Movie Cosmos - Christmas in July

Description:

An office clerk loves entering contests in the hopes of someday winning a fortune and marrying the girl he loves. His latest attempt is the Maxford House Coffee Slogan Contest. As a joke, some of his co-workers put together a fake telegram which says that he won the $25,000 grand prize.

Top Cast >

Dick Powell

As Jimmy McDonald

Ellen Drew

As Betsy Casey

Raymond Walburn

As Dr. Maxford

Alexander Carr

As Mr. Shindel

William Demarest

As Mr. Bildocker

Ernest Truex

As Mr. Baxter

Franklin Pangborn

As Don Hartman - Radio Announcer

Rod Cameron

As Dick

Adrian Morris

As Tom

Harry Rosenthal

As Harry

Georgia Caine

As Mrs. MacDonald

Ferike Boros

As Mrs. Schwartz

Torben Meyer

As Mr. Schmidt

Julius Tannen

As Mr. Zimmerman

Al Bridge

As Mr. Hillbeiner

Lucille Ward

As Mrs. Casey

Victor Potel

As Davenola Salesman

George Anderson

As Mr. Jenkins (uncredited)

Sam Ash

As Minor Role (uncredited)

Jan Buckingham

As Ms. Pettypass (uncredited)

James Conaty

As Coworker (uncredited)

Jimmy Conlin

As Arbuster (uncredited)

Sayre Dearing

As Coworker (uncredited)

Norah Gale

As Minor Role (uncredited)

Harry Hayden

As Mr. Waterbury (uncredited)

Harry Hollingsworth

As Juror (uncredited)

Arthur Hoyt

As Mild Juror (uncredited)

Arthur Stuart Hull

As Cashier (uncredited)

Tiny Jones

As Neighborhood Woman (uncredited)

Stanley Mack

As Juror (uncredited)

Hazel Marshall

As Minor Role (uncredited)

Bob Mayo

As Minor Role (uncredited)

Eileen McAvoy

As Minor Role (uncredited)

Esther Michelson

As Sophie's Mother (uncredited)

Frank Mills

As Cabbie Listening to Radio (uncredited)

Charles R. Moore

As Porter in Maxford's Office (uncredited)

Frank Moran

As Patrolman Murphy (uncredited)

Barry Norton

As Co-Worker in Office (uncredited)

Ned Norton

As Juror (uncredited)

Frank O'Connor

As Juror (uncredited)

June Preston

As Little Singing Blond Girl (uncredited)

Gus Reed

As Juror (uncredited)

Georges Renavent

As Office Door Sign-Painter (uncredited)

Cyril Ring

As Coworker (uncredited)

Dewey Robinson

As Large Juror (uncredited)

Jack Shea

As Coworker (uncredited)

Sheila Sheldon

As Sophie (uncredited)

C.L. Sherwood

As Elevator Operator at End (uncredited)

Walter Soderling

As Weary Juror (uncredited)

Douglas Spencer

As Man Listening to Radio (uncredited)

Larry Steers

As Mr. Babcock (uncredited)

Kay Stewart

As Secretary (uncredited)

Preston Sturges

As Man at Shoeshine Stand (uncredited)

Alice Thomas

As Minor Role (uncredited)

Fred 'Snowflake' Toones

As Sam (uncredited)

Dale Van Sickel

As Co-Worker in Office (uncredited)

Cheryl Walker

As Secretary (uncredited)

Dorothy Ward

As Minor Role (uncredited)

Robert Warwick

As Juror (uncredited)

Pat West

As Man with Phone (uncredited)

Beal Wong

As Chinese Man Listening to Radio (uncredited)

Top Crew >

Preston Sturges

Writer, Director, Theatre Play

Ellsworth Hoagland

Editor

Buddy G. DeSylva

Producer

Leo Shuken

Original Music Composer

Victor Milner

Director of Photography

A. Earl Hedrick

Art Direction

Robert Ewing

Hairstylist

Hans Dreier

Art Direction

William LeBaron

Executive Producer

Barton Adams

Assistant Director

Wally Westmore

Makeup Artist

Paul Jones

Producer

Hedy Mjorud

Hairstylist

John Leipold

Original Music Composer

George Templeton

Assistant Director

Richard Brandow

Props

Bertram C. Granger

Set Dresser

Oscar Lau

Props

Roy Kreuger

Props

Harry Lindgren

Sound Recordist

Walter Oberst

Sound Recordist

Howard Joslin

Sound Effects

Ted Powell

Boom Operator

Ray Cossar

Sound Engineer

George Dutton

Sound Engineer

Frank Dugas

Assistant Camera

George Gottleber

First Company Grip

Talmadge Morrison

Still Photographer

Lorne Netten

Electrician

Guy Roe

Camera Operator

Joe Kaplan

Wardrobe Master

Eugene Joseff

Other

Floyd Knudtson

Negative Cutter

Sigmund Krumgold

Music Director

Werner R. Heymann

Additional Music

Cora Palmatier

Script Supervisor

Reviews:

John Chard (9/10)

Smarter than you may at first think.

On the surface this effort from the brilliant Preston Sturges looks like a standard sugar coated feel good movie, but strip away the outer skin and you get a delightful collage of comedy, romance, satire, drama, and nudge nudge observations about hunger of wealth and all the spin offs that wealth creates.

I don't deem it unfair to state that the films core plot of frivolity may not be to everyone's taste, but to me personally it ticks all the boxes for a joyride with more at its heart. The pace of the film is more in keeping with screwball comedies of the great era, but that is not to say that the film doesn't shift down a gear for poignant reflection, because it does, but ultimately the film is full of hilarity from many quarters, that is acted out accordingly from a sparky cast, and of course directed by a deity .

A joyous winner that prods you in the ribs and gives a cheeky wink along the way. 9/10

2018-12-23