A Season Full of Christmas Movies

There are a lot of “Best Christmas Movie” lists out there. These are my favorites, so don’t come at me with where is Elf, Die Hard and etc. I am just sharing mine in case you might have missed one you will end up liking.

I was brought up on movies much older than myself, and it is something I have always been interested in. Most of the tropes and story lines we admire today, were invented many years ago. This is not to say that older movies are better than newer ones…to be fair there were some real dogs back in the “Golden Age of Hollywood.” Still this list will trend towards older classics. But there are definitely some newer ones on the list.

The main list in no particular order:

“The Cheaters” – 1945, Republic Pictures – available only on YouTube

Starring Joseph Schildkraut, Billie Burke, Ona Munson and Eugene Pallette, “The Cheaters” follows the story of a once wealthy family that tries to regain their fortune by swindling the inheritance of a poor woman who could really use the money. Joseph Schildkraut’s monologue recounting the story of Scrooge and the three ghosts will set your hair on edge.

Every year my wife writes to Turner Classic Movies and asks if they will be showing it. Every year, they tell her they will. Until this year. There may be a rights issue, as I have found that is often the case when a film is pulled from circulation. You can’t even buy the DVD at this point as that has been marked unavailable on Amazon. Your recourse is YouTube of course, which always delivers.

“It Happened On Fifth Avenue” – 1947, Allied Artists – Widely Available

Starring Victor Moore, Charlie Ruggles and Gail Storm this picture was originally the property of Frank Capra. Capra sold the rights to focus on “It’s A Wonderful Life” which was such a fiasco at the box office that it was allowed to slip into the public domain. Capra should have directed this one. It is a film that resonates today with a housing shortage and affordability crisis, homeless veterans and families. All of it driven by real estate speculators. It is a fun movie with a serious message. See if you can pickup when the screenwriters predicted FedEx decades before it’s time. There are no big stars in this, just accomplished actors doing grade A work. Plus, there is a dog. Side note, Gale Storm, an accomplished singer was not allowed to sing her own songs in the film. She later stated that she wished Capra had directed.

“The Shop Around The Corner” – 1940, MGM – Widely available

Okay, here we go. MGM…that means a strong cast and indeed it is. Margaret Sullavan, Jimmy Stewart, Frank Morgan and the again Joseph Schildkraft lead the ensemble. This is the original incarnation of a story that has been remade many times. The latest being “You’ve Got Mail” starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. But as one writer noted, despite their talents, Hanks is no Stewart and Ryan is no Sullavan. Add in that it was directed by Ernst Lubitsch and this is a very fine film indeed. The plot is mistaken identity by two people who of course seemingly can’t stand each other. Standard fare but in the hands of this cast and crew it sings. Part of my attachment to the film may be that it is set in Budapest, a city I am very fond of. While some may think of this as a “Jimmy Stewart vehicle”, at the time there was no doubt that the star was Sullavan. She was a fine actress, and is credited for working night and day with Stewart to make him a better actor; in fact, Stewart would never had made any movie if not for Sullavan. The onscreen chemistry was helped by the fact that they were very fond of each other. It was widely known that Stewart had a very very deep crush on Sullavan until the day she died. While she felt strongly about him, it does not appear that she felt as strong as he did. Just a note, Stewart and Sullivan reach the pinnacle of their collaborations in a film called “The Mortal Storm” which is a very important movie. This also features Morgan, along with Robert Stack, Robert Young and Ward Bond.

“Holiday Affair” – 1949, RK0 – Widely available

With Robert Mitchum having just gotten out of prison after a marijuana bust, Howard Hughes cast him in this rom-com as a way of cleaning up his image. He was paired with a very young (22) Janet Leigh. Between the rakish, laconic Mitchum and the beautiful Leigh, this was a bit of an eye-candy production. Still, the movie works. It’s got a bit of a “Gift of The Magi” spin to it, wrapped around two men competing for the affections of a young mother. Despite its light wrapper, this film dealt with important topics of a broken family, and how to preserve the memory of a dead spouse and parent while still continuing to live. Wendell Corey picks up the role of the responsible enough, rich enough, good looking enough suitor who has this thing seemingly nailed down. No surprise what happens once Mitchum shows up. Mitchum and Corey had their fun teasing Leigh, though there is no evidence of either man trying to take advantage of the young starlet. Ms Leigh did however recount a scene where Mitchum was supposed to plant a light kiss on her lips but instead decided to paint her tonsils. The look on her face convinced the director to leave the scene in. The real threat to Leigh, who was an MGM star on loan to Howard Hughes’s RKO, was the lecherous Hughes whom she managed to ward off. Harry Morgan is hilarious as a police sergeant who has to wrap his mind around a gift tie, seals, a little girl with a balloon and the two suitors having their say.

