Christmas in July 2021: Christmas in July (movie)

 

I love the imagery of the 4th of July firecrackers combined with the red Christmas ribbon in this movie poster.

 

Happy Christmas in July! It's Day #6 of the Christmas in July party. All month long I'll be celebrating Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies with a FUN IN THE SUN attitude. Expect a run of Christmas in July stories, tropical yuletides, and island themes. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition being released later this year). 

Today I'd like to remind you about the 1940 Preston Sturges movie Christmas in July starring Dick Powell. In this story, Jimmy’s co-workers play a prank on him when he thinks he’s won a $25,000 slogan-writing contest for a coffee company. In this classic comedy, it becomes Christmas in July as Jimmy goes shopping and buys his family, friends and every kid on the block their hearts’ desire. But what happens when he finds out he’s not the winning idea man he thought he was? 

 

 

Interestingly, Christmas in this movie is used as a metaphor, rather than a depiction of the December celebration. Despite a lack of Christmas story, the movie usually ends up running on TV each December anyway.

The cast includes Dick Powell as Jimmy, Ellen Drew as Betty, and William Demarest as Mr. Bildocker.

 

Actor Alex Nicol played Jimmy in the TV version.

TV fans should note that an adaptation of this Hollywood movie was produced for television in 1954. An efficient, one hour-long version aired on The Lux Video Theatre on NBC on Sept. 9, 1954. The cast includes Alex Nicol as Jimmy MacDonald, Nancy Gates as Betty, and Raymond Walburn repeats his role as Dr. Maxford from the original movie. 

Thanks for reading along. More Christmas in July TV episodes, specials, and movies coming up.

Joanna Wilson is a TV researcher and book author specializing in Christmas entertainment. More about the TV programs mentioned on this website can be found in her book "Tis the Season TV: the Encyclopedia of Christmas-themed Episodes, Specials, and Made-for-TV Movies." Her latest book "Triple Dog Dare: Watching--& Surviving--the 24-Hour Marathon of A Christmas Story" was released in 2016. She is currently updating and expanding the encyclopedia for a 2021 release. Her books can be found at the publisher's website: 1701 press.com

*Support this website and its research by purchasing the books at 1701 press.com