SimonJack Playwright Preston Sturges is known mostly for his comedies, yet he wrote a number of scripts with mixed genres. "Remember the Night" is one such film, and one of his best films. It's a mix of comedy and drama with a love story that unfolds slowly. As the story contrasts the childhood of the two leads, it gives one pause about judging people on the surface, without knowing their background. All of this makes for an ideal movie around the Christmas Holidays. Made in late 1939, the film was released in January 1940. The setting, scenery, camera work, editing and direction are excellent. All of the supporting cast are superb in their roles. Beulah Bondi is Mrs. Sargent, Jack's mother. Elizabeth Patterson plays his Aunt Emma. Sterling Holloway is Willie. Several others do very well in their roles. Fred MacMurray plays John "Jack" Sargent, a sharp assistant district attorney in New York. He hails from a small town in Indiana. He worked hard after his father died when he was a young boy. He helped his mother with jobs during school, and put himself through college and law school. He once took some money that his mother had been saving, but after she confronted him, he worked extra jobs to pay it back. Jack is now one of the best prosecuting attorneys in the New York DA's office. Barbara Stanwyck is Lee Leander (nee, Anna Rose Malone), a young woman who has been arrested for shoplifting. She also comes from a small town in Indiana. When she was growing up, her mother found fault in everything she did. She once took some money her mother had been saving – intending to pay it back. But her mother called her a thief in front of the whole town. No one would trust Lee to hire her, so she left home. Her father died shortly after that. For the past six years, she has been fending for herself in the big city. This occurred during the depression when work was hard to find. When Lee couldn't find work, she shoplifted and sold the stolen goods to support herself. This is her third offense, so she's likely to go to prison. Neither character knows most of these details about the other – nor do we viewers, when they first meet in the courtroom. Lee has a windbag of a defense attorney who spins a fantastic yarn about his client having been hypnotized. Jack has never lost a case and is the D.A.'s best man for getting a woman convicted. The only thing unusual about this case is its timing. It's just before Christmas, and as Jack tells an associate, no jury will convict a woman close to Christmas. So, he gets a continuance until after the New Year. But, he feels sorry for Lee having to spend the holidays in jail, so he pays her bail. That sets the stage for a marvelous adventure, warm-hearted comedy, and blossoming love. It's a beautiful story about family, love, forgiveness, redemption, honesty, justice and sacrifice. It's become a favorite film in my Christmas holidays collection for annual viewing. The humor comes from situations, witty lines, and wonderful dialog exchanges. On a 750-mile drive from New York to Indiana (this is a time way before the Interstate highway system), Jack and Lee come to a detour. It's nighttime and raining, and it's hard to see the direction arrows. History buffs will appreciate the sign at the detour. The road work is a WPA project (Works Progress Administration). After Jack meets Lee's bitter, hateful "momma," he decided she needs to spend Christmas in a home with love and warmth -- so he takes her home with him. After the holidays, they return to New York by way of Canada – one will know why in watching the film. They enter Canada through Windsor, across from Detroit. Following are some sample lines from the movie. Rufus, "She's here." Jack, "Who's here?" Rufus, "I don't know, sir." Jack, "Well then, how do you know she's here?" Rufus, "Well, I seen her come in." Jack, "You saw who come in?" Rufus, "Uh, the lady." Jack, "You mean there's a lady in the apartment?"Mrs. Sargent, "She's probably a hypochondriac." (She means kleptomaniac) Jack, "She might be at that." Mrs. Sargent, "Do you remember when you took my egg money I was going to buy a new dress with? And how hard you worked to pay it back when you later understood?" Jack, "You made me understand." Mrs. Sargent, "No, dear. It was love that made you understand."Lee, "You mean you want me to go?" Jack, "Yes!" Lee, "Where?" Jack, "Where what?" Lee, "Well after all, I was on my way to a nice comfortable jail with three meals a day and turkey for Christmas, and now I'm …" Jack, "Don't you live some place?" Lee, "Oh, I had a room in a hotel, but they locked me out." Jack, "Oh. How much do you owe the hotel?" Lee, "A hundred and twenty-six dollars and forty cents." Jack, "Oh, that doesn't solve my problem does it?" Lee, "Well, why don't you just put me back in the clink? That'll solve a lot of problems." Jack, "Well, I'm sure that I can and … uh .. well, that wasn't the idea. Have you had dinner?" Lee, "Not yet." Jack, "Well, come on I'll buy you that Christmas dinner I cheated you out of, and maybe we can figure out something."Customs officer, "Where are you from?" Jack, "United States." Officer, "Where were you born?" Jack, "Indiana." Officer (to Lee), "And where were you born?" Lee, "Indiana." Officer, "And what is your reason for going through Canada?" Jack, "I'm a fugitive from justice." Lee, "You sound like a fugitive from a nut house." Officer, "Go ahead, son, go ahead."

