good back-story, and good acting

Admirable film.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

I saw the last two scenes of this strange film when I was living in Germany. When American films are shown in Germany, and they have music, the dialogue is dubbed, but the songs remain in English. I always wanted to see the whole thing.Don't be fooled by the title "Christmas Holiday." This 1944 Universal film is no Christmas movie, but instead, a quasi-psychological story of obsessive love and guilt. Sounds just like a Deanna Durbin movie, doesn't it?Durbin here plays Jackie Lamont, who tells her story to a soldier, Charles Mason (Dean Harens) grounded in New Orleans during bad weather. He's received a telegram from his fiancée telling him she's married to someone else, but he's decided to take his Christmas leave in San Francisco anyway, possibly to confront her. When he can't leave New Orleans, a newspaperman, Simon (Richard Whorf) takes him to a club, Maison L'affite, run by Valerie (Gladys George). Jackie is a singer there and, like the other women who work there, talks to the male guests. There's a strong implication that they do something else for the male guests as well, but the code is in place so no one comes out and says it.At her request, Charles takes her to midnight Mass - I haven't heard a mass in Latin in decades - where she breaks down. Afterwards, she explains that she is in reality Abigail Martin, the wife of Richard Manette (Gene Kelly), in prison for killing a bookie. She tells him the whole story of how in love with him she was and still is, how they met at a concert, and how his mother (Gale Sondergaard) obviously knew something Abigail didn't know: that Richard was a charming, scheming, thieving weakling, and she was hoping Abigail could change him. She didn't.One night he comes home with blood on his trousers and a lot of dough. It's not long before he's put on trial for murder and found guilty. His mother blames Abigail, and Abigail changes her name to Jackie and goes to work at the club, apparently as some sort of punishment.This is pretty heavy going. It's suggested by a Somerset Maugham story - he wasn't known for light comedy. The casting of Durbin and Kelly is certainly interesting, plus the name. Imagine walking into a movie theater knowing nothing about this movie. You would assume you were about to see a cheerful musical.Durbin sings "Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year," and "Always," which she does beautifully. She was a good actress and able to pull off the drama.Kelly is a charmer in the beginning and then reveals his true colors. He was good, as was Gale Sondergaard.The theme from Tristan & Isolde is played at the concert and at the end of the film. Always surprises me to hear Wagner in a film made during World War II, because all the German arias were taken out of the compilations of arias for various voice types during the war. Nevertheless, it's quite an arresting theme. Tristan & Isolde is similar, and predates, the legend of Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot. Its theme doesn't seem to have much to do with this movie.Deanna Durbin would leave films four years later and told an interviewer once that Universal was giving her worse and worse films. Given how much money she had made for them, the powers that be never knocked themselves out finding her good material."Christmas Holiday" is an aberration, but so odd and so oddly cast that it's worth seeing. I love Deanna, and I'll take her any way I can get her.

FALSE CLAIMS ALERT!! This may have 'Christmas' in the title, and indeed set around the Yuletide period, but is in fact an attempt at a film noir. It mainly concentrates on a young army man (played by Gene Kelly) meeting a singer at a bar when his plane home is delayed. He then proceeds to hear her life story, which involves her sadistic husband being convicted of murder a few years ago. And Whatdoyouknow... Her partner escapes from the slammer THAT VERY SAME NIGHT... And guess who's first on his hit list...I don't know if they were familiar with the concept of 'filler' back then... But there's lots of it here. As well as Deanna Durbin's impromptu musical performances (She's a singer... REMEMBER?) We also have a five minute section devoted to a church service. Now, as nice as it is to see a film which celebrates the true meaning of the season, it slows the action down to a grinding halt.Also, they have a cheek referring to Durbin as a 'femme fatale' in the publicity text. She's completely subservient to her man, puts her life on hold while he's in solitary confinement and only begins to see him as the pig he truly is when he tries to MURDER her towards the conclusion. 'Battered Housewife' more like it. Still, that was the 40's, and we've made GREAT STRIDES SINCE. Now, it's men who say "Yes Dear" a lot and rush around on command. Oh, happy day.The whole unholy, tedious hullabaloo is resolved in one of those overblown melodramatic scenes that bad black and white films do so well. No-one in real life talks like that, and no-one ever will. And as our put-upon lass stares out of the window at the dawning of Christmas day, you think to yourself: this would be the perfect opportunity for a shot of Santa riding home in his sleigh, to make up for the distinctly unfestive 90 minutes that preceded it.But, nope... They even mess that one up. 4/10

What a surprise treat to see this rare film as part of a Robert Siodmak Festival at the Cleveland Art Museum in the summer of 2014. It put me back in the mid-WWII period and the beautiful, pristine 35mm print was shown as originally presented on the big screen, thanks to Film Curator John Ewing. The major attraction here is that Deanna Durbin and Gene Kelly both play against type in a "doctored up" Somerset Maugham story. Siodmak direction is dark, atmospheric and smoothly executed throughout. Deanna sings Irving Berlin's "Always" in a pop style very effectively. A good portion of Wagner's "Liebestod" from Tristan and Isolde is heard in an orchestral setting to heighten the dramatic proceedings.Both stars work surprisingly well in their very heavy roles, and I found myself glued to the screen during Durbin's depiction. Her acting style has often been subtle, and this performance was one of her most understated. Kelly's role challenged him to reach dramatic heights, and he rises to occasion.While some of the script is dated, Deanna dominates the screen whenever she's on, and is matched by a fine supporting cast. Truly a worthwhile viewing.

Lt Mason (Dean Harens) is returning home when his plane has to make an emergency landing. On an overnight stay, he has an encounter with Jackie/Abigail (Deanna Durbin) at a nightclub where she reveals her past to him. She is married to Robert Manette (Gene Kelly) who is serving time for murder. They spend an evening together before Lt Mason continues on his journey. However, Manette has escaped from jail.....This is a film noir with unlikely lead roles going to Durbin and Kelly who are more noted for appearing in annoying musicals. Surprisingly, it works. Kelly doesn't do any cheesy, smiley, grinning dance moves where he sticks his bum out, and Durbin sings a couple of songs that are actually quite good. The film is slow to get going - think half an hour - which grants the viewer a right to question what on earth is going on and to get slightly bored. But, once the flashbacks begin, we have a story to follow and both my girlfriend and I far prefer Gene Kelly as a baddie.