The director: Preston Sturges
The stars: Betty Hutton, Eddie Bracken, Diana Lynn
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek is the story of a young American girl named Trudy Kockenloker (Betty Hutton) who goes to a crazy party the night before the troops stationed in the area are shipped overseas and the next day finds herself married... and pregnant with absolutely no memory of where she got married and, most importantly, whom she got married to.
How Sturges ever managed to get that story past the Hays Office, I have absolutely no idea. It is one of the most flippantly risqué films of the 1940s and I absolutely love it. I can only imagine that the Office must have been having a day off.
As I'm sure you can tell, the plot is utterly ridiculous but, nevertheless, every inch of the film is filled with comedy - right down to Trudy's family surname, Kockenloker- and, in true Sturges style, it is absolutely wonderful. I'd never seen a Betty Hutton films before and I have to say I was extremely impressed with her performance. It was over the top without being too much. Eddie Bracken gave a great performance as usual, but I think my favourite performance was that of Diana Lynn's. She plays Emily Kockenloker, Trudy's worldly-wise 14 year old sister. I'm not one for laughing out loud when watching something but Emily has some of the most hysterical scenes and one-liners that I've ever heard and I almost split my sides laughing at some points.
One of my favourite scenes with Diana Lynn (starts at 1:34)
In summary, if you're in the mood for a raucous, risqué screwball comedy with stellar performances and some rather sweet, tender moments, The Miracle of Morgan's Creek is for you. And beware, it might possibly become your favourite Sturges film like it has done with me!
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