GManfred I think I was expecting something funnier or something more clever from Preston Sturges, and so I was disappointed in "Remember The Night". It's funny in spots but the storyline is too far-fetched and contrived for the website's present rating.It starts off OK, as shoplifter Stanwyck is pinched shortly before Christmas and appears in a New York courtroom with Mac Murray as the prosecuting attorney. Here ensues a humorous scene, with Willard Robertson as the defense lawyer in what must be his best role. His long-winded and tear-jerking defense causes the trial to be put off until after Christmas, which means Stanwyck will have to spend the holiday in jail.The plot here goes far afield. Feeling sorry for her, MacMurray bails her out, finds out she has nowhere to go and volunteers to drop her off at her home, which is a few towns away from his in Indiana - will wonders never cease, huh? The scene in which her mother disowns her is leaden and tough sledding, and doesn't fit with the general light-hearted theme of the picture. The picture could have lost me right there except for the star power of Fred and Barbara, who guide the picture through some more improbable circumstances until the improbable ending.It plays like a romantic drama, and a pretty fantastic one at that. It is also not typical Sturges stuff. In the website notes it is remarked that Sturges was very displeased with the final cut, so perhaps some essential elements of the story were left on the cutting room floor. I have to think that is a regrettable fact, as this picture desperately needed a rewrite in several places.

Scott44 I like the commentaries from moonspinner55 ("Serious-comedy with the offbeat Sturges touch...") and Mark Waltz ("She may not be in Connecticut...") Both reviewers do a good job of breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of Remember the Night. Another commentary worth reading is here: http://www.black-and-white-movies.com/remember-the-night.htmlFor me, it is easily best film that Preston Sturges was part of, including his big four (Lady Even, Sullivan's Travels, Palm Beach Story and the Miracle of Morgan Creek). The combination of Mitchell Leisen (direction) and Preston Sturges (screenplay) is a lot stronger than when Sturges began directing his films.Some weaknesses include the insultingly stupid Black servant Rufus, the overly long opening courtroom scene, the bizarre cousin Willy and the sound quality, particularly near the end. (I struggled to make out several lines.)The premise of a top DA bailing out a thief and taking her home for Christmas has the makings of a Sturges farce, but the tone of the story changes as they make their journey. The legal situation they stumble into, instigated by an unreasonable farmer, parallels the relationship of the DA (Fred MacMurray) and shoplifter (Barbara Stanwyck). Another parallel is at the New Year's party when Stanwyck's character playfully steals egg money from a man with several other women nearby helping her. Both scenes help us identify with her.The Christmas scene is top-shelf; simply marvelous. Devoid of iconography (i.e., no Santa or Jesus), the simple pleasure of watching a loving family exchanging gifts with their unexpected guest is sublime. I really liked Leisen's visuals here. The only music is when MacMurray and Willy (Sterling Holloway) sing. Neither are outstanding, but both sing with feeling. (Stanwyck is supposedly playing piano for Willy's song, but we don't see her hands.)From the touching Christmas scene to the New Year's Eve party to the trip back (via Canada; as they're on the lam) to Niagra Falls and then back to the dreaded court date in New York, Remember the Night approaches greatness. It breathes life back into a holiday season that for many of us has always been bittersweet. Remember the Night is a love story so beautifully realized that viewers may may need a hankie to wipe off the tears. Those tears are from happiness and the anticipation of new possibilities.

mark.waltz Four years before they were murder (in "Double Indemnity") and five years before she learned how to flip pancakes (in "Christmas in Connecticut"), Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck were dynamic in this Mitchell Leissen comedy/drama that will leave you merry but weary from crying. It's just before the holidays in New York City, and shoplifter Barbara Stanwyck is caught trying to hawk a bracelet she just stole from another jewelers. D.A. Fred MacMurray is raring to get out of town for the holidays, but must first prosecute her case. He is not happy, yet he won't be happy if he leaves her behind bars over Christmas. So what does he do? He takes her home with him, of course! It's not that simple, but MacMurray does agree to drop her off in Ohio to see her mother who is not welcoming at all. But being a "Hoosier" (from Indiana), MacMurray does agree to host her for the holidays along with his widowed mother (Beulah Bondi), spinster aunt (Elizabeth Patterson) and sweet farmhand (Sterling Holloway). They are more than happy to have her, sure a romance is brewing. For a small town girl gone wrong like Stanwyck, this is heaven. And slowly but surely, the two fall in love, even though she's sure to get jail time when they get back to Manhattan.One of three Christmas movies made by the wonderful Barbara Stanwyck ("Meet John Doe" is the other), "Remember the Night" is an almost forgotten gem which has been rediscovered by film connoisseurs and is now considered a classic (not just another old movie). At the heart of its story is the message of what Christmas really is about-giving of oneself, not just to family, but to strangers as well. Once MacMurray realizes this, he finds that the reward is magic. There are so many wonderful moments in this timeless film that the best way to learn about them isn't to read reviews, but to watch the film. This cynical world of ours may find films like this overly sentimental, but it is sentiment which keeps us sane over the holidays. For me, the highlight is MacMurray's family and Stanwyck singing "A Perfect Day", as well as some sweet scenes between Stanwyck and Patterson, and later Stanwyck and Bondi, the later almost bittersweet. Georgia Caine is darkly cold as Stanwyck's mother who takes great pains to remind Stanwyck (in front of MacMurray) what a rotten child she was. Leissen took great care to make the ending a bit more realistic than it could have been. The mixture of comedy and pathos makes for great viewing of one of the best emotional screenplays (by the brilliant Preston Sturges) ever put on celluloid.