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This 1930 Vitaphone short is the kind of sentimental, melodramatic Depression-era Christmas story we just don't see anymore. From the beginning of the sound era, the simple 15 minute short tells the story of a man released from prison, wandering the streets looking for work and only finding a day or two here and there. He's got a heart of gold, but he's still the lovable pickpocket he's always been--he just needs a break. He sees a young lady about to kill herself by jumping off the pier, so he saves her, the police and a stolen watch provide further complications, and the Christmas spirit manages to brighten the hearts and lives of the four characters involved. How rare it is to see an ex-prisoner or someone living on the street depicted positively in a film nowadays. In 1930, such people were considered unlucky souls who had a few bad breaks but who could be your own brother or sister...or YOU. How social attitudes have changed (as shown by the 2004 election results!)!! Eric Dressler, an actor unfamiliar to me, does a wonderful job, like George Raft doing a scene written by Damon Runyon! Lenita Lane, as the lady about to take her own life, communicates the tragic situation well. Lane had a number of supporting roles in the 30s, and was even unbilled in some small walk-on parts. She was still working in 1959, when she appeared in THE BAT with Vincent Price. The other two actors, who are unbilled, are instantly recognizable. Weldon Heyburn (sometimes called "the poor man's Clark Gable" and veteran of many great b-movies) is the long-lost boyfriend of the girl, and Pat O'Brien is the cop who tails Dressler and keeps on his case, screwing up his chances of getting an honest job. The direction is simple, relying on the drama of the situation and the power of the actors to carry things along. Santa even makes an appearance, and of course he is a depression-era Warner Brothers Santa, the kind who could have walked off the pages of a James T. Farrell novel! Overall, a wonderfully sentimental and naturalistic piece that, for me, captures the REAL meaning of the holidays. We need more films of this type today.
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