Star in the Night

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).

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.

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.

This black and white short made almost 60 years ago is one sweet surprise to anyone who happens upon it. Turner classic movies airs this from time to time during the holidays and even though I saw it by accident last Christmas I'm so thankful I had the idea to tape it "just in case" it was a keeper. It takes place on Christmas eve long ago as three cowboys happen to show up at a small place where others also are wanting a place to stay for the night. Most are bitter and full of complaints until something happens to bring these people together on this freezing Christmas eve. A poor young couple wander in and are in obvious discomfort as the young woman is close to having a child. The people earlier so full of scorn and complaints all learn the true meaning of Christmas when they come together giving the couple the things they need so that this new little baby can safely be born.

It will make your heart swell and bring a tear or two to your eyes as you experience this sweet tale.

We bought "Christmas in Connecticut" just for this short subject. I saw it many years ago and when I found out that it was on the "Christmas in Connecticut" DVD, I ran out and purchased it. My family and I make watching this film a part of our family tradition. The movie is short so everyone, even the little ones will enjoy this film. It is a modern day telling of the Nativity with a few added touches. We pass the Kleenex around after the end of this film. This is a beautiful heartfelt story. By the way, "Christmas in Connecticut" is a fine film as well. This one of my favorite Barbara Stanwyck films. Just make sure to watch "Star in the Night" after the film. We cheat and watch "Star in the Night" first. Don't miss this one.