Christmas in Connecticut

There is nothing more romantic and sentimental than cows at Christmas. Seriously, the proof is in several holiday films where cows are featured prominently in Christmas themed scenes. For example, there is the scene stealing cow in The Lemon Drop Kid (1951), Jim (Bing Crosby) takes care of cows on his farm in Connecticut in Holiday Inn (1942), and even more modern films make reference to cows in holiday movies, such as the quip by Graham (Jude Law) in The Holiday (2006): “I have a cow and I sew. How’s that for ‘hard to relate to?’” However, I find it quite easy to relate to, especially when discussing Christmas in Connecticut (1945), another delightful holiday film. 

The cow scene that I am referring to in this film takes place just after Elizabeth (Barbara Stanwyck) first meets Jefferson Jones (Dennis Morgan), as the characters are preparing for bed, and Elizabeth is avoiding her impending marriage, when a cow, named “Macushla,” just happens to escape from her barn and wander over to the farmhouse. Of course, Jeff offers to help Elizabeth return the cow to the barn, setting up the perfect moonlit evening for the two characters to fall madly in love… Or, at least, the snow that falls off the roof of the barn and causes them to literally fall in the snow, gives Elizabeth the perfect excuse to snuggle closer to Jeff. Interfering animals, slapstick moments, and moonlit nights being quintessential rom-com tropes.

If you are not a fan of romantic comedies, and specifically screwball comedies, then Christmas in Connecticut won’t be the holiday film for you, but it has always been one of my favorites, and its genre blending is one of the main reasons why I love it so much. In re-watching the film, I have taken away a greater appreciation for the nuances and presence that World War II has within the film. Christmas in Connecticut opens with a montage of a submarine bombing another boat, and features two sailors (one of which is Jeff) stranded on a life raft, in the middle of the ocean, dreaming about food. This cements the film as being partly a war film, with constant little reminders sprinkled throughout that indicate America’s involvement with WWII. This is particularly apparent through the visual reminders to buy ‘war bond,’ as advertised in the many posters throughout the dance hall scene, through the women leaving their babies with neighbors to go off and work in the local war factory, and in the subtle references that the characters make to rationing food.

Speaking of food, or a lack thereof, which is a subject that takes on such great importance within this film, as the foods the characters eat and prepare represent a greater meaning given the film’s war-time backdrop. Elizabeth Lane is a food writer, who can’t cook, and relies on her uncle Felix for all her food inspiration, guidance, and the occasional meal (to save her from living solely off a tin of sardines). Alexander Yardley is the gourmand publisher who invites a sailor and himself out to Elizabeth’s ‘farm’ for Christmas, intent upon eating the wonderful menu she has presented in her article (instead of the restrictive diet his doctor has prescribed). Felix and Nora, Sloan’s housekeeper, fight over all the cooking in the film, from Irish stew versus Goulash, to flipping versus scooping flapjacks, with neither party really winning out over the other. Food become one undercurrent that stood out to me when re-watching the film, due to the fact that the characters were rationing food, and utilizing cuts of meat, like giblets, that didn’t have restrictions or cost the characters ‘points.’ This creates an added layer of reality that cuts through the usual Hollywood glitz and glam, successfully blending fantasy with reality, and providing much needed levity during a difficult period in U.S. history.

From the cows to the food, there is something truly magical about Christmas in Connecticut. Perhaps it is the on-screen brilliance of Barbara Stanywck, in one of her best screwball roles, right up there with her performances in Ball of Fire (1941) or The Lady Eve (1941). Maybe it is the way the film seamlessly blends genres and makes you forget, if just for one short moment, that war is raging in distant parts of the world, which seem so far removed from a small farm in Connecticut. Either way, Christmas in Connecticut is a delightful film that will remain a holiday staple and is one film that I will enjoy for years to come. – Sarah 🐄🎄💏

Jefferson Jones (Dennis Morgan) and Elizabeth Lane (Barbara Stanwyck) take an unexpected moonlit joy-ride when a wayward horse walks off with them in a sleigh…

I should start this review off by stating that I’m not the biggest fan of rom-coms. There are some exceptions to this position, some romantic comedies that I find truly great (for example: His Girl Friday, 1940, dir. Howard Hawkes), but by and large, I find them at best uninteresting and at worst offensive. Christmas in Connecticut, I’m happy to say, sits somewhere above my general opinion of the genre  It’s not a great film by any means, but it is humorous and pretty much harmless. The plot is engaging, the performances are (mostly) enjoyable, and it manages to avoid most of the sexist rom-com tropes that make me seethe.

While the premise of a woman having to create and exist in this domestic fiction that she has created is enough to keep me watching, the most enjoyable aspect of the film was the performance of the cast...well, some of the cast, well, mainly one really good cast member. Barbara Stanwyck isn’t exactly my favorite leading lady, but she performed well and managed to get a few chuckles out of me as deceitful magazine writer Elizabeth Lane. Dennis Morgan, as the war hero Jefferson Jones, was certainly charming, but the character is written as eighty percent non-entity and twenty percent manipulative jerk, which no one recognizes as such because of his pretty face.  S. Z. Sakall as Uncle Felix had a few really funny lines that made me laugh out loud, but I also found his frenzied energy bordering on insufferable at times.  

The true star of the film, to me, was Sydney Greenstreet as Alexander Yardley, Elizabeth’s wealthy publisher whose self-invitation to her fictional Connecticut farm incites the plot. This is a fantastic melding of writing and acting for a character that turns the miserly businessman trope of so many holiday films on its head, as Yardley is the only character that even seems to care that it’s Christmas. From the beginning of the film, Yardley is presented as an earnest and caring man, if not naïve to the goings on at the farm in Connecticut. He’s just a man desperate to have a family Christmas, even if the family consists of complete strangers. He forms connections and expresses a sincere interest in others. Even when the deception is finally uncovered, while he is furious for about a minute, he is easily sated with a meal and returns to his sweet old self. Sure, the resolution of this story arc sort of lowers the stakes of the film in hindsight, but any other ending would have been a disservice to this fantastic character.

Christmas in Connecticut is by no means one of those movies I aim to watch every Christmas. I wouldn’t exactly categorize it as a Christmas movie, to be honest. There is surprisingly little reference to the holiday, save for a quick tree trimming scene. I firmly believe that Christmas could have been removed from the story entirely and it wouldn’t have made the slightest difference. Nevertheless, to add a little variety to my Christmas film rotation, I find it to be an enjoyable rewatch every few years.  – Bailey 🥞⌚

What are your favorite moments in Christmas in Connecticut? What did you think of the film? What do you think of our reviews? Share your thoughts in the comments below. 

Happy Holidays!!!

Copyright © 2019 Sarah Crane & Bailey Lizotte