Christmas in July (1940)

Jimmy (Dick Powell), convinced he has good ideas, submits a slogan in a contest and waits for the results. The judges can’t reach a decision, so Jimmy’s co-workers send him a prank telegram. The coffee company, thinking the telegram is real, pay him the $25,000. Comedic mayhem ensues.

Jimmy doesn’t deposit the check, but instead shows people so that they let him have stuff on faith. This is reminiscent of the Mark Twain story “The Million Pound Bank Note”. Here, however, Jimmy has no reason to believe he isn’t the authentic winner. And let’s consider for a moment how insane a $25,000 prize is. Adjusted for inflation, it would be over a half million dollars. That’s one hell of a contest. Preston Sturges only got $6000 for the script.

The company holding the contest was Maxford House Coffee who used the slogan “Grand to the Last Gulp”. Sounds familiar. It was a less litigious time. Old friend William Demarest returns, again with a silly name.

Not a Christmas movie but it has a Christmas title. I thought it an ironic way to kick off the holiday season. I may continue the irony. Christmas in July is another witty comedy from Preston Sturges. He only directed thirteen features and this is my sixth. I should see the rest. AMRU 3.5.

The Great McGinty (1940)

A drunk in a third world bar laments how, before losing it all, he was on top of the world. The bartender replies that he was once the governor of the state. This is his story.

Preston Sturges, already a successful screenwriter, had trouble getting a screenplay made, at least in the form he wanted it. So, he offered it for ten dollars under the condition that he was allowed to direct. That script won the Academy Award. And it turns out, he was a pretty good director as well.

Here, I believe, is the film I was thinking of when I watched The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek, the film Sturges would direct four years later. For the life of me, I do not understand what happened there. Anyhow … Brian Donlevy (McGinty) appeared in quite a few films, very few of which I have seen. One was the aforementioned Morgan’s Creek where he played Governor McGinty. Go figure. Also here is classic character actor William Demarest, who appeared in quite a bit more films.

The Great McGinty is a pretty amusing watch, but maybe I’ve grown tired of traditional, old Hollywood fare. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it. I did. But there are reasons why I am shading towards foreign films and more so-called American New Wave. As for McGinty, AMRU 3.5.

“Never mind the applesauce. How do I get the bucks?”

The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (1943)

 A young woman (Betty Hutton) wants to give departing servicemen a proper send-off, but her old fashioned dad (William Demarest) won’t have it. So, she uses the town dork (Eddie Bracken) as an alibi to get out of the house. She ditches him and doesn’t return until morning with no memory, and apparently married. And worse. She needs to further manipulate her dork friend to fix things.

A fan of Preston Sturges, I’ve long wanted to see this film and was happy when TCM finally ran it. When I started watching, I realized that I had seen at least part of it. By the time it was over, I realized that I had seen all of it. Recently. Now, this has happened before, but only to films I wasn’t particularly interested in and proved to be forgettable. This is a film that was on my radar for a long time and I truly enjoyed. I have no explanation. Does anyone else smell toast?

Norvel and Trudy, the two main characters, are charmingly ditzy. Betty was a rising star at the time and Eddie was an established comic actor, and they had good chemistry together. Unusual for comedies, there are long tracking shots of the two and the performances were spot on. Betty would go on to star in the second-worst best picture winner ever. William Demarest played the William Demarest character.

While the antics and performances are quite enjoyable, it’s a rather depressing story when you think about it. I can’t explain lest I spoil, so I will leave it there. The Miracle of Morgan's Creek is a charming, well written, funny film with some excellent performances. It was a huge success and I'm quite shocked it got past the censors. AMRU 4.

Remember the Night (1940)

Shoplifter Lee (Barbara Stanwyck) is on trial and her attorney uses the classic Hypnotism defense. When the prosecuting attorney (Fred MacMurray) realizes the jury is eating that crap up, he calls for Expert Testimony, thus delaying the trial until after the holidays and turning the tables back in his favor. Feeling bad he caused her to spend the holidays in lockup, he arranges for her to be bailed out. Only his man downtown thought he wanted her bailed out and brought around to his place for some nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more. Only he didn’t. At all. I mean, he’s Fred F’ing MacMurray for god sakes!

As luck would have it he’s going home for the holidays, she wants to reconnect up with her loving mother, and would you know it, it’s on the way! So, off on a road trip these love-birds-to-be go. What adventures they will have!

Remember the Night is a charming romantic comedy. It makes a case for nurture over nature without beating you over the head. The two grew up in similar circumstances, but while one steals, the other is a successful lawyer. The difference is Love. Hold a sec, I have to get a tissue. There seems to be something in my eye …

MacMurray and Stanwyck are solid performers. Please watch Double Indemnity if you haven't. Stanwyck’s transformation from streetwise bad girl to sympathetic woman was handled very well. Even more interesting is how the motion picture code is at odds with the Hollywood ending. Now, if I could only figure out which Night we are supposed to Remember. AMRU 3.5.

