Holiday Affair (1949)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Don Hartman

Writers:

Isobel Lennart (screenplay)
John D. Weaver (story)

Release Date:

24 December 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

It happened in December...but its hotter than July !

Plot:

The Christmas-season romance of a young widow and a sales clerk who (thanks to her) is unemployed.

Plot Keywords:

Widow | Christmas | Department Store | Single Mother | Mother Son Relationship

Cast

Robert Mitchum	...	Steve Mason
Janet Leigh	...	Connie Ennis
Wendell Corey	...	Carl Davis
Gordon Gebert	...	Timmy Ennis
Griff Barnett	...	Mr. Ennis
Esther Dale	...	Mrs. Ennis
Henry O'Neill	...	Mr. Crowley
Harry Morgan	...	Police lieutenant (as Henry Morgan)
Larry J. Blake	...	Plainclothesman
Helen Brown	...	Emily (Mr. Crowley's secretary)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chick Chandler	...	New Year's celebrant (uncredited)
Jack Chefe	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Yvonne Crossley	...	Elevator operator (uncredited)
Michka Egan	...	Man (uncredited)
George Eldredge	...	Elevator starter (uncredited)
Louise Franklin	...	Elevator operator (uncredited)
James Griffith	...	Crowley's floorwalker (uncredited)
Pat Hall	...	Clerk (uncredited)
Jimmy Hawkins	...	Boy in park (uncredited)
Mame Henderson	...	Clerk (uncredited)
Robert Hughes	...	Joey from upstairs (uncredited)
Jimmy Hunt	...	Boy looking at Crowley's Trains (uncredited)
Frank Johnson	...	Santa Claus (uncredited)
Jack Kelly	...	Drunk on Train (uncredited)
Genevieve Kendall	...	Clerk (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Man (uncredited)
Allen Mathews	...	Mr. Gow (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Bum in park (uncredited)
Frances Morris	...	Mary (uncredited)
Philip Morris	...	Train conductor (uncredited)
Al Murphy	...	Man (uncredited)
William J. O'Brien	...	Peanut vendor (uncredited)
Theodore Rand	...	Man (uncredited)
Joey Ray	...	Hotel clerk (uncredited)
Paula Raymond	...	Girl at drinking fountain (uncredited)
Charles Regan	...	Man (uncredited)
Al Rhein	...	Detective (uncredited)
Sammy Shack	...	Man (uncredited)
Carl Sklover	...	Department store clerk (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	Park policeman (uncredited)

Directed by
Don Hartman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Isobel Lennart		screenplay
John D. Weaver		story "Christmas Gift"

Produced by
Don Hartman	....	producer

Original Music by
Roy Webb

Cinematography by
Milton R. Krasner		(director of photography) (as Milton Krasner)

Film Editing by
Harry Marker

Art Direction by
Carroll Clark
Albert S. D'Agostino

Set Decoration by
Darrell Silvera
William Stevens

Makeup Department
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist
James House	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Vera Peterson	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sam Ruman	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Clem Portman	....	sound
Francis M. Sarver	....	sound (as Frank Sarver)

Camera and Electrical Department
James Almond	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Ernest Bachrach	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Jim Kirley	....	grip (uncredited)
Eddie Pyle	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Howard Greer	....	gowns: Miss Leigh

Music Department
C. Bakaleinikoff	....	musical director

Other crew
Richard Kinon	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• RKO Home Video (USA) (VHS)

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

UK:U | USA:Approved

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Quotes:

Steve Mason: Carl isn't the real threat to me. Maybe I'm not to him. This isn't two fellows and a girl, you know. This is two fellows, a girl and her husband. I can't fight a shadow - I tried - competition's too tough. You were even going to play it safe and settle for someone you didn't love so you wouldn't be unfaithful to your husband.
Connie Ennis: Oh, you're always so wrong about me. I have a wonderful memory of a husband and a marriage. You're trying to take it away from me.
Steve Mason: Nobody wants to do that. I know. I'm sure Carl doesn't. All anybody wants is for you to live in the present and not be afraid of the future. You know, maybe it could happen again if you quit pretending that something that's dead is still alive.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Remade as Holiday Affair (1996) (TV)

Classic waiting to be discovered

This really is a nice, little Christmas movie that gets very little airplay. Still waiting for it to make it to DVD. No big musical numbers or production standards, just a simple story about a young widow (Janet Leigh) and her son and how their lives turn upside down once Christmas season when a rather aimless drifter (Robert Mitchum) enters the picture. Some very good supporting actors throughout. Skip the remake. It does play from time to time (Turner Classics), so if you get a chance, watch it...don't expect that much, just a warm little picture, like a nice hot cup of coffee on a cold winter night. With all the crap that has become annual Xmas "Classics"...this one is just patiently sitting on the shelves...waiting. It really deserves it.