Comedy/Romance. Not rated. Recommended for adults and kids of all ages. Check your favorite local and online movie rental stores for availability.
Christmas in Connecticut is a one-hour, forty-two minute, black-and-white, Warner Brothers Pictures 1945 movie release directed by Peter Godfrey, starring Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet, Reginald Gardiner, and S.Z. Sakall.
Christmas in Connecticut will provide light, comic entertainment for families on a brisk December night—with a touch of dreamy romance. The movie stars Barbara Stanwyck, an award-winning actress from Hollywood’s Golden Age, who rendered what your reviewer thinks is one of her finest acting performances. Stanwyck’s role in this movie required realistic portrayals in both comic and dramatic scenes, which demonstrated her versatility as an actress.
Christmas in Connecticut is the story of journalist Elizabeth Lane, played by Stanwyck, who writes a column called "Diary of a Housewife" for a national magazine. In her popular column, Elizabeth Lane describes herself as a devoted mother, homemaker, and accomplished country cook—and often shares her recipes with her readers. Even her publisher, wealthy Mr. Alexander Yardley (Sydney Greenstreet), is not aware that Lane’s "Diary ... " is a fabrication and that Lane writes her Diary primarily to please her readers and keep her job. Lane is actually a single girl who is intelligent and competent—but not domesticated.
The problem begins when her publisher, Mr. Yardley, receives a letter from the nurse who had once cared for Yardley’s granddaughter. In her letter, the nurse, who has a romantic interest in the war hero, Jefferson Jones (Dennis Morgan), asks Mr. Yardley if he thinks that Ms. Elizabeth Lane might be open to entertaining Mr. Jefferson Jones over Christmas at her farm in Connecticut. Mr. Yardley then convinces Lane that it would be a wonderful idea for her to have Jefferson Jones over for Christmas—and then Yardley promptly invites himself along, too. These unexpected circumstances force Lane to come up with a husband, a baby boy, and a farm in Connecticut where she can entertain her boss and the U.S. war hero for Christmas ... or else she might lose her job!
I recommend this film for adults and kids of all ages. It has no scenes that are inappropriate for young eyes. In fact, my own three children enjoyed this movie and got a lot of good laughs out of it. When your children ask you to press the "pause" button on the remote control while they stand up to get a snack during the movie, then you know that the movie has captured their interest and imagination. Christmas in Connecticut’s plot is complex, with many twists and turns that provide suspense.
I have always thought that one advantage of viewing vintage movies with your children is the opportunity to expose them to the intelligent, captivating dialogue that is commonly found in classic movies. These films are a showcase for the elegance, beauty, and wide range of subtlety of the English language. Hollywood movies produced in the 1940s and 1950s didn’t rely on a lot of special effects to keep the viewer’s attention. Excellent dialogue and well-crafted plots built on a solid value system are only two of the elements that elevated many of these vintage movies to "classics" whose charm and artistic value have endured for many decades after their creation.
May you be blessed with a joyous yuletide season with your family and loved ones. Happy viewing!
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Christmas in Connecticut makes a great addition to your family movie collection!
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Viewers residing in Portland, Oregon, can rent Christmas in Connecticut on DVD at Movie Madness, 4320 SE Belmont, Portland, Oregon, 97215, tel. 503-234-4363. Christmas in Connecticut (1945) is also available on DVD at the Multnomah County Public Library, tel. 503-988-5234.
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Author, poet, speaker and singer Jennifer Anne Messing of Portland, Oregon, is a wife, and mother of three children. She has a bachelor's degree in Christian Education and a diploma in Journalism. A past president of the Oregon Christian Writers, Jennifer Anne has had over 180 articles, short stories, movie reviews, and poems published in 55 magazines and books including The East County Gazette, The Christian Journal, The Proverbs 31 Woman, Evangel, Live, Standard, Seek, Christian Fiction Online and Nudges from God. Her website is www.JenniferAnneMessing.com.
Copyrighted by Jennifer Anne Fabregas Messing. Contact the author for reprint information. Email: Secretary@jenniferannemessing.com
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