Christmas in July
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Christmas in July / The big lot |
| Original title | Christmas in July |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1940 |
| length | 67 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Preston Sturges |
| script | Preston Sturges |
| production |
Paul Jones for Paramount Pictures |
| music |
John Leipold , Leo Shuken |
| camera | Victor Milner |
| cut | Ellsworth Hoagland |
| occupation | |
| |
Christmas in July (also known as The Big Lot , original title Christmas in July ) is an American comedy film and the second directorial work by Preston Sturges . Sturges' script was based on his own play, A Cup of Coffee , written in 1931 .
action
Dr. Maxford, the owner of a famous coffee company, is holding a competition where ordinary citizens can submit advertising slogans for their company. The person with the best slogan will receive the grand prize of $ 25,000. The live broadcast on the radio, in which the winner is to be announced, ends in a fiasco: In the twelve-member jury, eleven people have agreed on a slogan, only the stubborn Mr. Bildocker resists what, in his opinion, is boring proposal. Therefore the radio program has to end without a winner and Maxford is embarrassed in public.
The simple office worker Jimmy Macdonald from New York also listens to the program on the radio, who submitted the slogan "If you can't sleep at night, it's not the coffee, it's the bunk" . Although everyone around him doesn't understand the slogan, he still hopes for the profit - with that he could finally marry his girlfriend Betty and offer her a financially hopeful future, as well as give his widowed mother some luxury that she never had in her life.
Three of his office colleagues - Dick, Tom and Harry - allow themselves a joke with the somewhat naive Jimmy and send him a telegram that the jury of Dr. Maxford finally got settled on him as the winner. Jimmy's alleged profit and his joy at it also draw the attention of his office manager Mr. Waterbury and finally the company boss JB Baxter to him. Baxter is impressed to have an employee like Jimmy who has been tested in his genius by the award and immediately promotes him to advertising manager with his own office (including Ellen as secretary). Baxter is anxiously trying to develop future advertising slogans with Jimmy. The three employees want to clear up their joke in good time, but cannot be heard in the excitement.
In the afternoon Jimmy appears at Dr. Maxford to pick up his check for the $ 25,000. Maxford assumes that the jury has finally reached a decision without informing him and signs the check. Jimmy and Ellen then go to Mr. Shindel's department store, who reassures Maxford over the phone that the check is genuine. Jimmy can then buy an engagement ring for Betty, a luxury bed for his mother, and other gifts for friends and neighbors. In the workers' estate, friends rule over Jimmy's victory and the many presents make the day seem like “Christmas in July”.
When Maxford finds out that the jury is still in session and has not come to a decision, the matter is exposed. In front of Jimmy's house, Shindel first appears with his salespeople who want their goods back, then finally Maxford and the police who want to arrest Jimmy as a fraudster. Shindel finds out that Maxford's signature is real, whereupon he does not demand the return of the gifts from the street people, but forces Maxford to pay him. Jimmy's three colleagues finally clarify that they are responsible for all the confusion.
In the evening, Jimmy and Betty go to their work place, where Jimmy's name is being painted on the door to his new office, and explain the misunderstanding to Mr. Baxter. Although he liked Jimmy's ideas, Baxter wants to reverse his promotion, because without the award he couldn't know whether Jimmy was really talented. Betty finally demands that her fiancé should get at least one chance in his life to prove himself. Baxter gives in and agrees to Jimmy's promotion, albeit initially for a short probationary period and without a raise.
Meanwhile, the juror Bildocker has convinced his other eleven colleagues to vote for his suggestion of who should get the 25,000 US dollars: To Maxford's anger, a certain Jimmy MacDonald with "If you can't sleep at night, it's not the coffee , it's the bunk. "
Production notes
Christmas in July was filmed in the Paramount Studios in Hollywood and celebrated its world premiere on October 25, 1940. In Austria the film was shown shortly after the end of the war in 1945, in Germany three years later.
William LeBaron was the production manager, Hans Dreier and Earl Hedrick designed the film structures . Wally Westmore was employed as a make-up artist, Sigmund Krumgold took over the musical direction. George Templeton acted as assistant director. Preston Sturges also made a small cameo in this film as a man listening to the radio news while having his shoes cleaned.
Reviews
Bosley Crowther was enthusiastic in the New York Times of November 6, 1940: Sturges creates extraordinarily comical characters, especially the secondary characters, and offers surprising twists and turns in his comedy. "As the creator of rich and humane comedy, Mr. Sturges is hot on the heels of Frank Capra ." Another contemporary review from Variety was more critical, noting that Christmas in July was noticeably weaker than Sturges' directorial debut The Great McGinty : " The film has moments of humor and interest, but these are too often interrupted by obvious and boring scenes that rely too much on dialogue. ”Dick Powell managed a“ dominant portrayal ”in the lead role, according to Variety .
At Rotten Tomatoes , Christmas in July has a positive rating of 92% with an average rating of 7.9 points based on 16 reviews. Dennis Schwartz wrote for Ozu's World Movie Reviews that Christmas in July was "a little movie that says nothing big about big business". Nevertheless, the film is "underestimated" and "energetic, cleverly made, filled with clever swipes at the American Dream and great fun". Jonathan Rosenbaum also sees Sturges' Christmas in July as the director's most underrated film: It is a “chaotic satire on capitalism that bites so deeply it hurts”. He captured the atmosphere of the Great Depression well and Sturges used the "lighting up" supporting actors in their eccentric roles like "instruments in a crazy concerto ".
In Germany, the film service writes that Christmas in July is "a fun and intelligent Hollywood comedy with elements of an over-the-top slapstick farce, garnished with satirical tips against American commercialism."
Web links
- Christmas in July at the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Bosley Crowther: THE SCREEN; 'Christmas in July, a Captivating Comedy by Preston Sturges, at the Rivoli . In: The New York Times . November 6, 1940, ISSN 0362-4331 ( nytimes.com [accessed December 27, 2018]).
- ↑ Variety Staff, Variety Staff: Christmas in July. In: Variety. January 1, 1940, accessed December 29, 2018 .
- ↑ Christmas in July (1940). Retrieved December 27, 2018 .
- ↑ Christmas in July from Dennis Schwartz. Accessed December 30, 2018 .
- ↑ Jonathan Rosenbaum: Christmas in July; and The Palm Beach Story. Retrieved December 30, 2018 .
- ↑ Christmas in July at the film service. Retrieved December 27, 2018 .