I'm not quite sure how I had forgotten about this film, seeing as its really my most favorite Christmas film, but I did. Luckily, I rediscovered it when TCM had it on rotation and On Demand this month. This absolutely a superb, quiet and heartfelt Christmas movie. The story goes that Howard Hughes wanted to clean up Robert Mitchum's reputation after the whole marijuana/jail scandal. So he took him out of his usual tough guy roles and put him in a sweet romantic Christmas story. Hughes also had a huge crush on Janet Leigh and borrowed her from MGM so that she could be in this RKO film. The result: amazing!! I don't feel that I express my love enough for Robert Mitchum. That is quite a shame because he is by far my most favorite actor ever! There is no one, and I mean no one that tops him in my book. His acting style was so effortless and his charm so intoxicating that anytime I watch one of his films, I feel like I've been privileged to see something very grand. In Holiday Affair (1949), Robert Mitchum plays Steve Mason, a toy shop employee who is saving money to move to California to build sailboats by taking odd jobs in Manhattan. Janet Leigh is the widowed mother of one, who falls for Mitchum, but has to deal with the complicated dynamic of already have a psuedo-fiancee, not being able to let go of her dead husband's memory and her young son's idealism. We get to see wonderful sides of Mitchum here. He is romantic! He is self-sacrificing! He is good with children! He is kind! What more could a fan like me who hearts Robert Mitchum to the nth degree ask for? ::swoon::
