Star in the Night

Star in the Night (1945)

**** (out of 4)

Brilliant updating of The Nativity Story has a small diner owner (J. Carrol Naish), a bitter man, opening his doors to a wide range of people on Christmas Eve. Included in this group are a hitchhiker (Donald Woods), a couple expecting a baby and three cowboys. Even though this film only runs 21-minutes I still think it's one of the best of the decade. The film won an Oscar for Best Short but it also marks the directorial debut of Don Siegel who would go onto direct several Clint Eastwood films. The movie tells a story we're all familiar with but it takes it to the next level with its warm characters and strong message. There's a mysterious undertone to the hitchhiker character that really reminds me of something we'd see decades later in The Twilight Zone. The future TV shows had the same feelings that are present in this film, which of course was made years later. Another strong thing are the performances with Naish leading the way. Naish was always a fine character actor but his performance here is chilling and might be the best I've ever seen from him. The same with Woods who brings so much life to his character even though he says very little. This film is flawless from start to finish so it's a real shame more people don't know it but thankfully Turner Classic Movies show it each year around the holiday.

The birth of Christ juxtaposed with story about a crowded inn out West, wherein a man and his pregnant wife come to get a room on December 24th, only to find lodging in the barn out back. Three Christmas-shopping cowboys stand in for the Three Wise Men, and there's a mysterious hitchhiker who comes in for a cup of coffee, observing everyone with a sympathetic eye. Academy Award-winning short subject from Warner Bros. probably wouldn't be so well-remembered if it weren't for its Oscar win, as well as for the direction by a young Don Siegel. J. Carrol Naish heads the cast as the inn-keeper, laying on the stingy Italian act with a butterknife ("Peece an'a brutherhood ees'a juss'a bunch'a baloney!"). Yet, as a do-gooder piece, this gets the job done in an efficient 25 minutes, and it's tough not to be moved by that tender final shot. Lushly orchestrated (by the incomparable William Lava) and nicely photographed. Worth-seeing.

This short, which won an Academy Award, is a modern day variant on the Nativity, complete with a Scrooge, wonderfully done by J. Carroll Naish. This short was a marvelous vehicle for this veteran character actor and he shines in the spotlight. This short runs on Turner Classic Movies between films, with Christmas Eve and Day as natural opportunities to catch this at least once. It's a longish short, but most definitely worth the time and effort to catch. Most recommended.

This is touching vintage short that usually appears between movies on TCM during the Christmas season. Now you can get it with the new DVD release of "Christmas In Connecticut" with Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan. It's included as a short on the DVD. Now I don't have to try and catch it with my TiVo this holiday season. "Star" is a wonderful Christmas featurette and is highly recommended. Will really get you into the Christmas spirit, guaranteed! The mysterious hitchhiker, Donald Woods, is really interesting. He seems to be guiding each individual through a process of recognizing the real spirit of Christmas. You may remember him from "True Grit" and many other movies. He made no less than 5 features and this featurette in 1945 (although his scenes in "God Is My Co-Pilot" were left on the cutting-room floor).

According to his autobiography, "A Siegel Film", the action-oriented director did not like his own first directorial effort, finding it "over-sentimental, cloying with syrup and gooey molasses"; consequently, he was surprised when it eventually won the Oscar for Best Short Subject! Personally, I have to disagree with him completely because this wonderful short, a surprising Christmas allegory, turned out to be one of the great, unsung Yuletide films. The three wise men are here replaced by rambling cowboys, a young married woman gives birth in a barn and there is even a benign tramp that vaguely represents John The Baptist! There are all-round fine performances, led by J. Carroll Naish as a cynical barkeeper (who manages to overcome a stereotypical Italian characterization) redeemed through the influence of the aforementioned stranger. Siegel never again did anything with this kind of warmth afterwards preferring to lean mostly towards hard-hitting subjects…which is perhaps why he (injudiciously) eyed this gem of a film with suspicion in his memoirs.