Tonight I watched "Christmas In July" (1940), written and directed by the great Preston Sturges. What's that you're saying? "C'mon Ad, isn't it a bit early for Christmas movies"? Perhaps. Usually I wait until after Thanksgiving to start watching 'em, but when I was at Porter Ranch Libe the other day I saw this title on the rack, and I couldn't pass it by. We have come to love the films of Sturges, each one funnier than the last, or so it seems. He and Ernst Lubitsch were the masters of screwball comedy as far as I'm concerned. But you don't have to worry about the above-mentioned conundrum because "Christmas In July" isn't a Christmas movie after all.
Instead, it's the story of a young clerk (Dick Powell) who has entered a slogan contest for "Maxford House" Coffee. Their old slogan, "Grand To The Last Gulp", has been around a while and they are searching for a new one. As the movie opens, Powell is running his idea by his girlfriend Ellen Drew. As it happens, they both work for a rival company, Baxter's Coffee. Under the moonlight on the roof of their one room apartment, Powell tells Drew his idea. "It's perfect, honey! Get a load of this : "If you can't sleep at night, it's not the coffee - it's the bunk"!
Only Preston Sturges could come up with something so ridiculous. :)
Powell's theory is that coffee doesn't keep you awake, but puts you to sleep. Ellen Drew tries telling him he's got it backwards - everyone knows coffee is a stimulant - but he's in love with his slogan and the clever pun he's inserted ("it's the bunk"!). Mostly, he just wants to win the $25,000 Grand Prize so that he can marry Drew and move them into a nice house, among other things.
She can't talk him out of his dumb slogan, so he sends it off, and whattaya know......a few days later, he receives a telegram telling him he's won the contest! We know something Powell doesn't, but I'll leave you to discover what it is. Meanwhile, he's thrilled with the news, announcing his win to everyone in the office. Mr. Baxter, the owner of Baxter's Coffee, is impressed. He'd previously held a low opinion of Powell, but now figures him a genius. Maxford House is the biggest coffee company in the world; if Powell has won their contest, he must have some advertising talent after all. Soon Powell is given his own office as the top Ad Man for Baxter's Coffee, with Ellen Drew as his secretary. He immediately comes up with a slogan for Baxter's : "The Blue Blood Coffee - It's Bred In The Beans"! Mr. Baxter loves it, and all is right in the world.
Next the movie kicks into high gear with a major league shopping spree. This is where "Christmas In July" comes in, and as an aside, I am wondering if that is where the phrase comes from? Did Sturges coin it with his movie title, or did he just use it because it was already around? Well anyhow, Powell has been given his check by Dr. Maxford, the owner of Maxford House. He has 25 Grand at his disposal to buy whatever he wants (and of course that was a fortune in 1940, you could buy a big house, all the furnishings, two cars, and still have money left over).
Powell buys Drew a ring to begin with, then turns his attention to his family and friends. In addition, he wants to buy everyone in the tenement a present, especially all the children. This is where Sturges adds a dash of social commentary, as he does in many of his films, but again he does so without being heavy handed. He like to poke fun at Big Shots, but does it in a way that is hilarious and fun, rather than mean-spirited. The joke is on everyone in a Preston Sturges movie, and everyone can laugh at themselves.
There's been a mix-up back at Maxford House headquarters. Cranky old William Demarest, who played "Uncle Charlie" on "My Three Sons", was one of the judges on the contest panel. The winner had to be chosen unanimously, and Demarest had been the lone holdout. This angered Dr. Maxford, who wanted a new slogan asap, but now that Powell's been declared the winner, Maxford is willing to let the matter drop. Though Demarest is a pain in the butt, he's also a valuable employee. But where is he? Why isn't he back in his office? Dang blast that Demarest! The contest is over. He should be back at work!
Nobody but nobody can set up a farce like Preston Sturges. His scripts are like a finely tuned watch. You just wind them up and let the gears turn. They always mesh perfectly. Sturges consistently had the right actors matched to every film, and here he's got the "aw shucks" geniality of Dick Powell and the high-wattage sincerity of Ellen Drew, she of the Million Dollar Smile. They and the supporting cast run through the lightning fast one liners and double entendres without missing a beat. Sturges squeezes in so many references into some scenes, often by using funny nicknames ("Good afternoon, Mr. Heilhitler"!), that you have to hit "rewind" if you wanna catch them all. This is an almost 80 year old film, but you'll be laughing as hard as the opening night audience once did. It's the kind of comedy that never gets old because it's so full of energy.
If you have not already done so, I implore you to check out the films of Preston Sturges. You could start with "Christmas In July", which runs a compact 67 minutes. If you don't love it I'll give you triple your money back (in 1940 dollars of course!), but I'm not worried because I know you will.
Love it, that is.
Like every Sturges film (at least the six that I've seen), "Christmas In July" gets Two Gigantic Thumbs Up, and my highest recommendation. Movies simply don't get any better than this. /////
That's all for now. It's Monday afternoon. We had good singin' in church yesterday. The weather has been gorgeous the past few days and I'm still getting away with a t-shirt. Now I will head out for a short walk, then to Vons for supplies, then back to Pearl's. What's going on with the Impeachment? Are we ever gonna be rid of this guy? Let us pray. I'll see you tonight at the Usual Time.
Tons of love! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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