The backstory behind the casting of this modest 1949 holiday chestnut is far more intriguing than the romantic roundelay that occurs on screen. At the time, Howard Hughes was the head of RKO Studios and insisted on casting Robert Mitchum in an atypical role as a light romantic lead in response to a tabloid scandal brewing after the actor was sent to prison for marijuana possession. Meanwhile, Hughes was also determined to make Janet Leigh his latest sexual conquest by borrowing her from MGM for this starring role only to be rebuffed later when she eventually fell for Tony Curtis. Nonetheless, both stars beat the odds of their contrived circumstances and display a definite chemistry in this post-WWII Christmas tale. Leigh plays Connie Ennis, a young war widow with a six-year-old son named Timmy. She makes a living as an undercover comparison shopper, and as part of her job, has to buy an $80 model train from a competitive department store. Mitchum plays Steve Mason, the toy salesman who suspects something is afoul in the expedient way she buys the train with no questions asked.
When she brings it home, Timmy is excited about the prospect of getting a train set for Christmas but quickly becomes disappointed when he realizes it's not his present. Meanwhile, standing in the wings is Carl Davis, a steady-minded lawyer who has been smitten with Connie for years and keeps pressing her to marry him. She hems and haws because there are no real sparks between them, but she is tempted by the financial security he can bring to her and Timmy's lives. When Connie returns the expensive model train the next day, Steve gets fired for not turning her in as a comparison shopper. Feeling guilty, she agrees to have lunch with him in the park. Needless to say, sparks start to occur when he shares his dream of going to California to become a boat builder (shades of "The Shawshank Redemption"), but they lose each other trying to catch a crowded bus. He tracks her down at home celebrating Christmas with Carl and her in-laws. Connie is forced to choose between the two men, and there isn't much suspense on what the outcome will be. The interesting Oedipal twist to the story, however, is how Connie views Timmy as a living tribute to her dead husband and how his specter competes with her suitors.
Even though it seems like Mitchum is slumming relative to the classic noir films he was making at the time, his laconic manner and brazen honesty are exactly what this trifle of a movie needs to give it a recognizable pulse. There is a certain joy in watching him grow attracted to Connie knowing that the malevolence of "The Night of the Hunter" and "Cape Fear" was ahead of him. Long before she found herself terrorized in a shower in "Psycho", Leigh is plucky enough as she exudes her girl-next-door image while displaying a most prominent rack. Wendell Corey is saddled with the wet-rag role of Carl, but at least he manages to maintain his dignity against the overwhelming impact of Mitchum's charisma. As Timmy, Gordon Gebert is that rare child actor who comes across like a real kid without looking overly affected, and he provides the movie's most touching scenes, especially the one where he attempts to return the train to the store. Harry Morgan, who just died at age 96, has a few funny moments as a sardonic night-court judge. The print on the 2008 DVD doesn't show signs of restoration, and there are no extras.
When she brings it home, Timmy is excited about the prospect of getting a train set for Christmas but quickly becomes disappointed when he realizes it's not his present. Meanwhile, standing in the wings is Carl Davis, a steady-minded lawyer who has been smitten with Connie for years and keeps pressing her to marry him. She hems and haws because there are no real sparks between them, but she is tempted by the financial security he can bring to her and Timmy's lives. When Connie returns the expensive model train the next day, Steve gets fired for not turning her in as a comparison shopper. Feeling guilty, she agrees to have lunch with him in the park. Needless to say, sparks start to occur when he shares his dream of going to California to become a boat builder (shades of "The Shawshank Redemption"), but they lose each other trying to catch a crowded bus. He tracks her down at home celebrating Christmas with Carl and her in-laws. Connie is forced to choose between the two men, and there isn't much suspense on what the outcome will be. The interesting Oedipal twist to the story, however, is how Connie views Timmy as a living tribute to her dead husband and how his specter competes with her suitors.
Even though it seems like Mitchum is slumming relative to the classic noir films he was making at the time, his laconic manner and brazen honesty are exactly what this trifle of a movie needs to give it a recognizable pulse. There is a certain joy in watching him grow attracted to Connie knowing that the malevolence of "The Night of the Hunter" and "Cape Fear" was ahead of him. Long before she found herself terrorized in a shower in "Psycho", Leigh is plucky enough as she exudes her girl-next-door image while displaying a most prominent rack. Wendell Corey is saddled with the wet-rag role of Carl, but at least he manages to maintain his dignity against the overwhelming impact of Mitchum's charisma. As Timmy, Gordon Gebert is that rare child actor who comes across like a real kid without looking overly affected, and he provides the movie's most touching scenes, especially the one where he attempts to return the train to the store. Harry Morgan, who just died at age 96, has a few funny moments as a sardonic night-court judge. The print on the 2008 DVD doesn't show signs of restoration, and there are no extras.