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Christmas in July

Christmas in July (1940)

  • 94% of critics liked it
    (16 reviews)

  • 84% of users liked it
    (577 ratings)

This modest Preston Sturges comedy stars Dick Powell as an office clerk dreaming of better things and Ellen Drew as his more pragmatic girlfriend. Powell convinces himself that his fortune will be made if he can win a slogan contest sponsored by a coffee company. Powell's contribution: "If… More

Unrated,
Directed By
Written By
Preston Sturges
Genres
Romance, Classics, Comedy
In Theaters
Oct 18, 1940 Wide
On DVD
May 10, 2011

Critic Reviews

  • , TIME Magazine

    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.

  • Variety Staff, Variety

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

  • , Time Out

    Minor but delightful Sturges comedy.

  • Bosley Crowther, New York Times

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

  • Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

    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.

Read all 12 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Bob S


    68 minutes! This is like a Frank Capra meets the Ramones. OK it's not quite that good, but it's good.

  • AJ V


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

  • jay n


    Cute Preston Sturges, not his best but enjoyable.

  • Stephen M


    <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.… More

  • Michael G


    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… More

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Cast

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