Strange Holiday

As one of 42 people on the face of the Earth who have seen this "badfilm" all the way through I must say it is more poignant and accurate today than it was in 1945. Difficult not to mention it in the same breath as "Plan 9 From Outer Space". I cannot think anyone put it out on DVD unless it is in one of those $1 movie jubilees you find near the checkout at Wal*Mart, but if it is, remember to watch it with the lights out. Now, how the devil I am supposed to get 10 lines of text out a movie this bad is beyond me. The first time I saw it was at a 1am showing of old Republic Films on ABC late night in the early 1990s, we sought it for years afterward in the TV listings hoping to program the VCR to record it but alas, it never came on again. My...wife...my...children. Joe...Joe was there...

Radio legend Arch Obler wrote and directed this film about a man (Claude Rains in a great performance) who returns home from a vacation in the woods to discover his country has been overtaken by fascists. It's a fascinating picture that serves as a cautionary tale for war-weary Americans to be vigilant about protecting their democracy and not become complacent. I've read that this was financed by General Motors for their employees to see and later it was released by poverty row studio PRC. It does look cheap, to be fair, but the cast is great and Obler creates a moody atmosphere and keeps the tension high throughout. It's definitely worth a look for fans of Rains or Obler or just anyone who wants to see an interesting off-the-beaten-path picture from Hollywood's heyday.

A hard-working, happily married man John Stevens (Claude Rains) somewhat abruptly returns home from an agreeably lazy holiday in the mountains in order to celebrate his wedding anniversary, and is then unremittingly Rod Serlinged, with little grace into a dismally unrecognisable, dystopian, iron-fisted, fascist run America! Numbly traversing eerily deserted streets, retailers barred from selling their wares for reason obscure, John's disorientation increasing as he desperately seeks his lost wife and children. Roughly imprisoned for not expressing the newly enforced terror-state, he is then brutally interrogated for crimes he simply cannot comprehend! On one level Arch Oboler's 'Strange Holiday' is shrill, blunt force propaganda, about as subtle as the terrible blood-tide of national Socialism this singular drama is so ardently warning its viewers to fight against; but Claude Rain's raw, uncomfortably pained performance remains both stunningly powerful, and remarkably affecting to this very day.

The oppressive atmosphere generated by this incumbent tyrannical regime is menacingly realised by the capable director, and the truly nightmarish interrogation scene by the maniacal, doggerel-spewing, increasingly sadistic Gestapo Politzist still makes for squirmingly uncomfortable viewing! 'Strange Holiday', while somewhat jarring in its technique, with its portentous usage of pedantic newsreel rhetoric, Ozzie & Harriet homespun smugness, and a terrifyingly stark, Fritz Lang edginess coalesces uneasily into one of the more memorably strange 40s-era agitprop fantasies I have ever seen! Without belabouring the point, I have absolutely no idea why Claude Rain's earnest performance hasn't been given greater kudos by the film loving cognoscenti! Fun B-Movie fact! John Stevens wife is played by the stunning, otherworldly beautiful Gloria Holden ('Dracula's Daughter').

Claude Rains is camping in the North Woods when he realizes he's been so cut off from the world that he's forgotten his wedding anniversary is today. He rushes back home, where he discovers that fascists, led by Martin Kosleck, have taken over the town. Indeed, they've taken over the country while he wasn't paying attention.

Sam Goldwyn may have said that if you wanted to send a message, use Western Union. Arch Oboler obviously disagreed with him in this movie which makes the point that we can't take freedom for granted. I'm tempted to agree with "Now more than ever!" but it always seems that way.

Rains is one of those actors I couldn't imagine giving a bad performance. Alas, he starts off this movie.

"Strange Holiday" is a surprisingly bad WWII propaganda film...one that should have been a lot better considering it stars Claude Rains. But instead, it's heavy-handed and silly.

The early part of the story consists of flashbacks as John Stevenson (Rains) is incarcerated. First, you see some irrelevant clips of his creepy kids. Then, you see him and his wife. The film then switches to a new locale and apparently Stevenson and a friend are on some extended holiday in the mountains. When they try to get home, they find everything is strange...people are mostly gone and those who they do see are unfriendly.

When Stevenson arrives in his home town, he once again sees that most everyone is gone and no one he sees is willing to tell him what is happening. Soon, the secret police show up and begin torturing him. Eventually (way too long actually) he realizes that the America he knew is no more and fascists have taken over the government.

While the idea of America falling could have been interesting, the film was actually surprisingly dull. Part of it is every time something happens, the camera pans away! Part of it is that the script isn't very good. In particular, it's amazing how long it took Stevenson to realize something is wrong...as well as no one's willingness to talk with him. And, finally, there is no subtlety about it...and it's all very heavy-handed and hard to take seriously. Overall, a bad film...something I didn't think was possible with a Rains movie.