprietor Miklós Hammerschmidt is now Hugo Matuschek, an owner of a leather-goods store played by the beloved Frank Morgan, widely known for his iconic performance in 1939's The Wizard of Oz. Mr. Matuschek's top employee is salesman Alfred Kralik, portrayed by legendary actor James Stewart, and his store is filled with the hustle and bustle of interesting individuals that include a ladies' man, a delivery boy, a clerk and a sales lady. Alfred's closest friend is a trustworthy co-worker named Pirovitch (Felix Bressart), whose advice Alfred seeks and to whom he opens up regarding a letter-based correspondence with a fascinating woman from a lonely-hearts newspaper ad.

Just like his counterpart George in Parfumerie, Alfred finds himself falling out of favor with his employer. His advice against selling a musical cigarette box doesn't sit well with the more enthusiastic Mr. Matuschek, and his rejection of Klara Novak, a young woman who shows up to seek employment at the store, creates animosity between two people who seem to get along on paper. Klara is played by Margaret Sullavan, a screen and stage actress who is particularly well-suited for her role of James Stewart's love interest, despite her limited filmography. Margaret's manner of speaking and carrying herself is eloquent and insightful, and her overall demeanor is marked by a sense of vulnerability and sincerity, all qualities that endear her to the story's audience.

A key scene that acts as a turning point in the story's plot and provides a vehicle for the two leading actors' undeniable chemistry takes place at a cafe, where the secret pen pals agree to meet for an in-person date. While the audience holds its breath and waits for an important secret to be revealed, Alfred comes to a startling realization regarding Klara.

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As hopes for a romantic development between Alfred and Klara are shattered, at least for the time being, the events in The Shop Around the Corner also take a darker turn after Mr. Matuschek makes an important discovery about his wife that jeopardizes George's career. The lighthearted and comedic tones that permeate the movie temporarily make way for heavier emotions such as anger, sadness and desperation so as to bring about a message of hope and new beginnings — themes that every feel-good Christmas story needs.

The tale of two people seemingly brought together by fate is poignant enough not to be forgotten, the question of "Will they, won't they?" remaining at the forefront of a story that demands a satisfying resolution. But while the happenstance of the entire situation draws viewers in from the very beginning — throwing enough mystery and intrigue into the mix to keep them engaged and interested — it is the array of human emotions that one feels that gives The Shop Around the Corner, which Ernst Lubitsch considered to be his greatest cinematic achievement, a timeless quality.

As Alfred and Klara pick up their pens to write a different kind of story, and the leather-goods store closes its doors in time for the holidays, somewhere in Chicago, one can hear the unmistakable sound of a harp.

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Act II: In the Good Old Summertime

Great acts are usually tough to follow, and reimagining Ernst Lubitsch's masterpiece is no easy feat —unless you're MGM with a few tricks up your sleeves. The formula is simple: take a highly praised director, add in two of the studio's biggest leading stars, throw in a legendary comedian and top it all off with one stellar soundtrack. The result is In the Good Old Summertime, a musical remake of The Shop of Around the Corner that is a treasure in its own right.

Whatever the intent may have been, MGM set the 1949 motion picture apart from its predecessor by completely changing the location and time in which the story takes place. The leather-goods store and former perfumery become a music shop in turn-of-the-century Chicago. Its characters still have the makings of their counterparts but with a few personality adjustments made along the way. The owner of the shop takes on a new identity as Otto Oberkugen in the hands of Hungarian-American actor S.Z. Sakall. No longer a married man, this alternate version of Hugo Matuschek has his sights set on his employee, Nellie Burke (Spring Byington), but is taking his time in making his romantic intentions clear.

