Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Glimmerubro It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

Suman Roberson It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Janae Milner Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

Martin Teller Short but sweet comedy about a working schnook who gets pranked into thinking he's won a big pile of cash. I really enjoyed how this movie played out, with some heartfelt turns and nice character moments that made it feel a bit more Capra-esque than your typical Sturges. It doesn't really get too manic, and just has a pleasant vibe to it. This could have been a wackier movie, or a more cynical one, but I appreciate that it didn't go in those directions. I also appreciate that it doesn't torment the audience by dragging out the misunderstanding too much. Dick Powell and Ellen Drew are terrific together, they make a charming couple, and the film sports a roster of enjoyable character actors too. The ending is a bit predictable, but other moments aren't.

MartinHafer This is probably my favorite Presto Sturgess film--and I am not sure wonder why it's one of his least famous films. This is because although the story is quite simple, it's presented absolutely perfectly. The dialog, the characters and everything about the production is top-notch. In fact, it's so good I give it a 10--something I actually do pretty rarely. But it has got to be one of the best comedies of its time--in the same league as great comedies such as "Bringing Up Baby", "His Girl Friday" and "Arsenic and Old Lace" (all, incidentally, which starred Cary Grant).The film stars Dick Powell and Ellen Drew. I have always liked Powell in films where he didn't sing--he had a nice presence about him and was underrated as an actor. As for Powell, he, too, hated the singing in all his earlier films and I am sure he liked having a break in the usual routine. However, if you've seen many of writer/director Sturgess' films, you'll know that the real stars of his movies are the wonderful supporting characters. Raymond Walburn is simply terrific but Franklin Pangborn, William Demerest (who seems to be in almost EVERY Sturgess film) and Ernest Truex are just wonderful and add so much color to the movie.Powell plays a guy who is always entering jingle contests (something rather popular back in the good 'ol days) but keeps failing. He is especially excited about a coffee company that is giving away a $25,000 first prize--and that's all he thinks about or talks of to his fiancé or at work. To play a joke on him (a very, very unfunny one), one of his co-workers decide to send him a phony telegram saying he's won this contest. As soon as this occurs, an unexpected chain of events takes place and the joke goes spiraling out of control. I'd say more, but I don't want to ruin the film. Just see the movie--it will give you quite a few laugh out loud moments and is clever and supremely well-constructed. A must-see.

ccthemovieman-1 I really enjoyed the first half hour of this movie but, wow, did it turn corny, or should I say, "just plain stupid." This is just another example of outdated humor. It might have been funny in 1940, but not now....not even close.Dick Powell is always interesting to watch. I especially liked him once he started switching from his boyish looks and high voice of the Busby Berkeley musicals to where he's mature and sounds it, too.He was fine as "Jimmy MacDonald," but the rest of the cast just played stupid characters, the worst being the boss (Raymond Walburn) of the Maxford House Coffee Company, who did nothing but shout all the time. He was brutal to hear and was a big detriment to the movie.

gmatusk Could this be one of Preston Sturges's most under-appreciated comedies? -- in addition to being one of his funniest. In "Sullivan's Travels," Preston Sturges has the Joel McCrea character speak admiringly of fellow director Frank Capra. In "Christmas in July" possibly Sturges was trying to suggest to Capra how to handle sentiment without falling into sentimentality --- the scene where Dick Powell is handing out presents to his neighbors, and he gives a doll to a crippled girl in a wheelchair -- a remarkably tender moment in the midst of a hectic funny scene -- done with just the right deft touch.One of my favorite lines occurs when the owner of the Maxford Coffee Company (played by bug-eyed character actor Raymond Walburn) sarcastically tells apparent contest-winner Powell, "I can't wait to give you my money!"Sturges also shows that you can have plot complications without resorting to stock villains --- no simplistic class warfare here, such as you'd find in a Frank Capra film -- rich and poor are equally lovable -- even gruff opinionated William Demarest. Sturges embraces all of humanity, all classes.This film has an exceptionally satisfying "feel-good" ending --- the audience is made aware of the exuberantly happy ending before the main characters realize the change in fortune about to befall them --- the camera zooms across the city to reveal that a decision is going to unravel all the plot complications --- it's a breathlessly whirlwind revelation to the audience! A unique "feel-good" ending that tops all other "feel-good" endings! As far as I know, the first person to point out the unique nature of this ending was Dale Thomajan in his 1992 book "From Cyd Charisse to Psycho : a Book of Movie Bests."