Details
Movie Description
In Preston Sturges' second film, CHRISTMAS IN JULY, a practical joke propels a hard-working New York couple into a financial and ideological fiasco that challenges the concepts of talent, destiny, and the value of validation. The simple yet soon-to-be-complicated plot sees two lovers sitting on the roof on a hot New York City night, arguing about money. The beautiful girl, Betty (Ellen Drew), attempts to sell her grumpy and hardscrabble fiancé Jimmy (Dick Powell) on the merits of a one-room apartment, when all the while he is desperately attempting to hear the radio, which promises to announce the $25,000 winner of a slogan contest for a local coffee company. The next day when a trio of prankster coworkers forge a telegraph telling him that he has won, Jimmy and Betty are swept into a changed world, one in which long-suffering struggles are validated and self-doubts are dispelled. Jimmy finds himself respected by his boss, placated by his peers, and the landscape of New York City is transformed from an obstacle course to a land of opportunity, only to be thrust back into bleak reality when the hoax is revealed.
Synopsis
Preston Sturges cunningly directs and writes this fast-paced comedy about an office clerk named Jimmy MacDonald, played guilelessly by Dick Powell, who loves entering contests in the hopes of someday winning a fortune and marrying Ellen Drew (Betty Casey), the girl he loves. His latest attempt is the Maxford House Coffee Slogan Contest. As a joke, some of his co-workers put together a fake telegram that says he won the $25,000 grand prize. As a result, he gets a promotion and goes out and buys presents for all of his family and friends and proposes to his girl. When the truth comes out, he's not prepared for the consequences. CHRISTMAS IN JULY is a successful satire on big business, advertising, and the American success ethic. Don't miss the hilarious slapstick near the end, involving the store owners and a madcap food riot utilizing fish. The film is cleanly shot by Victor Milner in high-contrast black and white.
Film Notes
This was Preston Sturges's second film. THE GREAT McGINTY was his first.
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