Andrew (Andy) Larkin is a store manager and one of Mr. Oberkugen's most trusted employees. Following in James Stewart's footsteps, Van Johnson breathes new life into a man who has fallen in love with a woman he's met only through the letters written to her, his so-called "dear friend" who lives in mailbox #237. Andy is handsome, charming, witty and intelligent — a leading man in every sense of the word — pouring out his heart to co-worker and friend Rudy Hansen (Clinton Sundberg) in the same way that Alfred did to Pirovitch. Andy's first encounter with the woman behind the written word, now named Veronica Fisher (Judy Garland) is at a post office. The two star-crossed lovers get off on the wrong foot from the onset, but the way in which they meet is an indication of serendipity at play.

Throughout Summertime, Veronica is as fiery and temperamental as she is warm and sensitive. Her interactions with Andy are filled with longing and passion, and the relationship that develops over a course of several months is multi-faceted and complex. There is also the added element of music that pushes the movie along and treats the audience to a healthy dose of nostalgia. Well-known tunes from the 1900s give Judy Garland a chance to shine as a world-class vocalist while Van Johnson puts his comedic chops to a particularly good use.

Sparks fly when Veronica tries to sell a harp (the former cigarette box) to a potential customer during "Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland," all the while keeping an eye on Andy as he accompanies her on the piano. In "Put Your Arms Around Me, Honey," Veronica tries to upstage Andy with her singing prowess but ends up catching her breath one too many times when he decides to speed up the melody. Judy and Van's pairing in scenes such as these works so well, that it's hard to imagine the performers originally slated for the film — Frank Sinatra and June Allyson — in their shoes.

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Because Summertime closely follows the developments of The Shop Around the Corner but takes a few detours along the way, the retelling of the original film makes for an entirely new viewing experience. The scene in which Andy and Veronica plan to meet their supposed pen pals at a restaurant is essentially the same as the one we see in The Shop Around the Corner, with Judy and Van shining as brightly as James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan did when they sat side by side at a cafe in Budapest, but the interaction that follows that encounter is expanded upon when Andy pays Veronica a personal visit in Summertime. With the help of a baby, the two co-workers heal their connection and see a more tender side of each other. There is also a sense of foreshadowing about the future the two individuals could have together — should they choose to pursue that path.

Mr. Oberkugen and Nellie's upcoming nuptials are celebrated with a lavish engagement party at a biergarten, complete with top-notch entertainment from Judy as Veronica and a comedic stunt from Buster Keaton, who plays the music-store owner's nephew and employee. Andy's could-be-romantic involvement with and support of a beautiful violinist named Louise (Marcia Van Dyke) during and after the party gets him in trouble with Mr. Oberkugen and leads Veronica to make a hasty decision that's a far cry from anything Klara would have done. The couple's happy ending seems all but lost as Christmas draws near, and only a miracle can save the day.

As much as I enjoy the heartwarming and quirky ending of The Shop Around the Corner, I consider Summertime's finale to be far superior and satisfying — the long-awaited and highly anticipated moment when Andy finally comes forward with a declaration of love. With that and all of the other considerations in mind, there is no question that Summertime is a delectable treat, meant to be savored by itself or enriched by the all-sensory experience of a pairing with the tried-and-true 1940 classic. After watching both movies in consecutive order as part of my annual holiday viewing tradition, I felt a sense of completion — like I didn't need to see any other Christmas movies for the rest of the season. My sentiments remained the same until I found an unread email in my AOL inbox.

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Act III: You've Got Mail

Just when I thought that the premise of Parfumerie couldn't get any better, I was proven wrong by You've Got Mail, a reinvention that introduced the holiday tale to a modern audience. The third film was released in 1998, but I didn't get to see it until last year. I don't really know why it's never made its way into my repertoire, but perhaps I was meant to discover MGM's two motion pictures first so as to be pleasantly surprised by yet another version that would sweep me off my feet.

The on-screen coupling of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan has always been memorable. Back in the days when romantic comedies made us believe in magic, the two Hollywood legends brought us 1990's Joe Versus the Volcano and 1993's Sleepless in Seattle. The two were reunited by director Nora Ephron, who also worked with Meg on the hugely popular When Harry Met Sally; and with the inspired vision of cinematographer John Lindley and the music of George Fenton, a third iteration of Parfumerie was born.

