I don't ever recall having seen this short film on TV, but it came as a bonus on a DVD I bought for another Christmas movie. This 22-minute film came out in theaters in October 1945. World War II had ended by late summer, and this would be the first Christmas in over a decade in which there would be peace from war on earth. So, the message of this modern day (1945) nativity story surely struck a chord with moviegoers that fall.
The setting is in the desert lands of the American Southwest. Three cowboys become the wise men when they follow a bright star in the desert to a roadway stop and motel. The star is a huge electric sign on a water tower, lit with dozens of bright light bulbs. Before that, other principals are on the scene, with the last to arrive being a young couple. The woman is about to have a baby, but there are no more rooms in the motel. The owners finally make a comfortable place for the couple out in the shed.
The entire cast are good in their roles. J. Carroll Naish is the innkeeper, Nick Catapoli. Donald Woods plays the hitchhiker and Rosina Galli plays Nicks wife, Rosa. The three cowboys are played by Richard Erdman, John Miles and Cactus Mack. The change of character that Nick and others experience reflect the message of Christmas nicely. As others have noted, this is a genuine gem of a short subject. Hollywood must have thought so as well, because "Star in the Night" won the 1945 Oscar for best short subject film.
The setting is in the desert lands of the American Southwest. Three cowboys become the wise men when they follow a bright star in the desert to a roadway stop and motel. The star is a huge electric sign on a water tower, lit with dozens of bright light bulbs. Before that, other principals are on the scene, with the last to arrive being a young couple. The woman is about to have a baby, but there are no more rooms in the motel. The owners finally make a comfortable place for the couple out in the shed.
The entire cast are good in their roles. J. Carroll Naish is the innkeeper, Nick Catapoli. Donald Woods plays the hitchhiker and Rosina Galli plays Nicks wife, Rosa. The three cowboys are played by Richard Erdman, John Miles and Cactus Mack. The change of character that Nick and others experience reflect the message of Christmas nicely. As others have noted, this is a genuine gem of a short subject. Hollywood must have thought so as well, because "Star in the Night" won the 1945 Oscar for best short subject film.