This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

An action-packed slog

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Another rollicking satirical contemporary comedy from its brilliant writer / director Preston Sturges, taking pot-shots at religion, family values and local politics as well as sailing as close to the prevailing movie censor standards as it dares, all in all a typical piece of work from the 40's wunderkind. Betty Hutton is the small-time far-from-bashful beautiful blonde, the rebellious daughter of the local hard-bitten policeman, as-crusty-as-ever William Demarest, herself introduced to us in a hilarious basso-profundo mime sequence in a music store. When the US army comes to town, determined to show the boys in uniform a good time, she ropes in her dorkish schoolboy-admirer, Eddie Bracken, to provide her with an alibi as well as transport to a series of all night parties where she goes all army-groupie, determined to see the boys off into battle with shall we say, a smile on their faces. She hits her head at one point, the next morning having only a vague recollection that she may have married a soldier and not unnaturally fallen pregnant in the process. Instant, immaculate conception, you better believe it!From there, the movie follows a suitably crazy-course to its six-static conclusion with the hapless Bracken prepared to make any sacrifice for the girl, although most usually doing so at the point of Demarest's gun. Hutton, thankfully, sees sense and becomes devoted to her infatuated beau, brought to earth too by the ministrations of her 14-going-on-41 piano-playing kid sister, Diana Lynn. Fans of the director will get a kick out of previous Sturges characters, cash-in politicians Brian Donlevy and Akim Tamiroff reprising their roles from "The Great McGinty" trying to get a piece of the populist action which in the wake of Trump's election could hardly be more topical.My only criticisms would be that Bracken overdoes the Klutz routine a bit too much as overly-normal Norvel Jones plus there are probably too many pratfalls for my taste, but there's comedy gold in scenes where Demarest is trying to encourage Bracken to "escape" from his prison, the worldwide reaction to the sextuplets ("Hitler Demands Recount!") and Bracken's own reaction to the births at the very end, as he mouths "Which one's mine"? and then gets his answer.As ever, Sturges displays his mastery of pacing, overlapping non-stop dialogue and crowd management. It was just coincidence that I watched it so close to Christmas but what a festive treat it was.

After an all-night send-off party for the troops, a small-town girl (Betty Hutton) wakes up to find herself married and pregnant, but with no memory of her husband's identity.There were problems with the censors at the Hays Office over the film's subject matter. In October 1942, after a story conference, the office sent Paramount a seven-page letter outlining their concerns, including remarks made by the character Emmy, who is 14 years old; the potential of the film's portraying Trudy as being drunk; and reducing anything to do with Trudy's pregnancy. Of course, all these objections are part of what makes the film so darn funny, along with the screwball nature of it all. The scene where the cop tells a man over and over how to escape is just hilarious.Critic James Agee noted (not too subtly) that "the Hays office must have been raped in its sleep" to allow the film to be released. Although the Hays Office received many letters of protest because of the film's subject matter, it was Paramount's highest-grossing film of 1944, playing to standing-room-only audiences in some theaters. Such an interesting situation of humor trumping censorship... today, do we even have a censor? The MPAA is a shell of its former self.

Despite having become interested in taking a look at the work of producer/ writer/directing auteur Preston Sturges since reading a detailed review for a box set of his work in Empire magazine,and also having heard about his link to the Coen Brother's movie Oh Brother Where Art Though? a few years ago,I have found myself constantly pushing the chance to take a look at Sturges work for the first time tragically to the side,due to there having always been "just one more" title that I have had to take a look at,before getting the chance to take a glimpse of a Preston Sturges movie.With my dad also having been keen on taking a look at Sturges work,I was thrilled to recently discover that my dad had decide to pick Preston up from the side that he had been permanently waiting for a lift on!,by picking up the Japaneses DVD edition of one of his most well known films,which led to me excitingly getting prepared to discover the miracle of Morgon's Creek for the first time.The plot:Holding a less than secret crush for Trudy Knockenlocker for a number of years,Norval Jones (who has been found unfit for military service) gets the shock of his life,when Tudy reveals to Norval that she will finally go on a date with him to the movies,due to Knocklocker's dad banning his daughter from attending a military party which his being held for solders to bid a fond farewell to their love ones,before they head off on their tour of duty.Dressed in his smartest clothes,Jones finds his and Tudy's walk to the cinema one of the toughest that he has ever taken,due to Knockenlocker openly showing to Norval that she is deeply upset about not being allowed to wave the soldiers goodbye.With having always hated to see Tudy upset,Jones decides to put his feeling for Knockenlocker aside and do a deal with her,where he will go and watch the triple feature that they both were originally meant to see,whilst Tudy can attend the solider's party,and pick up Jones at the end of the night.The next morning:Waking up outside the cinema,an angry Norval is awoken by a loud honking noise that is coming from a badly damaged car being driven by a rather drunk Tudy.Furious over Knockenlocker, (who cant remember anything at all about the events that took place the previous night)Jones decides to get in the car,and drive Tudy back home.As Norval gets closer to her house,Knockenlocker discover's to her horror that she is wearing a wedding ring from a late night marriage,whose groom she is unable to remember the name,and even the face of.View on the film:Filmed at a time when the Hay's Code was in full swing,producer/writer/director Preston Sturges cleverly decides to use the Screwball Comedy elements of his excellent screenplay as a way to hide some incredibly daring twist & turns in the movie's plot,which hark back to the wonderful Pre-Code era of US cinema.Initially making Tudy look like a wholesome,all American girl,Struges gradually peels away Knockenlocker's good gal image,to reveal the character as a wild'n willing party girl.Struges shows Knockenlocker (what a name!) to have a much more masculine personality than the male lead in the movie,by having Knockenlocker go from driving around after a night out partying,to pressing all the right,easy to reach buttons,in getting Noval to agree in helping Tudy to cover up her wild antics.Going against the traditions of the time,Sturges decides to break as many taboos as possible by openly showing drunkenness,single motherhood,and also making a rather risky suggestion that the solider's may not be as clean cut as the town's folk dream of them to be.Expertly balancing the film to make sure that it never falls into becoming self indulgent,Sturges contrast's the controversial story sections of the movie by filling every section of the movie with ribbons of precise,delightfully screwball dialogue which bounces from every corner of the screen,that is also given the chance to breath,thanks to Sturges shooting Tudy & Norval's building relationship in long,elegantly handled tracking shots,which along with allowing Eddie Bracken and Betty Hutton's excellent,subtle performance's to truly shine,also makes the miracle that takes places at Morgan's Creek a wonderful thing to witness.

Another great Sturges comedy, though nowhere near as good as The Palm Beach Story. Betty Hutton is Trudy Kockenlocker (amusing name!), a small-town girl who feels it's her civic duty to give the boys a good time before the go off to war. But one night she gets herself married AND knocked-up, and can't remember who the father is! Interesting that this even got made in 1944, with the Production Code in force. I guess Sturges skirted around the censors by insisting Hutton drank only "victory lemonade" (yeah, right) and having her actually marry the father of the baby. Eddie Bracken is Hutton's stuttering long-time friend, who's been besotted with her forever. The guy's so in love he's willing to pretend he's the father, and the film becomes quite touching when Trudy really sees what a great guy that nerdy Norval is. Although this film didn't give me quite the laughs I was expecting, and the crazy humor seems strained at times, it's still very good. I especially liked the scenes between the precocious 14 year-old sister and her high-strung, yet caring, father.