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As tradition goes, You've Got Mail shares some commonalities with its predecessors, keeping the premise of the previous storylines intact while boldly stepping out to make its own way in the world — in this case, New York City. Tom Hanks plays Joe Fox, whose last name is synonymous with a prominent bookstore chain that threatens the existence of a local bookseller. The Shop Around the Corner, intentionally named to pay homage to the 1940 classic, is managed by Meg Ryan's Kathleen Kelly. The two rivals no longer work together, but they belong to the same industry and online chatroom, which becomes a replacement for mailbox #237. As the two exchange messages under aliases "Shopgirl" and "NY152" and form a long-distance friendship, neither is aware of the other's identity.

While Kathleen is supported by her shop assistants and aunt, no longer the same cast of characters from the leather-goods and music stores, Joe's best friend and colleague, Kevin, played by stand-up comedian Dave Chappelle, serves the same purpose as Pirovitch in The Shop Around the Corner and Rudy in In the Good Old Summertime. Kevin is present during the infamous first-date incident that, surprisingly, is recreated almost verbatim in each of the three movies. The scene, regardless of when and where it takes place, is a key turning point in the lives of the two leading characters.

Another surprising development in You've Got Mail, which is one of its key deviances from the source material, is the fact that both Joe and Kathleen are already in relationships with other people when they become online friends and real-life adversaries. Joe is seeing a cut-and-dry publisher named Patricia Eden (Parker Posey), while Kathleen is living with technology-obsessed journalist Frank Navasky (Greg Kinnear). Neither couple seems particularly happy, and both characters' romantic entanglements seem to get in the way of Joe and Kathleen ever getting together, bookstore rivalry aside.

The ending of You've Got Mail, unlike that of Shop and Summertime, is entirely new but just as heartwarming as ever. There is a real sense of sincerity and pure joy with which Kathleen accepts Joe, and the tenderness between Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan is genuine and believable. Despite its modern-day setting, the story still looks and feels like an old-fashioned fairy tale, complete with a special rendition of "Over the Rainbow" that honors Judy Garland's performance as Veronica Fisher in the 1949 musical.

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Encore: She Loves Me

While the original Parfumerie continues to live on through various theatrical adaptations, it is not the only version to grace the stage. Its musical counterpart, She Loves Me, premiered on Broadway in 1963 and quickly gained a strong cult following. Despite a failed attempt by MGM to churn out another Hollywood film — a consideration that could have altered the course of silver-screen history — the play saw several revivals, received multiple awards, inspired a BBC television production and became an important part of a first-ever livestream broadcast.

She Loves Me takes place in Budapest, just like The Shop Around the Corner, and re-introduces the audience to a perfume store with a fascinating assemblage of employees whose names and personalities closely resemble those of Parfumerie. The tale that is told is one that's as old as time but has yet to show any signs of aging.

Just like You've Got Mail, I was unaware of She Loves Me's existence until one of my favorite community theaters put on a Valentine's Day production earlier this year. Without knowing all the details, I expected the musical to resemble In the Good Old Summertime in terms of songs. To my surprise, the staged production had nothing in common with Judy Garland and her barbershop quartet. Instead, She Loves Me drew upon an entirely different but just-as-entertaining soundtrack from composer Jerry Bock and lyricist Sheldon Harnick to bring Miklós László's original vision full circle. Whoever said that third time's the charm didn't see this one coming.

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Proper remakes of films or TV shows lead to ongoing comparisons, complete with lively and engaging discussions, among fans. Failures, on the other hand, can be quite epic, forcing us to return to the so-called source material and accept it as cannon. In some cases, remakes can take on a life of their own, evolving with the times and reinventing the works of their predecessors in ways that are fresh, surprising and, in some cases, even superior. When it comes to Parfumerie, each new reinvention is a standalone holiday gift that keeps on giving — crafted like a love letter that movie viewers will want to pull out of their mailboxes over and over again.