The scenes at the Central Park Zoo set in 1949 are no different than it looked when I visited the zoo many times in the 1960s, so it was kind of cool.

Due to the enforcement of the “Hayes Code” movie makers had to be very careful about any sexual content they put in movies. They had many sly and sometimes funny ways to get around this. In this particular movie at the very beginning, take note of the little girl accusing Santa Claus of not bringing the little brother she asked for last Christmas. Department store Santa glances at the mother while telling the little girl “I’ll see what I can do next year.”

“The Man Who Came to Dinner” – 1941, Warner Brothers – Widely Available

This was billed as a screwball comedy, with a cast of professional comedic actors and a few like Bette Davis playing against type. The big star power in the movie was Bette Davis, though Monty Woolly in the leading role was no slouch himself. Other important actors were Ann Sheridan, Billie Burke, Mary Wickes and Jimmy Durante. While Davis played it straight, Monty Wooley was completely over the top as the arrogant and hilariously acid tongued Sheridan Whiteside. Ann Sheridan, plays an over the top caricature of her public persona as “The Oomph Girl” and Mary Wickes a very popular supporting actress and bit player portrayed a nurse having to deal with the this oddball collection of people and animals (penguins, seals and an octopus). Jimmy Durante roars onto the set late in the film as a problem solver and does a version of Robin Williams before Robin Williams did it. In perhaps the most hilarious pickup line of all times, he zones in on Mary Wickes and encourages her to “come to my room in half an hour…and bring some rye bread.” The movie was at first a Broadway play and was intended to spoof several notables in the arts and literature scene including Alexander Woolcott, Gertrude Lawrence, Noel Coward and Harpo Marx. If you want something warm, this isn’t it, but if you want to laugh, this is your film.

“Remember The Night” – 1940, Paramount – Amazon Prime or Apple TV

Starring Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck this film was extremely well-received by critics. Today it still maintains a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Here is how New York Times film critic Frank Newgent felt about it at the time of release:

“It is a memorable film, in title and in quality, blessed with an honest script, good direction and sound performances … a drama stated in the simplest human terms of comedy and sentiment, tenderness and generosity … warm, pleasant and unusually entertaining”

As in the later film “Double Indemnity” Stanwyck seduces MacMurray but in a far less cynical and sympathetic way. The pair had great screen chemistry and if you ask me they looked like they belonged together. This was one of four movies the pair did together.

I may have a soft spot for this one since the main action is set in Indiana, but aside from that it is a film full of romantic yearning and sacrifice for the benefit of another human. Beulah Bondi, an accomplished character actress who was active from 1931 to 1976 played the kind, hospitable mother of MacMurray. Bondi was the conscience to Stanwyck’s character, giving her the nudge to do the right thing. It turns out Bondi was particularly suited to the role as she herself was a native of Valparaiso Indiana.

This is a warm, feel good movie, masterfully executed, with a few underlying messages. On full show is how the words a parent uses with a child can have a big impact and how a little grace can unlock a person’s true character.

“The Bishop’s Wife” – 1947, RKO – Widely Available

How could you not like a movie headlined by Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven? Throw in Monty Wooley and this is an all star cast. Cary Grant and Loretta Young are so attractive that it is almost distracting, but it does not take away from the movie. Grant comes as an angel to help get the Bishop on the right path and winds up working through his wife. There is just enough subtle sexual tension between Young and Grant to make the audience wonder how this will all come out. The plot is cute and centers on realizing what is most important in life, and how you can lose that if you become distracted…Some of the fun highlights of the movie are the boys choir number and the amazing ice skating scene with Grant, Young and the cab driver. Someone once described Loretta Young’s real life personality as “sweet, sweeter and sweetest” and it is easy to believe while watching her act.

“Christmas In Connecticut” – 1945, Warner Brothers – Widely Available

This is lightweight but taken at face value it’s a fun film. For what it’s worth, Ben Mankiewicz, host of Turner classic movies, recently hosted it along with his 12 year old daughter, Josie. They acknowledged that it is the favorite Christmas movie in their house. That’s a pretty strong endorsement. At the time there was some consternation that a studio player like Dennis Morgan would be cast opposite super-star Barbara Stanwyck, but one wag noted that it perhaps had more to do with his ability to attract fan mail than his ability to act. I think he holds up nicely opposite Ms. Stanwyck.

There is no redemption story here. Stanwyck and her agent are running a minor scam, but she is still likable. She is not much different than a lot of social media influencers you see today whose real lives don’t quite reflect reality. In the end everyone gets what they want but not sure any lessons are learned. Who cares…it’s fun.

