If so, it is a shame. It is a beautifully told story with notable actors: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, and Beulah Bondi. A man bailing out a shoplifter so that she doesn't have to spend her Christmas in jail...a very good theme for a Christmas movie. Is there anybody else out there who knows of this splendid movie?
Little Elf Judy: Seeing isn't believing. Believing is seeing.
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Jobril, Ho! Ho! Ho! I didn't start this thread for the benefit of spammers who know so little about Christmas movies that they don't realize little elf Judy is a character in The Santa Clause whose quote I was using at the time.
"Each man's life touches so many other lives, and when he isn't around he leaves an awful hole."
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Ho, ho, ho, Samantha, I'm glad you're smart enough to have recognized it and do know that I'm Frosty (a male elf although I have known females using the name also) and not Judy. That one poster is obviously a spammer selling illegal tapes and DVDs and I am hoping that someday IMDb will get around to deleting ALL his posts on a number of boards. That is really abusing this site.
But that's not a very Christmas spirited "Ho! Ho! Ho!" kind of remark for a Christmas elf like myself to make.
"Each man's life touches so many other lives, and when he isn't around he leaves an awful hole."
Isn't this the one where Walter Brennan wants to play Lex Luthor?
Nothing exists more beautifully than nothing.
This is one of my all time favourites and I love it!
=´`..´`= RainbowCatPenny =´`..´`=
One of my all-time favorite films. I love the part when Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck are in the restaurant and the band starts to play "My Indiana Home" ("Back Home Again in Indiana")- their dance and the realization that they are both Hoosiers is the common thread. Nostalgia waxes perfect here, when Stanwyck allows the song to get to her in remembering her youth. She leaves MacMurray on the dance floor to collect her thoughts and regroup and get that tough outer shell of hers back. MacMurray sees the impact that the song has on her, and makes the overture to drive her back to her family on the way to spend the Christmas/New Year's holiday with his own.
The soundtrack is just fine, with "The End of a Perfect Day", and of course the aforementioned Indiana theme, which comes its peak at a very emotional time of the film.
Barbara Stanwyck could have been nominated more than just the four times that she was during her career. I am happy that the Academy finally saw fit to award her with an Honorary Oscar, the year after her beloved William Holden passed away. It was great to see her "Sorry, Wrong Number" co-star, Burt Lancaster in the audience applauding her recognition. Too bad Holden didn't live to see it. Her acceptance speech acknowledging his wish that she would one day be a recipient was so gracious, as was his tribute a few years earlier in letting the entire worldwide film community and audience know as well, how Miss Stanwyck salvaged his budding career, when Harry Cohn of Columbia Pictures was ready to let him go from the set of "Golden Boy" - the 21 year old would never have had the career that he did, and Billy Wilder saw that edge, cynical, sarcastic but all knowing that put Bill Holden on the superstardom track. Ironically, I could see Fred MacMurray portraying the Joe Gillis role, and even Holden playing the Gary Cooper part in "Love in the Afternoon", and if he was slightly older "Balls of Fire". There is something about the facial expression or tone of voice that allows these three to be interchangeable. Ray Milland could have done this as well to a certain extent, but he became that villain of the 1950s, and then went into sci-fi.
One of my favorite movies and I only saw it once but it made a tremendous impression on me. I wish it were out on DVD because I'd love to own it.
shareNever heard of it. I was perusing the December movies for TCM, and noticing Babs and Freddie's names, so I had to check it out on one of my fave spots on the internet. It is now on my not-to-be-missed list as of this minute! Sounds right up my alley. Wheeeee.
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Inka Dinka Doo
Great little hidden gem of a film! Just saw it on TCM tonight and now I wish I had taped it since it doesn't exist on dvd.
shareI also just watched this on TCM. I intended to just watch a few minutes before I went out Xmas shopping but really got drawn-in and had to watch the whole thing! I was really struck at how sweet and Christmasy it made me feel, and you really start to care for the characters. And Stanwyck's character really shone brightly at the end by doing the right thing. However . . .
What was with that ending? Did they run out of film or something? When "The End" came up I actually shouted out-loud in protest. Seemed like the story was not done and it left me hanging.
This aside, this is a sweet, heartwarming holiday film that anyone could watch and enjoy. It has a great balance of light and dark and so the film doesn't get too sappy. And Barbara Stanwyck -- wow! She was a looker for sure.
I thought it was ok, the main problem was the predictable plot, there really were no surprises there. I've never been a fan of Fred MacMurray and didn't think he had romantic chemistry with Barbara in this one, so Barbara's performance to me seemed rather lackluster because of it. I'm glad TCM finally aired it again but to be honest I had troubles staying awake on it. It certainly doesn't compare to any of Barbara's snazzy precodes.
sharethebigsee:
I totally agree with you about the ending! the first time I saw it, I was like No! It can't be over!! I wonder if there is more to the ending before Leisen changed what Sturges wrote. I have only read that he made changes that upset Sturges which caused him to start directing his own stuff, but I haven't heard of what those channges were. Hopefully, it was a better ending, although I loved this ending, but I think it could have had more. Like if it finished with Stanwyck getting out of jail with MacMurray waiting, or something else like that. I think he would have waited for her, but I'm a hopeless romantic, so it could be just me wanting the best happy ending. :)
I too loved this movie and wished I'd recorded it on TMC. Which brings to mind, does anyone know if it was ever even released on VHS?
shareYep - came out in the late 90s on MCA Home Video. I thinkthey made it part of their Preston Sturges collection, even though he didn't direct it officially, but had written the screenplay.
Here a review I did of the film and some other Christmas films on video back when I owned a video store.
http://tinyurl.com/2hqwjo
Great heartwarming Christmas movie. Maybe if the word "Christmas" were in the title, it would be shown more frequently and be better known. There's an article about it in today's Washington Post. You can read it here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/15/AR2006121500360.html
It's also mentioned in this article for a web site in Paris:
http://www.angelfire.com/oh2/writer/christmasmovies.html
Thanks, bwaynef, for the Washington Post link, the beginning of which made me laugh out loud! I just got around to watching this movie, Remember the Night, which I taped off TCM - what a beautiful, heartwarming story; I had never heard of this movie before!!
share[deleted]
cool article!
🎍Season's greetings!🎅🌲
Well, to be honest, I never heard of this movie until about two weeks ago.
It's a nice movie, it should be more memorable like "It's A Wonderful Life" is.
"I promise you, before I die I'll surely come to your doorstep"
I'm almost glad sometimes these movies are forgotten, that way I can discover them again. Being a fan of both Stanwyck and Sturges just when I thought I'd seen all their better movies another gem like this pops up out of nowhere. Of course now that I've seen it I wish it was on dvd but knowing it's as a good as it is I can wait because I know they'll eventually get around to it.
shareIt's a classic.
share
Just as an FYI. It is available on DVD from TCM for about $20.00
I came to Casablanca for the waters.....
I LOVE "remember the night."
I don'd mind that it is "forgotten." I feel as if it is my own private Christmas classic movie secret.
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