We forget that Christmas movies need not necessarily be all about Christmas. The genre tends to get a bum rap, the work of crass comedies filled with holiday hokum and phony sermons about the yuletide spirit. 1945's Christmas in Connecticut manages to be quite the charmer on its own volition. With not a carol to be heard, the movie is based more on the strength of its storytelling and its cast - as most movies should be. Starring Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, and Sydney Greenstreet and as hopelessly old-fashioned as it may be, Christmas in Connecticut doesn't require old St. Nick to spread its seasonal warmth.

Barbara Stanwyck, S.Z. Sakall, Dennis Morgan

There's no domestic goddess quite like Elizabeth Lane (Stanwyck). Through her monthly magazine column she dispenses homespun advice to housewives across the states and preaches the values of good, country living. The only problem is that it's all a sham. She's a bona fide city gal who can't cook for beans and remains steadfastly single. But after her publisher (Greenstreet) suggests a story Elizabeth needs to hone her homemaking skills pronto. With dashing war hero Jefferson Jones (Morgan) nervous about settling down, who better than Elizabeth to show him that home is where the heart is - and boost readership in the process. This forces Elizabeth to extend her charade even more, which gets harder to keep up when she starts falling for the kind-hearted soldier.

I'm surprised that Christmas in Connecticut wasn't conceived for the stage, since it has all the makings of a theatrical warhorse. The story is staged as a farce, but it's not as broad as one may think. We get blustery comic relief courtesy of S. Z. Sakall (Casablanca's rotund waiter), though a simple, homey atmosphere is favored most of the time. Even key gags (such as Elizabeth's troubles with a baby and inability to flip a pancake) aren't overdone.

This isn't to say Christmas in Connecticut isn't too easygoing; for a comedy of errors, there's not much true conflict, mostly because everything turning out just fine is a given. Such frothiness can be chalked up to age, though even for a lark, the picture never insults one's intelligence.

Nowadays, you couldn't get away with a movie about casting women into the kitchen no matter how light it may be. But Christmas in Connecticut avoids becoming a dated relic thanks to its mildly subversive intentions. The central romance works because Elizabeth and Jefferson are in the same boat; both share an image of what the perfect American life should be that crumbles the closer they cozy up to one another.

Stanwyck's performance is part Betty Crocker and part Rosalind Russell, exhibiting affection just as much as she does low-key snark. Morgan just gets to woo the socks off of his co-star, but it's a job he pulls off with considerable likeability. Even Greenstreet, that heaviest of film heavies, beckons a bear hug with his portrayal of Elizabeth's boisterous boss.

Christmas in Connecticut is the epitome of vintage fun. It was a fairly gutsy move for its time and even more of a success considering how fun the flick still is; desiring to be a good time with a few laughs, all while remaining squeaky-clean enough to mop floors with. It's a perfectly pleasant film with a nostalgic appeal that makes it one of the lesser-known holiday favorites but a favorite nonetheless.

Director: Peter Godfrey

Writers: Lionel Houser and Adele Commandini (story by Aileen Hamilton)

Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet, Reginald Gardiner, S. Z. Sakall

Rating: No MPAA Rating (nothing offensive)

Classic Movie Guide Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Run Time: 102 minutes

Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Format: Black-and-white, fullscreen

Photo credits: Warner Bros. Pictures