Holiday Affair (1949)

Underneath the layer of seasonal schmaltz is a story with its roots in the then popular obsession with psychoanalysis. The jilted fiance makes references to subconscious desires of Janet Leigh's character, and the whole story is based around a Freudian-Oedipus arrangement with the son taking the place of a dead father. But this is all (just) under the surface of the story of little boy who Santa Claus forgot, whose Christmas is made special by a selfless eccentric played by Mitchum. Mitchum is an actor who could be accepted in almost any character - his face gives so little away that he is often described as 'laconic', but it's clear that here he is a good guy who is so honest he even cuckolds poor old Wendell Corey's character in front of him rather than be deceitful. Corey's character of `the other man' is so doomed from the start to be a poor runner up to Mitchum that it must have been a thankless role for him, but he tackles it well. Watch out too for future M*A*S*H* star Harry Morgan (credited as Henry Morgan) who steals one small scene as a bemused police lieutenant. If you want a change from Frank Capra or James Bond, try this with your turkey and Brussels sprouts.


Christmas/Holiday Affair   November 13, 2002
20 out of 24 found this review helpful

The way you described this movie is incorrect. You make it sound dumb. Janet Leigh doesn't want to buy her son a train, she is a secret shopper. Robert Mitchum didn't offer to buy her son a train, he was a salesclerk. You have the story all wrong. It is a great Christmas movie. I loved it.


Such a great movie, I'm reviewing it for the 2nd time!   December 24, 2000
Kim K. (Bayonne, New Jersey)
19 out of 19 found this review helpful

I had the pleasure of watching this again last night. Invited my family over & we were all in the mood for a nice, holiday movie. I quickly pulled this off the shelf, knowing that they hadn't yet seen it, telling them they were in for a real treat. I tend to watch this every 2 years, so it was time. This movie is like a hidden gem, and though I am sure it received decent reviews when it was first released, there were probably more people who preferred It's A Wonderful Life & other more popular Christmas movies. Holiday Affair holds up well, despite the way things were at the time of the story(late 1940s). Guy meets girl, who is already practically engaged to another man, but that doesn't get in the way of his falling for her in a big way. One way to her heart is the way he quickly wins over her young son, by getting him the much desired set of trains he covets more than anything. Robert Mitchum shines in this film, & plays off both Janet Leigh & Wendell Corey quite well. When I previously reviewed this movie back in November of '98, I wrote it in such a hurry that I misspelled Ms. Leigh's surname, which I made a point to correct this time around. Yet again, I must highly recommend this terrific little movie, and it is an absolute must-have for those that like to collect Christmas themed movies. Definitely a movie to be enjoyed for many Christmases to come, & despite an attempt a few years back with a so-so remake, they just don't make 'em like this anymore. 'Nuff said!


Great holiday fare   October 31, 1999
Ann S. (Texas)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

This neglected film got lost in all the It's a Wonderful Life hype. I discovered A Holiday Affair belatedly, by accident and it quickly ranked near the top of my holiday favorites. The story of the little boy who wants a Christmas train and the stranger who enters the life of his family is too good to miss. It's also a must for Mitchum fans, even those who are Scrooges about Christmas. Give yourself the gift of seeing it this holiday season.