After so many years of recommendations from my friends, I finally caught "Holiday Affair" (thank you again, TCM), and the exhilaration I felt was rare indeed. This is not a "Christmas Movie," per se. (No guardian angels, Santas, benign ghosts or Holiday miracles here.) Simply a lovely, modest, low-keyed romantic comedy-drama that just happens to take place in New York during the Holiday season. Janet Leigh is at her most luminous as a WWII widow, struggling to make a living and raise her young son. She's all set to re-marry nice-guy Wendell Corey until she meets Robert Mitchum, working as a salesman at a department store. Mitchum is warm and winning as the disillusioned WWII veteran who, in short order, falls in love with Leigh as well as her son. (What a shame Mitchum was generally cast as psychos or noirish tough guys. Herein, he displays a natural flair for understated romantic leads.) A witty, wise, wonderful screenplay by the estimable Isobel Lennart is played to tne hilt by everyone involved, and the result will give you a glow not only during the Holiday season but any day of the year. Amazingly sharp and pungent for the time it was made (1949). The characters and their attempts to better their lives are as timeless as today. Slick, unpretentious production values only add to this unheralded gem's enduring appeal!
Review of Holiday Affair
