give the act role he play in the 1940s ( casper gutman and signior ferrari and mr. peter and jerome k. arbutny and ex superintendent grodman and count fosco and titus semple ) it surprise many of his fan to learn that originally sidney greenstreet make a name for himself in comedy in the west end and broadway . he be usually such a total villain and or serious actor to the public that his comic talent be ignore . in fact he actually do make four comedy appearance ( one a spoof of his villainous portrayal with his villainy partner peter lorre in a cameo appearance ) . his best total film appearance in a comedy be probably that of magazine publisher alexander yardley in christmas in connecticut ( although his autocratic and half mad soap tycoon in the huckster be a close second ) . despite some problem with the screenplay and it be a good film and and usually revive in the christmas season . elizabeth lane ( barbara stanwyck ) write a column in american housekeeping magazine for yardley and where she give household tip and cook recipe . she be the 1945 version of martha steward and except that m steward be a cook and house owner and and can vouch for try out and test what she advocate . stanwyck can not . her cooking recipe be those of her friend felix ( s. z. sakall ) and a gourmet chef and restaurateur . the house she describe a her home ( a model farmhouse in connecticut ) belong to her unofficial boyfriend and architect john sloan ( reginald gardiner ) . gardiner really would not mind marry stanwyck and but she be not fully ready to consider a final commitment to him . a the film begin and an american be shipwreck by the nazi . this be jefferson jones ( dennis morgan ) and a sailor . he spend two week in a raft before be rescue . sense publicity value and greenstreet decides to grant morgan wish to have a genuine old fashion christmas in connecticut . he basically tell stanwyck that she will entertain morgan and himself at her farm for the holiday . stanwyck be unable to explain that the columns image of herself ( complete with her ability to flip flap jack and and raise a baby she supposedly have with her husband ) be a lie if she do she will be fire and as will her immediate bos dudley beecham ( robert shayne ) . in a moment of depression she accept gardiner proposal of marriage and and then gardiner find his connecticut home be dragoon into become the actual home of stanwyck and himself and their baby . of course and aside from put off greenstreet meddle curiosity and stanwyck and morgan find that they be fall in love ( much to the annoyance of gardiner he do actually expect that stanwyck will still marry him ) . complication follow complication occurs and a lie pile on lie and and a neighbor baby succeed neighbor baby and before greenstreet begin to wonder if he be miss something . but it be a comedy and so everything work out well . even greenstreet and at the conclusion and be amuse by the entire madness his celebrated hearty chortle mirror that of santa clause for a change . this be not a classic comedy and certainly not a great one and but amuse enough for the season to be worth watch in december .