IT CAME FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF!

Between 1940 and 1944, Preston Sturges wrote and directed a string of seven classic comedies that are unmatched in wit, ingenuity of plot, and briskness of pace.  Of those classics — The Great McGinty, Christmas in July, The Lady Eve, Sullivan’s Travels, The Palm Beach Story, The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek, and Hail the Conquering Hero — the sophomore effort, Christmas in July, is generally considered the slightest.  Of course, this is only mild criticism, in that all seven of the films are generally hailed as comedic masterworks.  Christmas in July has simply been considered by many to be their least favorite amongst their favorites.  However, after a recent re-watch of Sturges’ second effort (via an advance copy of Kino Lorber’s upcoming Blu-ray), I believe that many critics (myself included) may have been confusing brevity with slightness.  Christmas in July may be Sturges shortest film, running a scant 67 minutes, but every second is packed with hilarious dialogue, subversive satire, riotous slapstick, and a whole lot of heart.  In other words, it may be short, but it’s a Preston Sturges movie.

“If you can’t sleep at night, it isn’t the coffee, it’s the bunk!”  That’s the slogan that Jimmy MacDonald (Dick Powell), a poor office clerk with big ideas, has submitted in hopes of winning $25,000 in the Maxford House Coffee advertising contest.  $25,000 (approximately $450,000 in today’s dollars) would allow the dreamer to move out of his mother’s apartment, marry his girlfriend Betty (Ellen Drew), and provide for his family and friends in the way he thinks they deserve.  When a telegram arrives, informing Jimmy that he’s won the contest, the office clerk practically bursts with confidence and raw energy, leading him to share bottled up ideas with his bosses and to go on a whirlwind shopping spree to buy gifts for everyone in his neighborhood.  Unfortunately, Jimmy doesn’t know that the telegram is a phony, designed as a prank by the office practical jokers.

Due to the surprising success of Preston Sturges first directorial effort, The Great McGinty (also 1940), the new director wanted to quickly capitalize while he was a hot commodity.  Rather than creating a new screenplay from scratch, he dusted off a script of an unproduced play, A Cup of Coffee, that he had originally cooked up back in 1931.  Being that the story was birthed during the height of the Great Depression, economic disparity is at the heart of the storyline.  Sturges screenplay presents a rather sour view of capitalism, where ill-tempered nincompoops sit at the top of the heap, while the struggling masses can only succeed through the intervention of a miracle.  Still, despite the bitter commentary, the film is warm-hearted and hilarious, ultimately rejoicing in the goodness of human nature.

Sturges dialogue was so sharp and witty, that his ability as a screenwriter often overshadowed his talent as a director.  However, I believe that he was one of the finest directors of the classic studio era.  If you watch Christmas in July with an eye to the staging and camerawork, you can see that every directorial decision enhances the comedy and emotion of the scene.  Sturges seemed to know instinctively that comedy plays better in medium shots with multiple actors in the frame, as opposed to close-ups, because humor is conveyed not only in the dialogue but in the body language and reactions of the actors.  Wherever possible, he also employed long takes (often with moving camera), so as not to interrupt the rhythm of the scene.  Finally, while Sturges was not Orson Welles, he often employeed unusual camera movements.  In Christmas in July, the camera mimics the speed of the narrative itself, including moments where it dips like an elevator and another where it zips across a busy city street.  One can see why Sturges was so eager to helm the production of his own screenplays.

I also want to interject that Sturges was equally adept with directing drama.  In particular, there is a moment of pathos in the film involving a young girl and a doll that could have come off as saccharine in lesser hands.  However, the scene plays beautifully and helps reinforce the good-hearted nature of the lead characters.

The cast is fantastic.  It is surprising that Dick Powell only worked once with Sturges, because few actors were as adept at seemingly tossing off a humorous phrase, and Ellen Drew is equally excellent with Sturges dialogue and slapstick.  They make a very believable pair of bickering young lovers.  Of course, Sturges fills the supporting roles with his stock company of character actors, including the great Franklin Pangborn, William Demarest (Sturges’ good luck charm), and Raymond Walburn (who effectively steals every scene in which he appears).

Preston Sturges was never more energetic and economical in hitting his comedic target than in Christmas in July.  It may be brief in terms of running time, but it is huge in terms of entertainment value.  It is a comic confection without an ounce of fat.

USA/B&W-67m./Dir: Preston Sturges/Wr: Preston Sturges/Cast: Dick Powell, Ellen Drew, Raymond Walburn, William Demarest, Ernest Truex, Alexander Carr, Franklin Pangborn, Rod Cameron, Adrian Morris, Harry Rosenthal, Georgia Caine, Ferike Boros, Torben Meyer, Julius Tannen, Al Bridge, Lucille Ward, Victor Potel

For Fans of: If you love any of Preston Sturges’ films or just love screwball romantic comedies from the classic studio era, you are almost guaranteed to love Christmas in July.

Video: Kino Lorber Studio Classics will release a Blu-ray of Christmas in July on November 26th, sourced from a new 4K scan.  I owned a previous DVD release, and the Blu-ray is a big step up in quality. It is sharp, clear, and free of scratches and debris.  In short, the film looks absolutely fantastic.

The sound is also flawless.  Both Sturges’ delightful dialogue and John Leipold‘s zippy score are music to the ears.

Special Features include:

• A new audio commentary by film historian Samm Deighan — She is obviously a fan of the film, and her knowledge and enthusiasm greatly added to my enjoyment of the disc.
• The original theatrical trailer for Christmas in July, as well as trailers for two Sturges-scripted classics coming from Kino Lorber in January — The Great McGinty (1940) and The Good Fairy (1935).  There are also a couple of unrelated trailers for Pocketful of Miracles (1961) and I’ll Be Seeing You (1944).

Streaming: At the time of this review, Christmas in July was unavailable to stream on any of the major subscription services.  It was also unavailable to download as a digital rental or purchase.

More to Explore: I always take the opportunity to recommend my favorite Preston Sturges film, The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek, which is also my favorite movie of all time.  However, almost anything written and/or directed by Preston Sturges is worth going out of your way to watch.

Trivia: Preston Sturges pulled an “Alfred Hitchcock” in Christmas in July, inserting himself in the picture for a brief cameo.  He appears early in the film, as the gentleman with the mustache, wearing a straw boater hat, situated around a radio while getting his shoes polished.

For More Info: Three collections of Sturges’ scripts, with background on the productions, have been released by University of California Press.  The script and “behind the scenes” information for Christmas in July is in the collection Five Screenplays by Preston Sturges.  The other two books in the series are Four More Screenplays by Preston Sturges and Three More Screenplays by Preston Sturges.