Christmas in July

Minor but delightful Sturges comedy (his second film) about a go-getting clerk who is tricked into believing his truly lousy slogan dreamed up for a contest has won him $25,000, learning the truth only when he has spent the money on credit buying goodies all round. The satire on big business, advertising and the success ethic doesn't amount to much, but the Sturges stock company is rampant, and there is a terrific slapstick escalation when the storeowners, busting in on the ongoing neighbourhood party to repossess their goods, provoke a custard-pie riot (but with fish).