The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944)

★ 6.8 1h 38m IMDb

Comedy Romance War

A small-town girl with a soft spot for American soldiers wakes up the morning after a wild farewell party for the troops to find that she married someone she can't remember.

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Cast

Eddie Bracken as Norval Jones Died 2002 · Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA Edward Vincent "Eddie" Bracken (February 7, 1915 - November 14, 2002) was an American actor. Bracken became a Hollywood comedy legend with lead performances in the films Hail the Conquering Hero and...

Betty Hutton as Trudy Kockenlocker Died 2007 · Battle Creek, Michigan, USA Betty Hutton (born Elizabeth June Thornburg) was a star American stage, film, and television actress, comedienne and singer..

Diana Lynn as Emmy Kockenlocker Died 1971 · Los Angeles, California, USA She was a child prodigy, pianist, at age 10, and her first movie role was one of the children in, "They Shall Have Music" (1939). You see her playing the piano. She made another movie using her 'rea...

William Demarest as Constable Edmund Kockenlocker Died 1983 · Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Carl William Demarest (February 27, 1892 – December 27, 1983) was an American character actor, known for playing Uncle Charley in My Three Sons. A veteran of Wo...

Porter Hall as Jacob Woodson, Justice of the Peace Died 1953 · Cincinnati, Ohio, USA From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Clifford Porter Hall (September 19, 1888 – October 6, 1953) was an American character actor known for appearing in a number of films in the 1930s and 1940s. Hall...

Emory Parnell as Mr. Tuerck Died 1979 · Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Emory Parnell (December 29, 1892 – June 22, 1979) was an American vaudeville performer and actor who appeared in over 250 films in his 36-year career. He was nic...

Director Preston Sturges

Cast Eddie Bracken, Betty Hutton, Diana Lynn, William Demarest, Porter Hall, Emory Parnell, Al Bridge, Julius Tannen, Victor Potel, Brian Donlevy

John Chard 10/10 Dec 24, 2018

The Magic Miracle Mirth In Morgan's Creek!

After viewing this comic masterpiece I find during my research that the real miracle here is that the film ever got made in the first place! Coming as it did in 1944 wartime the film literally takes the rise out of everything held so wholesome in those troubled times. Preston Sturges has in his sights promiscuous servicemen, small town mentality, and the church, and it all makes for a complete riotous piece of work. Throw into the pot that Sturges cast the pristine Betty Hutton as a man mad airhead with few morals of note, well you can see that Sturges was pushing the censors as far as he could.

Trudy Kockenlocker (Huton) gets drunk one night and has a night of passion with a soldier, in the morning she has sketchy recollections but thinks she may have married the guy? and not only that, she then falls pregnant. Of course sure enough the soldier has long since gone as well. This turn of events is a big no no and Trudy's on & off boyfriend Norval Jones (Eddie Bracken) gets landed with the tag of being the Father. This sets us on an hilarious journey as Norval winds up being sought after by the authorities for a number of crimes he is oblivious to committing, thus is no hope for the couple unless a miracle can save them...

The performances here are sublime, both Hutton & Bracken seem to be having a competition to see who can out zany the other the best in each scene, and it really results in comedy gold. All the other actors give special shows as well, William Demarest is top dollar as Trudy's Policeman Father, Brian Donlevy, Diana Lynn & Akim Tamaroff are all in on the fun, and no frame is wasted, no line is a throw away, it's all right on the money. The direction is as flawless as the writing and it is just further proof that Preston Sturges was one of the greatest comedy directors to have ever worked. If you aren't holding your sides in during the final scenes here then you need to seek medical help immediately, either that or pray for a miracle...

10/10 in every respect.