Christmas in July/The New Yorkers (Sturges #2 of 5)

Genre: "Bedroom Farce" as described by Sturges / "Screwball Comedy" as described by me

Premise: A young man working at a marketing house enters a $25,000 contest to craft a slogan for a coffee company. His friends fool him into thinking he's won so the guy buys things for everyone in his neighborhood before he finds out his friends are fooling him. Also the guy finally proposes to his girl.

About: This is the second film Sturges directed. It was based on a play he wrote called "A Cup of Coffee". He'd been slated to directed it once before but the production fell apart. Thankfully due to his recently established connections at Paramount, Sturges was able to direct the picture.

Writer: Preston Sturges

Preston Sturges must have been the most cynical man who ever lived. I mean, really. And I mean it in the kindest way possible. In every film I've read of his, Sturges shows a character being duped and ultimately punished for a selfless gesture.

Unlike most people I know, the protagonist of Christmas in July spends what he thinks is $25,000 on helping people throughout his neighborhood and his sweetheart rather than just bettering things for himself or putting the money into the bank. That's the real tear jerker quality of the story. But it's a sweet tale. And it's not bad by any stretch of the word. I mean, if I was going to attack Sturges on any ground it's that the other characters besides the protagonist feel cardboardesque and seem to revolve around the pains and travails of our hero rather than existing on a path entirely their own.

In fact, this cardboard outer layer represents the entire problem of Christmas in July. One gets the impression that Sturges is still warming up as a director and there's not the inspired lunacy of his later works. Rather, Christmas in July approaches a Capra-esque quality. Definitely an enjoyable tale, but I'm not sure how memorable it as brandishing the distinctive Sturges touches.

July is still snappy though, particularly in the scenes around the marketing house. And it reintroduces the fixation Sturges had with the working man. But rather than reveal this type of man as maudlin, Sturges develops a perfectly structured script with some low dramatic points and high comedic moments. (Of course the character is saved at the end, rather than forced to languish in poverty, but we barely see it coming).

Scooby Doo (Complete Crap)
Atilla (Poor, Few Redeeming Qualities)
Wedding Crashers (Mediocre)
Hot Rod (Good)
[X] Definitely Maybe (Pretty Darn Good)

Isla Roles: I'd resist casting Isla in this role (as Betty, the main love interest) because it's a rather shallow and undeveloped female figure for a Sturges movie. Perhaps his weakest.

Daily Tip: Never underestimate the power of the slow reveal. This has been working in films perhaps longer than any other story gimmick I can think of. And ultimately, it's what drives Christmas in July along. (Of course Sturges manages to not overplay the drama and downfall of the contest being faked, which I feel is exactly what many less talented directors would have made).