Sydney Greenstreet gets a fairly high billing, which is indicative of his value as a character actor. He supplies the bluster while S.Z. Sakall continually undermines him providing the comic relief. Greenstreet and Sakall, immigrants from Britain and Hungary respectively were in high demand as supporting and character actors and got tons of work. They also appeared together in “Casablanca.”

Stanwyck’s costumes are memorable and were designed by legendary costume designer Edith Head. Most designers would be thrilled to have 35 major film credits to their name. Ms. Head had 35 OSCAR NOMINATIONS. She dominated the field.

“Little Women” – 2019, Sony Pictures – Widely Available

Well, I went down a rat-hole on this. Blame my hairstylist, Kim who convinced me that the 1949 version may not be the end-all end-all. I had never seen the 1994 version nor she the 1949 version. We both went away with homework. Plot twist: neither of those came out on top. Also, to be fair, I’ve not seen the 1933 version with Kate Hepburn so there’s always that.

I really, really, really wanted to like the 1949 version better. But having now watched the 1994, and 2019 versions as well I have to give the nod to Greta Gerwig’s 2019 adaptation. I think it straddles the line between what is missing from the other two versions.

1949 – This was a high budget MGM period production that came right after WW2 and so the loss and suffering of the family due to a major conflict would have resonated. I do feel like they wasted some of the talent. On one thing I will not yield, and that is that Margaret O’Brien is the best version of Beth. Mary Astor does a fine job of portraying Marmee. Still, due to no fault of their own, Elizabeth Taylor’s Amy and Janet Leigh’s Meg are flat and wasted. Amy goes to Europe and comes back magically transformed with no story development, and Leigh’s Meg is given equally little to work with. It is a heartwarming, fun movie, escapist and what was called for at the time, but will likely not resonate with many younger movie fans.

The one thing I feel like I need to mention though, no matter what you think of the 1949 version. The women in that version; Astor, Taylor, Leigh, O’Brien and Allyson are all heavyweight movie stars. Even the men, Rossano Brazzi and Peter Lawford are major stars. They did their job and delivered a movie appropriate for the times.

1994 – Well, the right message for the times. The novel is indeed about feminism and girl power, but the scriptwriters and director of the 1994 film seem intent on telling us that rather than letting the characters show us. At the time, the lecturing would have resonated well but today’s audiences want a more nuanced message. There are many fine performances in this film, but they fall a little bit short of the 2019 version. I was jazzed to see Mary Wickes play the role of Aunt March. Wickes is one of the greatest female character actors in Hollywood history. Her first Hollywood acting credit was in 1934 and so this film would have marked her 60th year of credited film appearances. Winona Ryder does a fine job with Jo, but she seemed a little too in control for my tastes. The switch of actresses playing Amy worked and both women did a decent job. The role that disappointed me the most was Beth portrayed by Claire Danes. Danes, even then was an extremely talented actress, yet the writers and directors had her haunting scenes like a ghost long before we knew of her illness. She should have been given more to work with.

2019- Saoirse Ronan is my favorite Meg. She exposes the inner conflicts that Alcott was trying to portray in a nuanced way but still manages to give us that volatile, may-go-off at any moment feeling. Gerwig’s script keeps a feminist message front and center, but does not lecture the audience. She lets us see what is happening. She also makes sure to bring out the abolitionist fervor of the author. You could interchange Dern and Astor as Marmee and not lose much and for me to say that, it means Dern has involved into a fine actress. Streep is the best Aunt March, playing a more caring and nuanced but still crotchety version of the character. The anger that Jo felt over the burnt manuscript and the fact that she intentionally didn’t warn Amy about the thin ice is much more obvious here as well. The ending is different from the other movies. In the other versions, it makes it look like her publisher is the obstacle but in real life Alcott and he worked together with him making sure she wrote a book that would sell. It also gives a nod to the publisher’s daughter’s who discovered some early chapters and convinced their father that other girls would love the work. Finally, the ending reflects more of what actually happened in Alcott’s real life.

“Meet Me In St Louis” – 1944, MGM – Widely Available

Even though not designed as a Christmas movie, the Christmas scene in this film is the climatic scene. It was released in November 1944, and whenever I watch it I am blown away by Judy Garland singing “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” to Margaret O’Brien’. Put yourself back in November/December 1944, with millions of Americans overseas or away from their families at Christmastime. That must have hit hard.

Once again we see Mary Astor playing the mother and we are treated to another great character actress in Majorie Main. Main has over 70 Hollywood acting credits to her name, almost all of them “A” movies from big studios including hits like “The Harvey Girls”, “The Women”, and “The Long Trailer”. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in “The Egg and I.”

The film is set in St. Louis against the backdrop of the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition World’s Fair and the excitement surrounding it. The film was a colossal box office success, and was nominated for five Academy Awards. Margaret O’Brien won the Oscar for best Juvenile Performance. Interestingly “The Trolley Song” rather than “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” was nominated for an Oscar.

