Holiday Affair

"It happens in December... but it's hotter than July!"

1949 1h 27m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 95

ComedyRomanceDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Just before Christmas, department store clerk Steve Mason meets big spending customer Connie Ennis, who's actually a comparison shopper sent by another store. Steve lets her go, which gets him fired. They spend the afternoon together, which doesn't sit well with Connie's steady suitor, Carl, when he finds out, but delights her young son Timmy, who quickly takes to Steve.

“It happens in December... but it's hotter than July!”

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Cast

Robert Mitchum
Steve Mason
Janet Leigh
Connie Ennis
Wendell Corey
Carl Davis
Griff Barnett
Mr. Ennis
Esther Dale
Mrs. Ennis
Henry O'Neill
Mr. Crowley
Harry Morgan
Police Lieutenant (as Henry Morgan)
Larry J. Blake
Plainclothesman

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Don Hartman
Writers: Isobel Lennart, John D. Weaver
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

87 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

77 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Don Hartman, shot by Milton Krasner. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Roy Webb. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Harry Marker shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh and Wendell Corey carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "It happens in December... but it's hotter than July!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0041473 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Don Hartman directs. Milton Krasner behind the camera. Roy Webb scores. Harry Marker cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

187 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
277 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Don Hartman, shot by Milton Krasner. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Roy Webb. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Harry Marker shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh and Wendell Corey carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "It happens in December... but it's hotter than July!".
8IMDB entry: tt0041473 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 95 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 17 themes, including "new year's eve", "marriage proposal", "love triangle", "parent child relationship".

The technical file

Cinematography: Milton Krasner
Original score: Roy Webb
Editing: Harry Marker
Costume design: Howard Greer
Makeup / hair: Larry Germain
Runtime: 87 min · 1h 27m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Holiday Affair (1949)

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Don Hartman

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2015-05-15
★ 8/10
All anybody wants is for you to live in the present and not be afraid of the future. Directed by Don Hartman and written by Isobel Lennart and John D. Weaver, Holiday Affair stars Robert Mitchum, Janet Leigh and Wendell Corey. Story finds Leigh as Connie, a widower with a young son still trying to get over the death of her husband. Semi-courting the safe and reliable Carl (Corey), Connie's head is spun when she meets the more macho and up-front Steve (Mitchum). This is all she needs at Christmas time! A lovely Christmas Cracker of a movie, Holiday Affair never over eggs the eggnog with the love triangle axis beating at the core story. The spectre of grief is a prominent character here, where thankfully the writers have come up with a smart and respectful screenplay that's blessed with quality actors able to make the script have resonance. The seasonal staging is delightful, especially when involving a white coated Central Park. Comedy is also rife, none more so than during a court hearing sequence when Harry Morgan pops in to add his delightful wry skills. The wonder of toys and trees, of snow and ice, of families and love, all come together in a seasonal film that should be on every movie lovers list of Xmas films to see. 8/10
CinemaSerf2022-03-27
★ 7/10
This is one of Janet Leigh's more endearing roles - sandwiched, as she is, between the rather dull but reliable attorney "Carl" (Wendell Corey) and the slightly enigmatic "Mason" (Robert Mitchum). It starts when she, "Connie", engaged as a sort of modern day secret shopper, is unmasked in a department store by salesman who instead of dobbing her in, keeps quiet and gets fired for his troubles. The pair go on a date, he meets her young son "Timmy" (Gordon Gebert) and soon she has another man in her life... The film looks at her tussle between the safe and the unknown - and also takes a little look at her own character (previously widowed and reluctant to take the plunge again!). The star of the show, for me anyway, is the young boy. A natural in front of a camera, working well with two experienced stars in a fashion that I found most engaging. His are the last few scenes that gently deliver the common sense that we have long since all to easily guessed will prevail. The ending's a bit rushed, I thought - but a good quick-fire scene from an incredulous police lieutenant Harry Morgan and some fun with a train set make this a better than average Christmas feel-good drama.