“Now there's nothing as dangerous as a square shooter. If all men were like you there wouldn't be any nice girls left.”

Sullivan's Travels (1941)

Director (Joel McCrea) of lighthearted comedies wants to make serious films about the downtrodden. When it's pointed out that he knows nothing of trouble, he has wardrobe bring up a bum costume, puts a dime in his pocket, and tries to live among the poor. Along the way he meets up with a struggling starlet (struggling starlet Veronica Lake) and proceeds to find all the trouble he was looking for.

I suppose this is a romantic comedy, but Sullivan's quest to learn about the disenfranchised takes top priority. This movie appears to explore liberal guilt. Rich white man taking up the cause of the poor without having any clue what it means to be poor. Boy howdy, does he find out.

Nineteen year old Lake was seven or eight months pregnant while filming, and you'd never know it. She's jumping on trains and falling into water just as the doctor ordered. There's a scene in a black church that was rather interesting. It depicts the poor black people as, well, people. This was 1941, remember. Being a frightened or bumbling servant was the BEST they normally could hope for. Director Preston Sturges received a letter from Walter White (not THAT Walter White!) from the NAACP in appreciation. I guess the scene with the bumbling chef was easily ignored.

So wonderfully written, Sullivan's Travels is delightful. His dialog had just enough edge to make production code Hollywood interesting. Definitely a see-again. AMRU 4.

"Just an extra girl having breakfast with a director. Only I didn't used to have breakfast with them. Maybe that was my trouble.
Did they ever ask you to?
No.
Then don't pat yourself on the back."

The Lady Eve (1941)

A cruse ship picks up Charles Pike (Henry Fonda), the socially awkward heir to the Pike's Ale fortune, who was in South American to study snakes. He's not much into the brew, you see. Con artist Jean (Barbara Stanwyck) sets out to fleece him. Things become complicated when she starts to fall for him. Anything more would encroach upon spoilage.

My first Stanwyck movie, and I have to say, not the total babe I was expecting. Better than fair no doubt, but not the hottie of legend. Later in life she would be the matriarch in The Big Valley, a favorite of my youth. Have to see an episode now. Back then my eyes wandered towards the young Linda Evans, not the oldie. Not on Netflix. I'll check Amazon Prime ...

Not much else to say. really. Fonda's on screen dad was Eugene Pallette, the dad from My Man Godfrey, doing basically the same character. The caretaker looking after Fonda was played by William Demarest, better known by me as Uncle Charlie from My Three Sons. I knew I recognized that voice.

Fairly complex plot, great script, and top notch acting, especially for a romantic comedy. The dialog had a very His Girl Friday quality about it and a second viewing would not be wasted. AMRU 3.5.

"Positively the same dame!"

The Palm Beach Story (1942)

Well, I was going to do The Invisible Man, but another blog I follow beat me to the punch. So, for the sake of professional courtesy, I'll hold off for a bit.

Next on the list is The Palm Beach Story, a Claudette Colbert screwball comedy. It seems that Gerry Jeffers (Claudette) is married to Tom Jeffers (Joel McCrea), who is hard working but ... what was that? Tom and Gerry Jeffers? Tom and Gerry? Seriously?

Whatever. Back to the story. Tom can't get a break and Gerry believes she is holding him back. She respects him, but says it's mostly a loveless marriage. She decides to take money from an old looney guy and go to that stereotypical place that people get divorces at. That's right, Palm Beach. Then she can somehow help him out. Seems Tom has this idea of building an airport out of netting. I guess this sounded plausible during the war.

Well, ol' Tom isn't totally on board with this quickie divorce thing, so he ALSO borrows money from an old looney guy and is in hot pursuit. That's right. Tom is chasing Gerry. Along the way, Gerry meets millionaire J.D. Hackensacker the third (Rudy Vallee). Gerry is going to marry him and funnel his money back at her future Ex. What nice people she is. Mary Astor plays Rudy's sis. How she ever got confused for a beauty, I'll never know.

The opening sequence made absolutely no sense and I was convinced this was a sequel. After viewing I searched for part one, but it doesn't exist. The opening plays into the story but it could have been skipped and not effect the story. When I read on Wikipedia what it meant, my reaction was "Oh, whatever".

Witty dialog and frank talk about divorce and infidelity made this movie interesting. Excellent pace, acting, and production all around. I didn't love it, but it very well might be worth a second look. Eventually. AMRU 3.5.

"That's one of the tragedies of this life, that the men most in the need of a beating up are always enormous."