Christmas movies don't come much cozier than Christmas in Connecticut (1945). Endearingly sweet, it spins a silly storyline into an enjoyable Hollywood confection.New York writer Elizabeth Lane (Barbara Stanwyck) portrays herself as an ideal housewife in her newspaper column, even though she's single and lives in a cluttered apartment. Publisher Alexander Yardley (Sydney Greenstreet) convinces her to meet Jefferson Jones (Dennis Morgan), a Navy veteran who admires her writing. In a convoluted scheme, Elizabeth enlists her friend John Sloan (Reginald Gardiner) for use of his Connecticut mansion, a rented baby and her hand in marriage. Then Elizabeth falls for Jeffrey, throwing well-laid plans into disarray.
Director Peter Godfrey and writers Lionel Houser and Adele Comandi work wonders with convoluted material. In classic romantic comedy fashion, the plot hinges on schemes and improbable misunderstandings: John sincerely loves Elizabeth, but she lacks any affection for him, causing trouble when Jeff arrives. Yardley, not privy to the plot, is concerned only with his paper: he wants Elizabeth to have a "second" baby to boost circulation.
All of this seems standard-issue, yet Christmas is so well-crafted it scarcely matters. Godfrey wends his romance plot between broad gags, including snow-based pratfalls and chef Felix (S.Z. Sakall) bickering with John's maid (Una O'Connor) about stew recipes. Elizabeth is a career girl who engages the scheme to gain a raise and preserve her reputation, yet she reluctantly learns to live her column, bathing babies and sticking flapjacks to the ceiling. Naturally, when Elizabeth admits her façade things go south before picking up again; honesty is the best policy.
Barbara Stanwyck is engaging as always: she's tougher than the average screwball heroine, but equally nimble with barbs and quips between exasperation. While Dennis Morgan and Reginald Gardiner are stiffs, Sydney Greenstreet engages his rare comedic role with jovial panache. S.Z. Sakall flits around ethnic stereotyping ("Everything's hunky dunky!") but his character's the smartest of all, outwitting Yardley and pointing Elizabeth towards the correct path.
Christmas in Connecticut wins the audience not through its plot but it's well-placed gags and well-rounded characters. Even the familiar becomes engaging when handled this well.
