Christmas in July (1940)
Rent DVD by Mail
Theatrical Release Information | See Details About All Versions
This modest Preston Sturges comedy stars Dick Powell as an office clerk dreaming of better things and Ellen Drew as his more pragmatic girlfriend. Powell convinces himself that his fortune will be made if he can win a slogan contest sponsored by a coffee company. Powell's contribution: "If you can't sleep at night, it isn't the coffee, it's the bunk!" Three of Powell's fellow workers decide to have some fun with him; they fake a telegram which announces that he's won the contest. The deception snowballs to the point that even the head of the coffee firm (Raymond Walburn) labors under the misapprehension that Powell has won. When the painful truth is revealed, Powell finds himself broke (because of all the creature comforts he's bought) and jobless, but at least he's retained the love of his wife. A cute deus ex machina to the story appears in the person of William Demarest, the foreman of the "jury" that is judging the slogan contest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Complete Cast:
- Dick Powell - Jimmy MacDonald
- Raymond Walburn - Mr. Maxford
- William Demarest - Mr. Bildocker
- Franklin Pangborn - Radio Announcer
- Rod Cameron - Dick
- Harry Rosenthal - Harry
- Ferike Boros - Mrs. Schwartz
- Julius Tannen - Mr. Zimmerman
- Lucille Ward - Mrs. Casey
- Victor Potel - Davenola Salesman
- Jimmy Conlin - Thin, Sour Gentleman
- Esther Michelson - Sophie's Mother
- Preston Sturges - Man at Shoeshine Stand
- Georges Renavent - Sign Painter
- Frank Moran - Patrolman Murphy
- Arthur Hoyt - Mild Gentleman
- Arthur Stuart Hull - Cashier
- Ellen Drew - Betty Casey
- Alexander Carr - Mr. Schindel
- Ernest Truex - Mr. Baxter
- Harry Hayden - Mr. Waterbury
- Michael Morris - Tom
- Georgia Caine - Mrs. MacDonald
- Torben Meyer - Mr. Schmidt
- Al Bridge - Mr. Hillbeiner
- Kay Stewart - Secretary
- Jan Buckingham - Secretary
- Fred "Snowflake" Toones - Porter
- Robert Warwick - Large Gentleman
- Pat West - Man with Telephone
- Dewey Robinson - Large, Rough Gentleman
- Charles Moore - Porter
- Byron Foulger - Mr. Jenkins
- Director(s):
- Preston Sturges
- Writer(s):
- Preston Sturges
- Closed Captioning:
- Check All Versions
- Subtitles:
- Check All Versions
