The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Preston Sturges

Writer:

Preston Sturges (writer)

Release Date:

19 January 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | War

Tagline:

A Scanda-Laugh Fest!

Plot:

After an all-night send-off party for the troops, a small-town girl wakes up to find herself married and pregnant, but with no memory of her husband's identity.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Pregnant | Party | Small Town | Soldier

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Eddie Bracken	...	Norval Jones
Betty Hutton	...	Trudy Kockenlocker
Diana Lynn	...	Emmy Kockenlocker
William Demarest	...	Const. Edmund Kockenlocker
Porter Hall	...	Justice of the Peace
Emory Parnell	...	Mr. Tuerck
Al Bridge	...	Mr. Johnson (as Alan Bridge)
Julius Tannen	...	Mr. Rafferty
Victor Potel	...	Newspaper editor
Brian Donlevy	...	Gov. McGinty (as McGinty)
Akim Tamiroff	...	The Boss

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Paramount Ranch - 2813 Cornell Road, Agoura, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

When the film was released, it was such a huge hit, it was literally standing room only for many performances.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Norval and Mr. Kockenlocker are sitting on the front porch talking, Mr. Kockenlocker is cleaning his gun. He has an automatic pistol, he cocks it to open the chamber for cleaning, and in the next scene he cocks it again.

Quotes:

Mr. Tuerck: Women are always trying to take the blame for men - it's what you call the mother instinct.

Movie Connections:

References Road to Morocco (1942)

Best comedy produced during WWII?

This movie may be the best comedy produced during World War II, especially in reference to the timing and the language related to the humorous treatment of a serious subject. Eddie Bracken is superb as Norval Jones, and delivers lines in a rapid-fire fashion that intensifes the satire. Betty Hutton as Trudy Kockenlocker is the perfect foil for Norval. Where Norval is witty, Trudy is coy. Norval anticipates problems, Trudy is expedient. Norval is so nervous that he sees "black spots" when agitated, Trudy is calm--though in trouble. And the constant conflict between Emmy (Diana Lynn) and Constable Kockenlocker(William Demarest) is typical of a wisecracking teen and an overly protective widower. There is hardly a funnier scene in movies than the marriage ceremony for Trudy and Norval. The humor in the whole movie seems to improve with each subsequent viewing.