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Christmas in July Photos

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Movie Info

When the coworkers of Jimmy MacDonald (Dick Powell) play a prank and trick him into thinking that's 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.

Genre:

comedy
Original Language:

English
Director:

Preston Sturges
Producer:

Paul Jones
Writer:

Preston Sturges
Release Date (Streaming):

Nov 21, 2006
Runtime:

1h 7m
Production Co:

Paramount Pictures
Sound Mix:

Mono
Aspect Ratio:

35mm, Flat (1.37:1)

Cast & Crew

Dick Powell
Jimmy MacDonald

Ellen Drew
Betty Casey

Raymond Walburn
Dr. Maxford

William Demarest
Mr. Bildocker

Ernest Truex
Mr. J.B. Baxter

Franklin Pangborn
Don Hartman, Radio Announcer

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for Christmas in July

All Critics (19) | Top Critics (5) | Fresh (18) | Rotten (1)

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.

December 5, 2008 | Full Review…

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

November 13, 2007 | Full Review…

Variety Staff
Variety
Minor but delightful Sturges comedy.

February 9, 2006 | Full Review…

Time Out
As a creator of rich and human comedy Mr. Sturges is closing fast on the heels of Frank Capra.

January 28, 2006 | Rating: 5/5 | Full Review…

Bosley Crowther
New York Times
Preston Sturges's second feature as writer-director (1940, 66 min.) is in many ways the most underrated of his movies -- a riotous comedy-satire about capitalism that bites so deep it hurts.

January 1, 2000 | Full Review…

Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
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.

January 4, 2020 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

Matthew Lucas
From the Front Row
A delightful effort worth watching on Christmas Day, Independence Day, and even Arbor Day.

November 30, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
It's a small gem, almost too short to mention (67 minutes), but glitteringly perfect nonetheless.

January 18, 2019 | Rating: 4/4 | Full Review…

Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
Seemingly as cozy as The Gift of the Magi yet in reality more stinging than Revolutionary Road

September 8, 2010 | Full Review…

Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion
Sub par Preston Sturges comedy starring Dick Powell.

April 8, 2008 | Rating: 4/5

Steve Crum
Video-Reviewmaster.com
A wonderful present that's perfect for anytime of the year.

December 4, 2006 | Rating: 4/4 | Full Review…

Michael Scheinfeld
TV Guide
Tragically underseen, this Preston Sturges comedy is all of 68 minutes long (including the credits) and is a freakin' laugh riot from start to finish.

November 21, 2006 | Rating: 4.5/5

Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

View All Critic Reviews (19)

Audience Reviews for Christmas in July

Sep 05, 2010

This is a good movie. It's funny and sometimes sad too. The cast is good, and the story is nice. I enjoyed it.

Aj V Super Reviewer
Dec 24, 2009

Cute Preston Sturges, not his best but enjoyable.

jay n Super Reviewer
Apr 05, 2009

<I>"If you can't sleep - it isn't the coffee, it's the bunk!"</I> A cruel practical joke gets out of hand when a lowly employee of a coffee company is duped into believing he has won $25,000 in a competition to invent a new corporate slogan. Nothing else in the film can quite match the hilarious and touching opening rooftop scene - in which Dick Powell's Jimmy tries to explain the law of averages and his dismal slogan to his bemused girlfriend (Ellen Drew) - though <I>Christmas in July</I> still manages to be a fairly delightful piece of minor Sturges. If the ironic ending can be seen from several miles away, Powell and Drew make such a charming double act it hardly matters.

Stephen M Super Reviewer
Dec 03, 2007

A fun movie that seems to perfectly balance drama and slapstick comedy. The performances were enjoyable and the story was fun. Preston Sturges gained some momentum off of The Great McGinty and definitely built up and expanded upon here. A lot of fun moments, namely Powell and Drew's neighborhood attacking the businessmen. "It's not the coffee, it's the bunk!"

Michael G Super Reviewer