History Film / ChristmasInJuly

Sturges' second directorial effort, he adapted the screenplay from his own 1931 play ''A Cup of Coffee''. The supporting cast includes several of the character actors who would frequent a number of Sturges' other films and become a sort of stock company, including Georgia Caine, William Demarest, Franklin Pangborn, Jimmy Conlin, and Frank Moran among others.

* GoodFeelsGood: Jimmy and Betty manage, after getting an engagement ring, buy gifts for their whole block.

--> If you can't sleep, it isn't the coffee. It's the bunk.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hes_in_the_money.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:He's in the money!]]

Jimmy Macdonald (Powell) is an accounting clerk in a firm who just wants to win the Maxford House Coffee Slogan Contest because it means a cool $25,000 in his pocket. With that kind of dough, he can marry his sweetheart, Betty (Drew) and give his mom (Georgia Caine) the davenport she’s always wanted.

His excitement is noticed by his employers and colleagues alike. In a prank to see how he’d react, his fellow clerks “send him” a telegram from Maxford, saying his slogan has won the $25k prize. And Jimmy believes it, and so does everyone else without really knowing that the jury deciding which slogan will win is still out. Jimmy and Betty begin to spend and dream until the truth comes out to ruin everything.

''Christmas in July'' is a 1940 comedy film written and directed by Creator/PrestonSturges, starring Creator/DickPowell and Ellen Drew.

''Christmas in July'' (1940) is a Creator/PrestonSturges comedy and his second directorial film, starring Creator/DickPowell and Ellen Drew. It also has the characters actors who would frequent Sturges' films and become a sort of stock company which includes William Demarest, Jimmy Conlin, Frank Moran, among others.

Jimmy Macdonald (Powell) is an accounting clerk in a firm who just wants to win the Maxford House Coffee Slogan Contest because it means a cool $25,000 in his pocket. With that kind of dough, he can marry his sweetheart, Betty (Drew) and give his mom (Georgia Caine) the Davenport she’s always wanted.

His excitement is noticed by his employers and colleagues alike. In a prank to see how he’d react, his fellow clerks “send him” a telegram from Maxford, saying his slogan has won the $25k prize. And Jimmy believes it, and so does everyone else without really knowing that the jury deciding which slogan will win is still out.

Jimmy and Betty begin to spend and dream until the truth comes out to ruin everything.

* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Dr. Maxford is quite on the corrupt scale, but he really doesn’t care how much his contest means to honest folk.

* DidntThinkThisThrough: Dr. Maxford just wanted a contest that would get people into his coffee but he gave a lot of power
to the jury and underestimated Dilbocker and his determination to pick a slogan.

to the jury and didn't thnk Dilbocker would make such a fuss about the slogan.

* DidntThinkThisThrough: the whole jury thing and the contest

* TheCameo: Sturges makes his cameo as one of the listeners to the Maxford House Coffee radio show, getting a shoeshine.

* SoulCrushingDeskJob: Jimmy’s an accounting clerk who only earns $22 per week and is much too creative to be slumping over numbers.

* PursueTheDreamJob: Jimmy’s “win” with the Maxford contest makes him interesting to Mr. Baxter and he gives them ideas for ad slogans which lands him a job as an executive for the advertising section of the company.

Jimmy and Betty begin spend with their newfound deep pockets until the truth comes out to ruin their dreams.

* GoodFeelsGood: Jimmy and Betty manage to get gifts for their whole block with Jimmy’s 25k cheque for his mom and gifts for the entire neighbourhood!

* ForgedMessage: Jimmy’s co-works notice his excitement for the Maxford Contest, so as a prank, they send him a phony telegram announcing him as the winner and things unfold from there.
* AFoolAndHisNewMoneyAreSoonParted: Jimmy nearly spends all the money he got from the prize on gifts for the whole neighbourhood!

''Christmas in July'' (1940) is a Creator/PrestonSturges comedy and his second directorial film, starring Creator/DickPowell and Ellen Drew.

Jimmy Macdonald (Powell) is an account clerk in a firm who just wants to win the Maxford House Coffee Slogan Contest because it means a cool $25,000 in his pocket. He wants to marry his sweetheart, Betty (Drew) and give his mom (Georgia Caine) the Davenport she’s always wanted with the money.

His excitement is noticed by his employers and colleagues alike. In a prank to see how he’d react, his fellow clerks “send him” a telegram from Maxford, saying his slogan has won the $25k prize. And Jimmy believes it, and so does everyone else without really knowing that the jury on the slogan is still out.

Jimmy and Betty begin to buy and dream with their newfound deep pockets until the truth comes out to ruin their dreams.

Christmas in July (1940) is a Creator/PrestonSturges comedy and his second directorial film, starring Creator/DickPowell and Ellen Drew.

* IncrediblyLamePun: Don Hartman: I wish I could have given you the news you were so anxious to hear. But since I could not, I will conclude with what the prisoner said when the hangman couldn't find the rope: "No noose is good noose".

-->'''Betty''': : It is practical, Mr. Baxter. It's the most practical idea you ever had. He belongs in here because he ‘’thinks’’ he has ideas. He belongs in here until he proves himself or fails and... then... someone else belongs in here until he proves himself or fails and somebody else after that and somebody else after him and so on and so on for always. Oh, I don't know how to... put it into words like Jimmy could, but... all he wanted, all any of them want is a - is a ‘’chance’’ to show - to find out what got while they're still young and burning like a short cut or a stepping stone. Oh, I know they're not gonna succeed, at least most of them won't, they'll all be like Mr. Waterbury soon enough, most of them, anyway. But they won't mind it. They'll find something else, and they'll be happy, because they had their chance. Because it's one thing to muff a chance once you've had it... it's another thing never to have had a chance. His name's already on the door.
* BeneloventBoss: Waterbury kindly advises Jimmy that being a dreamer isn’t necessarily bad, but he can be satisfied with what he has. The only problem is that Jimmy isn’t satisfied with his accounting job.