So many qualities about Jimmy Stewart make us think of the holidays: his old-fashioned charm, his heartfelt banter, his optimistic sincerity. These reasons all together, plus a little "je ne sais quoi" must have been why directors cast the star in so many winter holiday-themed theatrical releases. Who else, but the grinning Mr. Stewart, could jerk as many tears from viewers while galloping through the snowy streets, gleefully cooing: "Merry Christmas, movie house! Merry Christmas, Emporium! Merry Christmas, you wonderful old Building and Loan!" In It's a Wonderful Life, Shop Around the Corner and his many other holiday films, it is the new lease on life that Jimmy Stewart conveys with such wholehearted, profound happiness that evokes the best of the holiday spirit.
This 1936 film, a sequel to The Thin Man, occurs on New Years Eve. In a story only Dashiell Hammett could have created, Jimmy Stewart's character finds himself tangled up in an extortion scheme while pining for the girl next door; all while potentially marring many of his new years to come. Stewart's performance, while of an impressive quality, is most shocking for his youth and boyish credulity.
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