Christmas in July

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Christmas in July

1940,

1h 7m,

Comedy

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Watchlist

95%

21 Reviews

Tomatometer

77%

500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

21 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

When the coworkers of Jimmy MacDonald (Dick Powell) play a prank and trick him into thinking that he's won the grand prize money in a slogan contest for a coffee company, he is thrilled and makes plans to marry his sweetheart, Betty Casey (Ellen Drew). To everyone's surprise, the coffee company owner, Dr. Maxford (Raymond Walburn), also falls for the prank and awards the prize check to Jimmy. Eventually the ruse is discovered, jeopardizing Jimmy and Betty's newfound happiness.

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Otis Ferguson

The New Republic

May 23, 2024

It is fairly light-weight but it is more fun than many of the year’s prouder efforts in comedy; and it is the work of a director who makes hard things seem like doing it the easy way, rather than vice versa.

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TIME Magazine

Dec 5, 2008

Produced for a paltry $325,000, it once again gives the lie to the arbitrary Hollywood assumption that a film's quality is in direct proportion to its cost.

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Variety Staff

Variety

Nov 13, 2007

A mildly diverting programmer, Christmas in July lacks both the overall spontaneity and entertainment impress of Sturges' first picture.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Oct 20, 2024

3/4

...a briskly-paced endeavor that boasts, at its core, a tremendously appealing lead performance by Powell...

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

Jul 31, 2023

There’s no space here to extol the individual glories...

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Ellie Lucas

From the Front Row

Jan 4, 2020

3/4

A breeze to watch, and Sturges packs the brief running time with plenty of his trademark wit, skewering corporate vanity and overconfident male bluster in equal measure.

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Jan 27, 2019

The best comedy movie ever made!

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Preston Sturges

Director

Dick Powell

Jimmy MacDonald

Ellen Drew

Betty Casey

Raymond Walburn

Dr. Maxford

William Demarest

Mr. Bildocker

Ernest Truex

Mr. J.B. Baxter

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Synopsis

When the coworkers of Jimmy MacDonald (Dick Powell) play a prank and trick him into thinking that he's won the grand prize money in a slogan contest for a coffee company, he is thrilled and makes plans to marry his sweetheart, Betty Casey (Ellen Drew). To everyone's surprise, the coffee company owner, Dr. Maxford (Raymond Walburn), also falls for the prank and awards the prize check to Jimmy. Eventually the ruse is discovered, jeopardizing Jimmy and Betty's newfound happiness.

Director: Preston Sturges
Producer: Paul Jones
Screenwriter: Preston Sturges
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 18, 1940, Original
Release Date (DVD): Nov 21, 2006
Runtime: 1h 7m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Flat (1.37:1)

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