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Before their classic pairing in 1944’s noir classic Double Indemnity, Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray co-starred in this warm, Christmastime romance from director Mitchell Leisen (Death Takes a Holiday) and writer Preston Sturges (Sullivan’s Travels). Stanwyck plays a shoplifter whose trial gets pre-empted by the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. The shop’s lawyer, played by MacMurray, takes pity on her and pays her bond. But instead of taking her home or to a hotel, the bailsman drops her off at MacMurray’s apartment. Once she’s assured there’s no quid-pro-quo or advantage being taken, Stanwyck agrees to stay, joining MacMurray on a trip to be with his family in Wabash, Indiana, for Christmas. Over the course of their adventures, of course, the two fall in love. But will MacMurray compromise his principles to let her off when the trial resumes? And will Stanwyck let him do so?
Remember the Night has the potential to be a screwball comedy, but only a few early scenes fit that mold, including an incident where the two leads try to milk a cow together, and another in which they evade small town police. Otherwise, Sturges’ socially conscious screenplay unfolds more like a genuine drama/romance. Beulah Bondi and Elizabeth Patterson play MacMurray’s mother and aunt, who give Stanwyck every possible welcome in their home. The Christmas gift-giving and a New Year’s Eve barn dance are among the film’s more emotional moments.
The dramatic tension of the film resides in the question of whether or not MacMurray will do his job and convict Stanwyck when they return to trial, or if he’ll try to throw the case. Stanwyck, after learning how much his mother admires his work ethic and reputation, tries to give him the cold shoulder in the third act. She knows she’s a crook and doesn’t want to take MacMurray down with her. Romances are hard to pull off, but Remember the Night pulls off a good one, with an ending that’s both appropriate and bold in its ambiguity.
With Willard Robertson, Paul Guilfoyle, and Sterling Holloway (the voice of Disney’s Winnie the Pooh) as one of MacMurray’s family members.