Star in the night

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Movie
Original title Star in the night
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1945
length 22 minutes
Rod
Director Don Siegel
script Saul Elkins
production Gordon Hollingshead
for Warner Bros.
music William Lava
camera Robert Burks
cut Rex Steele
occupation

Star in the Night is an American short film directed by Don Siegel from 1945.

action

It's December 24th , somewhere in the southwestern United States: Three cowboys laden with toys are out and about in an American desert landscape. They discuss why they shopped so much in the last town. It wasn't just the beautiful saleswoman, says one, but the inner desire to buy something to give away later. The three see a large star in the distance and decide to follow this star. The star belongs to the Christmas illumination of Nick Catapolis Motel and gas station. Nick hates Christmas, people are unkind to him all year round and believe that they have to be particularly wrong-friendly at Christmas. A hitchhiker asks Nick to be allowed to warm up in his restaurant, after all it is Christmas and thus the time of charity . Nick refuses. Nevertheless, the hitchhiker follows him inside the motel.

Here Nick can show him some examples of people who are not in a Christmas mood. Miss Roberts complains again about the guests at the motel singing Christmas carols, because she has to get up early the next morning. Mr. Dilson is outraged that his expensive shirts came back from cleaning, wrinkled and one with a hole in it. A traveling couple appears and rents the last free room in the motel, but they want extra blankets because the rooms in motels are always cold. Nick's wife Rosa gives them both their own blankets.

Suddenly José Santos and his heavily pregnant wife Maria appear at the motel. Maria is doing badly, but there is no room left. Rosa puts them both in the stable and puts Maria on the hay. José is already in the guest room when Rosa suddenly returns to the motel excitedly. She asks the traveling couple's wife to come into the stable with her. In a whisper, she tells her that Maria has gone into labor. Miss Roberts comes to complain again, but also learns the news from Rosa. She immediately agreed to help. Your sleep is no longer important. The husband is also called in to help and gets replacement blankets that the couple has in the car. When the clean towels run out, Mr. Dilson unceremoniously rips his freshly washed shirts. Nick is amazed and brings the hitchhiker who is heating water for the obstetricians and José a coffee. Mr. Dilson bought the father-to-be a cigar. A little later the three cowboys appear with their numerous toys, and Rosa brings the good news: the child has been born, it is a boy.

Nick spends a round and everyone celebrates. The cowboys spontaneously give the toys to the newborn. Everyone goes to the stable to visit the child and Maria. Nick and the hitchhiker stay behind, who now wants to leave. Nick gives the freezing man his coat. When the hitchhiker has left, Nick looks at his calendar, which shows Mary and Joseph with the three kings and the newborn in the stable. A look into his stable shows a similar picture, and Nick is in tears.

production

The short film Star in the Night , which mainly consists of character actors, deals with the Christmas story in a modernized form. The script for the script comes from the writer Robert Finch . The short film made the film debut of the later more famous film director Don Siegel (including Dirty Harry ) and was released on October 13, 1945. Before that, Siegel had only worked as a second unit director and as an editor. In addition to the documentary Hitler Lives , in which his name was not mentioned as a director, Star in the Night was the only short film that Don Siegel made.

Awards

Don Siegel's film Star in the Night was awarded an Oscar in 1946 in the category " Best Short Film (Two Reel) ". Curiously, Siegel's second short film, the documentary Hitler Lives , also won an Oscar for Best Documentary Short .

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