Star in the Night

This is touching vintage short that usually appears between movies on TCM during the Christmas season. Now you can get it with the new DVD release of "Christmas In Connecticut" with Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan. It's included as a short on the DVD. Now I don't have to try and catch it with my TiVo this holiday season. "Star" is a wonderful Christmas featurette and is highly recommended. Will really get you into the Christmas spirit, guaranteed! The mysterious hitchhiker, Donald Woods, is really interesting. He seems to be guiding each individual through a process of recognizing the real spirit of Christmas. You may remember him from "True Grit" and many other movies. He made no less than 5 features and this featurette in 1945 (although his scenes in "God Is My Co-Pilot" were left on the cutting-room floor).

This short, which won an Academy Award, is a modern day variant on the Nativity, complete with a Scrooge, wonderfully done by J. Carroll Naish. This short was a marvelous vehicle for this veteran character actor and he shines in the spotlight. This short runs on Turner Classic Movies between films, with Christmas Eve and Day as natural opportunities to catch this at least once. It's a longish short, but most definitely worth the time and effort to catch. Most recommended.

Excellent retelling of the nativity

Christmas Eve in a desert in a south western state in the US and a young couple, Jose and Maria Santos, arrive at a remote motel. The cabins are full but, as the wife is expecting a child at any time, the owner is persuaded to allow them to stay in a shed. What happens next has an impact on all the people there.

Short drama, in essence a modern retelling of the Nativity story, which was the debut for director Don Siegel. It is a heartwarming tale which deservedly won an Oscar for Best Short Subject. Stars J. Carol Naish as the initially hardhearted motel owner with fine backup from the cast. A lesson for us all.

This black and white short made almost 60 years ago is one sweet surprise to anyone who happens upon it. Turner classic movies airs this from time to time during the holidays and even though I saw it by accident last Christmas I'm so thankful I had the idea to tape it "just in case" it was a keeper. It takes place on Christmas eve long ago as three cowboys happen to show up at a small place where others also are wanting a place to stay for the night. Most are bitter and full of complaints until something happens to bring these people together on this freezing Christmas eve. A poor young couple wander in and are in obvious discomfort as the young woman is close to having a child. The people earlier so full of scorn and complaints all learn the true meaning of Christmas when they come together giving the couple the things they need so that this new little baby can safely be born.

It will make your heart swell and bring a tear or two to your eyes as you experience this sweet tale.

I don't ever recall having seen this short film on TV, but it came as a bonus on a DVD I bought for another Christmas movie. This 22-minute film came out in theaters in October 1945. World War II had ended by late summer, and this would be the first Christmas in over a decade in which there would be peace from war on earth. So, the message of this modern day (1945) nativity story surely struck a chord with moviegoers that fall.

The setting is in the desert lands of the American Southwest. Three cowboys become the wise men when they follow a bright star in the desert to a roadway stop and motel. The star is a huge electric sign on a water tower, lit with dozens of bright light bulbs. Before that, other principals are on the scene, with the last to arrive being a young couple. The woman is about to have a baby, but there are no more rooms in the motel. The owners finally make a comfortable place for the couple out in the shed.

The entire cast are good in their roles. J. Carroll Naish is the innkeeper, Nick Catapoli. Donald Woods plays the hitchhiker and Rosina Galli plays Nicks wife, Rosa. The three cowboys are played by Richard Erdman, John Miles and Cactus Mack. The change of character that Nick and others experience reflect the message of Christmas nicely. As others have noted, this is a genuine gem of a short subject. Hollywood must have thought so as well, because "Star in the Night" won the 1945 Oscar for best short subject film.