Remember the Night (1940)

Prosecuting attorney Fred MacMurray arranges bail for shoplifter Barbara Stanwyck, then takes her home to meet his family at Christmas. Along the way they fall in love. This is a real gem. It pairs MacMurray and Stanwyck together for the first time. They would, of course, appear together again a few years later in a certain little movie called Double Indemnity. Perhaps you've heard of it. Both stars are in top form here. Backing them up is a fine supporting cast that includes Beulah Bondi, Elizabeth Patterson, and Sterling Holloway. A charming Christmas romantic comedy with a great script from Preston Sturges. It's a wonderful blend of the sentimental and the cynical. Despite some complaints I've read, I found the ending to be appropriate and gutsy for a romantic comedy. My favorite scene is probably the one early on where Stanwyck's lawyer (Willard Robertson) appeals to the jury. "Hypnotism!" Classic Sturges. Give this one a shot and I'm sure you won't be disappointed. It's a terrific Christmas film but also sure to please most romantic comedy fans.

It's the Christmas season in NYC. Lee Leander (Barbara Stanwyck) is a well dressed thief who gets caught trying to pawn stolen jewelry. Her attorney is a wild performer. Prosecutor John Sargent (Fred MacMurray) is assigned the case. He's concerned that Christmas is a bad time to get a conviction. He gets a continuance for the case. John takes pity on the girl and gets her bailed out. Unbeknownst to John, Fat Mike misunderstands and bring her to him. She refuses to leave and they start up a friendship. He drives her back to her mother. They get lost and go on a crazy road trip. After being rejected by her own mother, she joins him in a family Christmas in Indiana.Stanwyck is sharp, lovely and enticing. MacMurray is an endearing stand-up guy. Together they have great chemistry. They're fun together. The Preston Sturges dialog is snappy and quick. The sentimental rom-com is touching, romantic, and funny.

Remember the Night is a very sweet, warm-hearted film well performed by Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray. Barbara Stanwyck's character literally comes from the other side of the tracks, running away from a troubled home life as a teenager, she is caught shoplifting before the Christmas holidays. Fred MacMurray plays a district attorney who hasn't lost a case, is set to prosecute her, however he gets a continuance until after the New Year. Feeling guilty because of the Christmas holidays he bails out the beautiful thief, and ends up taking her to his mother's farm for the holidays. Belulah Bondi plays MacMurray's mother who understands the girl has had a troubled past and shows her kindness and compassion. Soon MacMurray falls in love with her after realizing the lack of love she has had, and he sees the positive change that the stable home atmosphere has given her. This film has a delightful mix of witty dialogue along with good directing that helps to keep Stanwyck's character personable and the story from miring down in self pity. Elizabeth Patterson lovingly plays MacMurray's Aunt along with comical Sterling Holloway as farm hand Willie. Although the ending is bittersweet, is not detrimental to the story with it's touching characters and amusing situations, it remains a satisfying and pleasurably entertaining film. Highy recommended for those who appreciate films from the past with good solid performances.

I was disappointed by "Remember the Night". Not that it is bad film – on the contrary, it is a good film. It is just that I was expecting a great film of the same quality as "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Miracle on 34th Street. Compared to these films, "Remember the Night" just does not have the quality of the story, the acting, the performances, the direction and the overall quality compare to the better known films of its era.For me, there are 11 classic Christmas films that I try, as best as I can, to find time to watch during every Christmas season. Generally, I think people use the phrase "classic Christmas films" to mean the best films of the genre made in the 1940s and 1950s. In my list of the top 11, I also insert three more "recent" films. They are, in order:1. It's a Wonderful Life (1946) 2. National Lampoons Christmas Vacation (1989) 3. A Christmas Carol (1951) 4. The Bells of St. Mary's (1945) 5. Miracle on 34th Street (1947) 6. The Bishop's Wife (1947) 7. The Homecoming, A Christmas Story (TV, 1971) 8. The Holy and the Ivy (1952) 9. Holiday Inn (1942) 10. Home Alone (1990) 11. Christmas in Connecticut (1945)I feel that "Remember the Night" falls into a second tier of classic Christmas films that include the following. The films in this list, I like to watch but not every Christmas and only after I have exhausted the list above:• All Mine to Give (1957) • Blossoms in the Dust (1941) • Bush Christmas (1947) • Holiday Affair (1949) • I'll be Seeing You (1944) • It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947) • The Miracle of the Bells (1948) • We're no Angels (1955)Overall, I like to divide Christmas into 4 sub-genres as follows: Golden Oldies (made before 1960), "Modern" dramas (made after 1969), Comedies (made after 1969) and Animated. My top films in each sub-genre are:Golden Oldies: as aboveModern Dramas (made after to 1969) 1. The Homecoming, A Christmas Story (TV, 1971) 2. Joyeux Noel (a. k. a. Merry Christmas) (2005) 3. Silent Night" (TV, 2002) 4. The Christmas Shoes (TV, 2002) 5. The Gathering (TV, 1977)Modern Comedies (made after to 1969) 1. National Lampoons Christmas Vacation (1989) 2. Home Alone (1990) 3. The Santa Clause (1994) 4. Home Alone, Lost in New York (1992) 5. The Santa Clause 2 (2002) 6. Christmas with the Kranks (2004) 7. Love Actually (2003) 8. A Christmas Story (1983) 9. Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2002) 10. Elf (2003)Animated 1. The following tie for first: • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV, 1964) • A Charlie Brown Christmas (TV, 1965) • Dr. Suess' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (TV, 1966) • Frosty the Snowman (TV, 1969) • Mickey's Christmas Carol (TV, 1983) 6. The Polar Express (2004) 7. Walt Disney/Donald Duck Christmas (a. k. a. A Disney Christmas Gift) (TV, 1982) 8. A Garfield Christmas Special (TV, 1987) 9. The Wish that Changed Christmas (TV, 1991) 10. The Little Drummer Boy (TV, 1968)