The Hollywood adaptation of\u00a0the Somerset Maugham novel stars musical legends Deanna Durbin and Gene Kelly. The casting is misleading, however, as Universal studios was deliberately trying to insert some variation into Durbin’s hitherto relatively simple star image of a happy young girl who loved to sing. In Christmas Holiday\u00a0<\/em>Durbin\u00a0plays\u00a0a woman with a past (enough of one to need\u00a0a new name), now working as a nightclub ‘hostess’. \u00a0We might compare\u00a0Durbin’s change in role\u00a0to the refreshing of Mary Pickford’s star image in Coquette<\/em> (1929) which we screened a couple of weeks ago.<\/p>\n The film’s dark tone\u00a0can be fruitfully\u00a0related to its director\u00a0as well as\u00a0its stars.\u00a0\u00a0Robert Siodmak later helmed the gothic-influenced The Spiral Staircase<\/em> (1945) and The Dark Mirror<\/em> (1946).<\/p>\n Christmas Holiday’s\u00a0<\/em>original trailer is available on youtube.com<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=4iOzpu5lMuU<\/a><\/p>\n The trailer’s central placement of the change in Durbin’s star image as well as\u00a0the highlighting of the film’s\u00a0noirish tone\u00a0 are also seen in the print advertising. Below are some pages from the June issue of trade-oriented Box Office Magazine<\/em>. (The date of\u00a0the magazine\u00a0also points\u00a0to\u00a0the fact the film might be somewhat misnamed-who releases a festive film in July?!)<\/p>\n To see the\u00a0pages below\u00a0in context please visit http:\/\/www.boxoffice.com\/the_vault\/issue_page?issue_id=1944-6-17&page_no=19#page_start<\/a><\/p>\n Christmas Holiday Box Office mag page 1 boxoffice_061744_19<\/a><\/p>\n Christmas Holiday Box Office mag page 2 boxoffice_061744_20<\/a><\/p>\n Christmas Holiday Box Office mag page 3 boxoffice_061744_21<\/a><\/p>\n Christmas Holiday Box Office Mag page 4 boxoffice_061744_22<\/a><\/p>\n Christmas Holiday Box Office mag page 5 boxoffice_061744_23<\/a><\/p>\n Christmas Holiday Box Office mag page 6 boxoffice_061744_24<\/a><\/p>\n The above pages (and lots of other\u00a0useful material)\u00a0can be found on the Box Office Magazine’s<\/em> vault: http:\/\/www.boxoffice.com\/the_vault<\/a><\/p>\n Do join us, if you can, for what promises to be an interesting discussion on the intersection of melodrama and noir.\u00a0We also plan to screen a short bonus Christmas\u00a0film (yet to be decided) afterwards,\u00a0which will hopefully be more cheery!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Posted by Sarah All are welcome to attend the\u00a0eighth, and\u00a0last,\u00a0of this term\u2019s screening and discussion\u00a0sessions which will take place on the\u00a018th of December\u00a0in Keynes Seminar Room 6,\u00a0from 4pm to 7pm. We will be screening\u00a0Christmas Holiday (1944, Robert Siodmak, 93 mins). … Continue reading ![\"Christmas](\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/melodramaresearchgroup\/files\/2012\/12\/Christmas-Holiday-1944.jpg\")
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