Christmas Films….

[Twinkle]

Christmas Films….

Christmas Films….

Is it too early?

With nothing on the TV yesterday afternoon and with the DVD player broken I had to dig through some old VHS and I put on Lionel Jefferies ‘The Amazing Mr. Blunden’…

This always reminds me of Christmas as a child along with ‘The Railway Children’ (another Lionel Jefferies production with Jenny Aguter) and obviously along with ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’….

What films always remind you of Christmas and give you that warm fuzzy feeling?

 

[Camille]

It's never too early fo christmas films. It's not about what time of the year it is, but what mood you're in.

My sister said to me the other day that she grew all christmasy warm and fuzzy inside by -all- black and white movies. [huh]

I suppose the snow does it for me, though, so I get christmas-mushy by "Queen Christina". And of course, as mentioned above, "It's a wonderful life".

 

[LocktownDog]

Too early? YES!

Richard

 

[Josephine]

I think it's too early if the networks are starting to show them, but if you're in the mood for an Christmas film, by all means, indulge.

 

[A.R. McVintage]

I know they're not "Golden Age" but golly if the Rankin-Bass claymated Santa films don't get me nostalgic.

 

[AmateisGal]

I try and wait until after Thanksgiving before I start watching my Christmas movies, but one of my faves is Christmas in Connecticut with Barbara Stanwyck.

 

[Ecuador Jim]

Christmas is between your ears; celebrate it any time you wish!

I do wish the marketers would hold off until after Thanksgiving (US). I saw holiday displays going up after Labor Day this year. They start small, then creep up on you!

 

[deadpandiva]

I think I will go home and watch White Chtistmas tonight. I love that movie even though I'm afraid that Vera Ellen will snap in hlf every time I watch it.

This year I need to see Holliday Inn.

 

[carter]

I think I will go home and watch White Chtistmas tonight. I love that movie even though I'm afraid that Vera Ellen will snap in hlf every time I watch it.

This year I need to see Holliday Inn.

We watch both those films on Christmas Eve. Have for years.

"Snow, snow, snow, snow,
It won't be long..."

 

[ScionPI2005]

Well, previous years have shown that my family and I tend to start watching Christmas movies about two weeks prior to Christmas. By that pattern, I would say it's too early; especially here in New Mexico where it is much warmer than usual. Seriously, some days I'm a little bit warm even in a T-shirt! where is the cold air? :eusa_doh:

 

[rebelgtp]

in a very odd coincidence yesterday was the first day of some snow falling around here (all melted off now though) and that evening i turned on the tv and flipped through to guide and found the old animated "how the grinch stole christmas". also this weekend i had stopped to picked a copy of "a christmas story" as it seems my copy was lost in my recent move.

 

[Decobelle]

It's too early for me to watch them, but not too early to think about watching them. Christmas isn't too fun here, but at least I have old movies to look forward to.

Christmas in Connecticut is one of my favorite movies ever ("you gotta use the old magoo..."); I force myself to only watch it at Christmas time, so it's a treat. And I second deadpandiva on Holiday Inn.

Here are my other Christmas favorites. Not all of these are “Christmas movies” in that they aren’t necessarily about Christmas, but the holiday figures into the story.

The Thin Man (1934) - takes place at Christmas time.

Remember the Night (1938) with Barbara and Fred MacMurray. He plays a D.A. prosecuting Barbara for shoplifting (if you see the bracelet she pinches, you can’t blame her) who ends up taking her home for an old-fashioned Christmas.

Love Find Andy Hardy (1938) with Mickey Rooney; Judy Garland makes her series debut in this one as Betsy Booth.

Bachelor Mother (1939) – Ginger Rogers and David Niven. Much of it takes place between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. She plays temporary Christmas help at the department store owned by David Niven’s father (Charles Coburn, who else?).

The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942) Bette Davis, Monty Wolley, etc.

Lady on a Train (1945) with Deana Durbin – like the Thin Man, it’s not about Christmas, but takes place over Christmas weekend (sort of a noir/comedy/musical).

I’ll Be Seeing You (1945) a wartime 4 hanky with Ginger Rogers and Joseph Cotton also takes pace over the Christmas holidays.

