REMEMBER THE NIGHT (1940)

Right before Paramount gave him the go-ahead to direct his own scripts, Preston Sturges wrote this original screenplay for Mitchell Leisen, a superb piece of character based romantic-comedy, rhymed plotting and honest holiday-themed sentiment. Like a 1940 paradigm of a Hallmark Christmas movie. Opening in cockeyed Sturges style, we gather at 'Christmas Eve Eve' court as shoplifting jewel thief Barbara Stanwyck is ordered held over the holidays by sharp Asst. D.A. Fred MacMurray. It’s a rotten trick, and he feels bad enough to arrange bail for her; only to wind up stuck with Babs over the break. Offering to drop her off at her home on the way to his, the film pivots from light & frolicsome to serious & heartfelt in a remarkably disturbing homecoming for Stanwyck. (Shot by Ted Tetzlaff like he’s trying out for Orson Welles’ MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS.) And it’s this little scene, with its reference to past domestic terrors, that sets up the second half (a winter pastorale) with Stanwyck exposed to a happy home life such as she never knew existed. Totally believable throughout, Sturges doesn’t oversell or condescend; and brings an unexpected ear for small town talk & customs, apparently helped by new wife, Louise Sargent, who had the background and even lent her name to the MacMurray clan. Emotional as a Capra pic, but less pushy about it, with Stanwyck in phenomenal form, doing more with less than anyone but Gary Cooper. MacMurray is also in top form, less he-man/more James Stewart than he usually got to play at Paramount. And nothing but well chosen grace notes from supporting players Elizabeth Patterson, Sterling Holloway and especially Beulah Bondi, who handles the tricky ‘protective mom’ moments with infinite loyalty and firm affection. Those folks at Hallmark should all take a course in this film.

DOUBLE-BILL: Four years on, Ginger Rogers & Joseph Cotten would play a sloggier variation on this in I’LL BE SEEING YOU/’44 OR: *Unhappy with Leisen’s work on his EASY LIVING/’37 script, Sturges stewed while this one got trimmed during production. But Leisen did a fine job on both, if anything, even more assured here.

ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: Some period race comedy with ‘Snowflake,’ MacMurray’s valet, rates a minor trigger alert.