Boasting an amazing cast the 1947 film Christmas Eve squanders that advantage with an episodic, poorly-written story and pedestrian direction. This could almost be considered a Warner Brothers reunion movie with old contract players George Raft, George Brent, Joan Blondell, John Litel, and Joe Sawyer peppering the cast but none of that studio's staccato pacing or streamlined storytelling can be found here. Unfortunately it emerges as a tired tale with aging former stars passing into history and leaving us with memories of better days.
The plot, such as it is, concerns a rich old lady (30s star Ann Harding) who's eccentric behavior has her facing the booby hatch thanks to her scheming nephew (Reginald Denny). The only thing that will prevent this occurrence is the intervention of her three estranged foster sons (Raft, Brent, and Randolph Scott) on Christmas Eve. We are treated to three separate vignettes establishing their characters which are only connected in that they learn their beloved mom is in dire straits and needs their assistance.
The three leads only inhabit about a third of the picture each and reunite for maybe 5 minutes at the end. George Brent portrays a scheming playboy with minimal flair; he is loved and pursued by the wonderful Joan Blondell who does her best to inject life into the tired script but is ultimately defeated by poor dialogue and sketchy motivation. Why she would be interested in a middle aged Brent is anybody's guess. George Raft enacts an exiled nightclub owner with a soft spot for his foster mom and must sacrifice the most to assist her. Anyone who is remotely familiar with Raft's career particularly at this stage knows exactly what's coming from the performer: he's tough, gruff, and sympathetic in a performance he sleepwalks through. Most interesting by default is Randolph Scott as an amiable rodeo rider with a never-ending patter of Western colloquialisms that grow increasingly irritating. He shares scenes with the stunning Dolores Moran as they break up a phony adoption agency. Scott seems to have had his hair darkened for this role and looks older than he would in his upcoming string of Western hits in the 1950s.
The supporting cast is a veritable who's who of familiar faces: Reginald Denny, Douglass Dumbrille, Dennis Hoey, Walter Sande, and the aforementioned Litel and Sawyer. Ann Harding (who was the same age or older than her 3 cinematic "sons") is tough to endure with her very theatrical take on old Aunt Matilda; she dodders around and performs all the schtick associated with younger people enacting their elders. The best performance comes from Miss Blondell although gorgeous Dolores Moran (wed to producer Benedict Bogeaus) gives her a run for her money simply by being so easy on the eyes.
Despite the stellar cast and undeniable interest it drums up for fans of classic cinema Christmas Eve is a misfire. The main culprit is the script; the story is all over the place in tone and is ham-fisted in the way it ties all the narratives together. Why it doesn't include a final episode where the brothers unite and defeat a common foe is a mystery. One can only imagine the likes of Raft, Brent, and Scott sharing a sequence together and playing their established screen personas off one another for the pure gold it could have been. Instead, the film emerges as a lazy endeavor that is content with only their name value to lure customers in. That is the true disappointment.
Disclaimer: other than the deceptive title and the finale taking place on the title day this is in no way a Christmas movie.
The plot, such as it is, concerns a rich old lady (30s star Ann Harding) who's eccentric behavior has her facing the booby hatch thanks to her scheming nephew (Reginald Denny). The only thing that will prevent this occurrence is the intervention of her three estranged foster sons (Raft, Brent, and Randolph Scott) on Christmas Eve. We are treated to three separate vignettes establishing their characters which are only connected in that they learn their beloved mom is in dire straits and needs their assistance.
The three leads only inhabit about a third of the picture each and reunite for maybe 5 minutes at the end. George Brent portrays a scheming playboy with minimal flair; he is loved and pursued by the wonderful Joan Blondell who does her best to inject life into the tired script but is ultimately defeated by poor dialogue and sketchy motivation. Why she would be interested in a middle aged Brent is anybody's guess. George Raft enacts an exiled nightclub owner with a soft spot for his foster mom and must sacrifice the most to assist her. Anyone who is remotely familiar with Raft's career particularly at this stage knows exactly what's coming from the performer: he's tough, gruff, and sympathetic in a performance he sleepwalks through. Most interesting by default is Randolph Scott as an amiable rodeo rider with a never-ending patter of Western colloquialisms that grow increasingly irritating. He shares scenes with the stunning Dolores Moran as they break up a phony adoption agency. Scott seems to have had his hair darkened for this role and looks older than he would in his upcoming string of Western hits in the 1950s.
The supporting cast is a veritable who's who of familiar faces: Reginald Denny, Douglass Dumbrille, Dennis Hoey, Walter Sande, and the aforementioned Litel and Sawyer. Ann Harding (who was the same age or older than her 3 cinematic "sons") is tough to endure with her very theatrical take on old Aunt Matilda; she dodders around and performs all the schtick associated with younger people enacting their elders. The best performance comes from Miss Blondell although gorgeous Dolores Moran (wed to producer Benedict Bogeaus) gives her a run for her money simply by being so easy on the eyes.
Despite the stellar cast and undeniable interest it drums up for fans of classic cinema Christmas Eve is a misfire. The main culprit is the script; the story is all over the place in tone and is ham-fisted in the way it ties all the narratives together. Why it doesn't include a final episode where the brothers unite and defeat a common foe is a mystery. One can only imagine the likes of Raft, Brent, and Scott sharing a sequence together and playing their established screen personas off one another for the pure gold it could have been. Instead, the film emerges as a lazy endeavor that is content with only their name value to lure customers in. That is the true disappointment.
Disclaimer: other than the deceptive title and the finale taking place on the title day this is in no way a Christmas movie.