Details

Release year: 1945

Storyline

A food writer who has lied about being the perfect housewife must try to cover her deception when her boss and a returning war hero invite themselves to her home for a traditional family Christmas.

Top credits

Directors

Peter Godfrey

Writers

Cast

Barbara Stanwyck — Elizabeth Lane
Dennis Morgan — Jefferson Jones
Sydney Greenstreet — Alexander Yardley
Reginald Gardiner — John Sloan

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Did you know

• Warner Bros.' animation department quickly co-opted the film's theme song, "The Wish That I Wish Tonight," which was used liberally in its Looney Tunes cartoon series, nearly always in scenes that depicted Bugs Bunny in drag.

• This was one of the first films to benefit from the post-war euphoria that gripped America in 1945. Despite being released in August (rather than a more logical holiday-time release) this grossed a then impressive $3 million, making it one of the year's most successful movies.

• The character of Elizabeth Lane was loosely based on the then popular Family Circle Magazine columnist Gladys Taber, who lived on Stillmeadow Farm in Connecticut.