Tonight I watched "Chrisrmas Holiday"(1944), another one of the Yuletide-themed noirs we discovered in yesterday's Google search. Unlike "Mr. Soft Touch", however, this one was Christmas in name only; there were no holiday touches save for one scene, but it was still a good movie.
As it opens, a G.I. named "Lt. Mason" (Dean Harens) is at his Army barracks, getting ready to go on leave. He's set to fly to San Francisco that night, to marry his girlfriend. The date is December 24th. Just before he's due at the airport, he's handed a telegram. It's a "Dear John" message from his girl, informing him that she went and married someone else. He's crushed, but decides to catch his plane anyhow, if for no other reason than to take some R&R and try to collect his thoughts in another city.
But the flight encounters stormy weather and is diverted to New Orleans. The airline arranges for hotel rooms for all the passengers until the trip can be completed. At the hotel bar, Mason meets a newspaper reporter (one of those again) who talks him into going to a Nawlins nightclub to check out the action. Figuring it might help to lift his depression, the Lieutenant agrees. There, he is introduced to "Jackie" (Deanna Durbin), the singer in the club who is a friend of the reporter. Mason is indifferent to her at first, still preoccupied with being dumped on Christmas Eve. But when he decides to leave, to attend Midnight Mass at a nearby church, Jackie begs to go with him. So strong is her desire, he can't say no, and he wouldn't have anyway. He's a gentleman, she's a nice gal behind the nightclub veneer, and they're both nursing a world of hurt. Mason finds this out about Jackie when, during the Mass, she breaks down and can't stop crying.
I must break in myself here, to note that the church scene was filmed at St. Vibiana's in Downtown Los Angeles. It was formerly the Cathedral of Los Angeles before it was badly damaged in the Northridge earthquake. After that, it was closed and the new Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels was built in 2002. But my Mom used to mention St. Vibiana's quite often. I never got the chance to see it, but from the Midnight Mass scene in this movie, you can tell it was quite grand and beautiful. I think it still stands (I'll have to check) and it may now be a historical landmark. But I don't think it's still in use for regular services, and here, it's supposed to be a church in New Orleans.
But back to the story, when Jackie loses it as the choir sings "Adeste Fideles", Lt. Mason escorts her back to his hotel to get her bearings. She apologises for the outburst, then begins to tell him her life story. From here we head into flashback mode, where we will remain for most of the picture.
Ahh, "Jackie" was not always Jackie. Her real name is Abigail, and once upon a time she was married to the scion of a wealthy New Orleans family. The only problem is that he is in prison now, for murder. That is why she broke down in church. Her husband is in there for life, and it turns out he's a psychopath, controlled by a domineering mother. The extent of his pathology is only hinted at, but if you're paying attention it's clear that he's more than a little weird, and so is his mama. This is all told in flashback, and the husband is played by none other than Gene Kelly, who's not just hoofing it this time (in addition to his dancing, he was a good actor). We can see he's got a gambling problem, he's killed a bookie, but his Mom is covering up for him to protect the family name, or what's left of it. In truth, it's a crumbling empire, and the dialogue hints at some creepy stuff going on behind the wrought iron rails of the ancestral manse.
This is one Melodrama of a noir, and there's very little Christmas cheer involved. Besides the church scene, however, there is also another great location segment filmed at an old Los Angeles theater, one that - in the movie at least - doubles as a concert hall. In the scene, Gene Kelly and Deanna Durbin are watching a symphony orchestra play the overture from "Tristan und Isolde" by Wagner. I recognised the music and said "Wow" to myself, because at this point the pathos was being pushed through the roof.
This is the kind of movie that would've influenced David Lynch, and indeed, if you listen closely to the strains of "Tristan", you will hear a resemblance to the theme for "Twin Peaks", composed 140 years later by Angelo Badalamenti.
Above all, it's Durbin's story. In reality she's Abigail from Vermont, but to escape her rural upbringing she's turned herself into Jackie the Nightclub Singer, and as such, she can't tear herself away from Gene Kelly, this momma's boy who's now in Angola prison for life, because as crazy as he is, he's all that's keeping her from being ordinary. Man, this is some mixed up psychology.
Robert Siodmak directed, and gets a tremendous performance out of young Deanna Durbin, a Canadian singer/actress who is not well known now, but was a gigantic box office draw in the early 1940s.
All in all, a weird find, but a good one. The title has little to do with the film, but don't miss "Christmas Holiday", a tale of hopeless love. ////
Hey, how 'bout that? I wrote a blog on two consecutive days. I know I used to always do that, but this year it became more difficult, not because of covid but just the demands of my job. However, maybe when I'm home I can try to do it again, or at least when my neighbors aren't blasting disco music twenty-four-seven. Today they weren't home. Thanks, God.
Well anyway, two blogs in a row, and another good movie. See you in the morning. Tons of love!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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