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Christmas
Movies
Timeless
Christmas movie treasures
from the past.
 The
Bishop's Wife (1948)
A
Christmas perennial from 1947, this movie stars Cary Grant as Dudley,
an angel who works his heavenly magic on an Episcopalian Bishop.
The Bishop (David Niven) is struggling to raise money for a new
church and has grown distant from his wife (Loretta Young). While
Young remains unaware of the angel's benevolent influence, this
light comedy unfolds with abundant charm and lasting appeal.
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 Christmas
in Connecticut (1945)
Christmas
in Connecticut is a romantic comedy that classic movie buffs will
enjoy. It centers around a single working girl (Barbara Stanwyck)
who writes a cooking column for a ladies magazine. Her writing is
so convincing that her boss (Sidney Greenstreet) believes it all
-- husband, baby, and farm in Connecticut! So he arranges to have
a sailor and himself invited to spend Christmas "on her perfect
farm."
What to do? Here she is, a gal who can "only cook on the typewriter."
Well, bring along Uncle Felix to do the cooking. All goes well until
she is asked to flip a flapjack.
Did she do it? Well, wait and see. This movie is a holiday treat
for young and old alike.
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 Holiday
Affair (1949)
One
of the lesser holiday movies, this 1949 comedy stars Janet Leigh
as a war widow who can't afford to buy her son a toy train for Christmas.
A veteran (Robert Mitchum) who happens to be standing by in a department
store overhears her plight and offers to purchase the toy, thus
setting into motion a series of funny complications. Wendell Corey
plays Leigh's suspicious, condescending boyfriend, whose jealousy
compounds Mitchum's problems, and Harry Morgan is very good as a
night-court judge trying to make sense of everything that happens.
The movie has gained an affectionate fan base over the years. As
a spirited lark for Yuletide, this is a lot of fun.
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 Holiday
Inn (1942)
This
perennial, Christmas-season favorite from 1942 teamed Bing Crosby
and Fred Astaire as entertainers (and rival suitors of Marjorie
Reynolds) running an inn that is only open on holidays. It's a great
excuse for lots of singing and dancing, seamlessly wrapped in a
catchy story, and Astaire's frequent director Mark Sandrich (Top
Hat, Shall We Dance?) doesn't let us down. The Irving Berlin songs
(each one connected to a different holiday) are winners. Crosby's
warm performance of "White Christmas" is a movie touchstone.
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White
Christmas (1954)
Crosby
and Kaye are song-and-dance men who hook up, romantically and professionally,
with a "sister" act (Clooney and Vera-Ellen) to put on a Big Show
to benefit the struggling ski-resort lodge run by the beloved old
retired general (Dean Jagger) of their WWII Army outfit. You will
love all the Holiday music!
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 It's
a Wonderful Life (1947)
Even
Ebeneazer himself gets misty-eyed during this Frank Capra classic.
Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed star in the ultimate Christmas movie,
the story of a small town man who learns his life is worthwhile
after all. A wholesome family classic in every sense of the word,
It's a Wonderful Life soars above all other holiday dramas by having
fully believable characters portrayed by perfectly cast actors.
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 A
Christmas Story (1983)
Nostalgic
comedy shines through in this kid's-eye view of an all American
Christmas in the 1940s. All little Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) wants
under the tree on Christmas morning is a Daisy Brand Red Ryder BB
rifle. Unfortunately, his mother (Melinda Dillon) repeatedly crushes
his dreams with the familiar, harsh mantra: "You'll shoot your eye
out!"
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 Dr.
Seuss: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
This
is one of the best holiday presents you can give yourself. Adapted
from the children's book by Dr. Seuss, this charming story is one
to watch every holiday season. Animation genius Chuck Jones directed
this 1966 television production featuring the voice of Boris Karloff
as the mean greenie. Bitter and selfish, the Grinch decides to steal
Christmas away from the Whos, the sweet little folk who live at
the bottom of his mountain home. When little Cindy Loo Who returns
his hateful act with kindness, she melts the old miser's heart.
There are many reasons to watch this: inventive word play, Karloff's
impressive narration, and a very memorable soundtrack.
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