Never Say Goodbye (1946) - Eleanor Parker and Errol Flynn (and S.Z. Sakall again). Flynn plays a Vargas-like pin up artist divorced from Parker, and shares custody of their little girl. Not strictly a Christmas movie but a lot of takes place over the holiday, including a hilarious Santa suit scene with Flynn. Also, Bogart makes a cameo of sorts.

The Bishop’s Wife (1947) with Loretta Young , David Niven and Cary Grant. It’s traditional in our house to yell “Buy the hat!” and throw a pillow at the screen.

Holiday Affair (1949): I dislike Janet Leigh's character in this film but Robert Mitchum makes up for it (and gets a great tie).

In modern movies, I love A Christmas Story (of course); also the movie Hercule Poirot’s Christmas with David Suchet, and a couple of the Poirot series’ episodes that take place at Christmas time: The Chocolate Box and The Theft of the Royal Ruby.

 

[Twitch]

Geez, just let me see National Lampoon Christmas with Chevy Chase. I laugh till I can't breathe each year especially when he beats the crap out of the Santa display when he can't get the lights to work.lol

 

[rebelgtp]

Geez, just let me see National Lampoon Christmas with Chevy Chase. I laugh till I can't breathe each year especially when he beats the crap out of the Santa display when he can't get the lights to work.lol

ah yes a true christmas classic. i mean who among us has not dreaded a "cousin eddie" popping in to join for christmas. nothing like standing at your front window in the morning watching a man drinking a beer, wearing a robe and emptying a chemical toilet into a storm drain yelling out to the neighbors "merry christmas! the sh**er was full!"....hmmm actually come to think of it with my old neighbors that would have been entertaining...

 

[sweetfrancaise]

My favorite quote from that wonderfully true movie?

(genorously provided by iMDb)

"Where do you think you're going? Nobody's leaving. Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny f*****g Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white *** down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of ***holes this side of the nuthouse."

Better uncensored, of course!

Other favorites? Well, Decobelle mentioned many of my early favorites, but my more modern loves are Love, Actually, One Magic Christmas, and Elf (I'm not a big fan of Ferrell, but this movie is adorable!).

The season is creeping upon us, and I'm looking forward to it this year!

 

[Joie DeVive]

I'm going to hold off on those holiday flicks until Thanksgiving, but everybody's different.

While I heavily go in for the obvious classics of Miracle on 34th Street and It's a Wonderful Life, my favorite is a bit of an oddball. I love John Ford's 3 Godfathers with John Wayne. It's a very western including a touch of Christmas with a focus on redemption. I just love it.

 

[Kevin Noel Olso]

Any Christmas animation is cool, most especially claymaton like Rudolph. We're No Angels-1955 with Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray, and Peter Ustinov is timeless. Not to mention Bob Hope in the 1951 version ofThe Lemondrop Kid, absolutely fantastic!:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[dhermann1]

About 20 plus years ago, when it wasn't ALL OVER THE AIRWAVES, I used to catch "It's a Wonderful Life", religiously. After several years of avoiding it like the plague, I may be ready for it again. I never get tired of "Holiday Inn", and I still haven't gotten sick of "A Christmas Story". Can't touch this subject without comparing and contrasting the various "Christmas Carol" versions. For my money it's the Alistair (pronounced "stir" not "stair") Sym version.
BTW, I agree it's too early, but then again, what the hey. I'm finding myself having solsticey thoughts because of the sudden onset of both cold and dark in the last few days.
How about Christmas episodes of classic TV shows? There was a great episode of Kojack, where he spends the whole holiday dealing with horrendous crimes that take place during Christmas. His last line is a sardonic, "Jing-gle bells", to the same cadence as "Who loves, ya, baby". Great episode.

 

[Hawkcigar]

Even though it's not really a "christmas movie", I watch Meet Me in St. Louis every year. It's hard to beat Judy Garland singing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Can't touch this subject without comparing and contrasting the various "Christmas Carol" versions. For my money it's the Alistair (pronounced "stir" not "stair") Sym version.

"More bread!"

"It's tuppence, sir..."

"No more bread!!"