The film is a typical MGM big budget Judy Garland vehicle and is considered by some to be one of the top 100 pictures of all time. Currently it has a 99 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

“White Christmas” – 1954, Paramount – Widely Available

I will admit, I didn’t care for this movie until a couple of years ago. However, like most of America it appears to be growing on me. There is way too much backstory on this one but let’s just say it was designed for Crosby and Astaire, Astaire dropped out so Donald O’Connor was hired. O’Connor gets ill so now we wind up with Danny Kaye. There was no time for Kaye to learn the more difficult dance routines. Vera Ellen was a superb dancer, so rather than dumb the dance numbers down she partnered with an ensemble dancer for the difficult numbers.

The film is stuffed full of Irving Berlin’s music and with Vera Ellen’s dancing that makes it worth seeing. Rosemary Clooney (George Clooney’s Aunt) has a superb singing voice with a solo career of her own.

Between the iconic songs, the dancing and the brilliant production numbers it is worth seeing despite its cornball plot. (Plus you will get to see another appearance by Mary Wickes!”

“Jingle Bell Heist” – 2025, Netflix

Starring Olivia Holt and Connor Swindells. These are two experienced and busy young actors that very capable, but have not yet had that over-the-top moment. Holt came through the Disney system and Swindells did a fine job with the lead role in “SAS: Rogue Heroes” which sounds a bit like a Marvel Movie but is really a piece of brilliant historical fiction that is more history than fiction. Recommend 10/10.

Back to this film, it is a fun concept, well executed. It is great? No? Is it entertaining? Definitely. Your basic, a little more clever, Christmas romance.

The pair star as down-on-their luck low wage workers that decide to pull off a heist of a department store. I almost gave up on it because it takes awhile for the characters to become likable. But once they do, you are on their side 100%. Not a bad way to spend a movie night with your favorite loved one.

“The Bourne Identity” – 2002, Universal – Amazon Prime

Oh…you wanna fight now? Look, if “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie then the “Bourne Identity” certainly is. There is a house completely decorated for Christmas and the film romps across the snow covered landscapes of France, Italy and Switzerland.

Because the movie traverses locales I remember fondly, it evokes strong positive memories for me, thus I may be bit biased. Still, it is full of non-stop action, characters you want to root for and the requisite nasty ass villains. This film has a 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes by way of reference.

This is great action film with both established and emerging stars. Headlined by Matt Damon and Chris Cooper with rising stars Julia Stiles and Walt Goggins. Clive Owen already a star at the point, puts in an appearance as a fellow assassin looking to end Jason Bourne. Franka Potente who was very believable as a gypsy-like wanderer who turns into a love interest, does a more than solid job. Potente continues to work in TV and movies but has had mixed reviews in other roles, somewhat limiting her ability to cast big parts. Meanwhile, Stiles is an interesting case. She has had some hits in leading roles but seems to be the perfect support actress and with 63 credits to her name at only 44 years old she is going to wind up with a huge resume’

Besides…it’s fun. Also, did I mention Julia Stiles is in it?

“Oh What Fun” – 2025, MGM Amazon Prime

Michelle Pfeiffer, Dennis Leary, with supporting roles by Joan Chen and Eva Longoria.

Let’s make no mistake. Michelle Pfeiffer carries this film. Ms Pfeiffer performs as you would expect from someone with her experience. Brilliantly. She also looks great.

All of that aside, this is a movie about a mother who goes over the top to make Christmas special for her family, with little thanks. When she asks them to do the one thing for her, the one thing that would mean the world…she gets brushed off.

And so she runs away to pursue her dream.

I think this film will resonate for years to come. Because of Pfeiffer’s strong performance, but also because it will be so relatable to so many mothers. It is not doing well in early reviews but somehow it is landing on everyone’s must watch list (including mine).

Remember…”It’s A Wonderful Life” was a box office disaster and was lambasted by critics, and yet most people know the movie by heart.

Give this one a chance. You will not regret it.

“Home Alone” – 1990, Twentieth Century Fox – Widely Available

This one sneaks up on you. Sure it’s the house. Everyone wants that house. Note to my single male friends: You looking for wifey material? Skip the fish pictures on your dating profiles. Ditch the motorcycles, gym pics and fast cars. Go buy that house and it will rain wifeys.

It’s also about Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern as the incompetent thieves, and Macaulay Culkin as a brilliant child actor and Catherine O’Hare as the distraught mother and John Candy in the back of a box truck playing Polka music with his band from Wisconsin.

But here is the sneak. Where it really gets you is the older neighbor who is feared and ostracized by all the children in the community and probably parents too. We find out that he is estranged from his family and wishes more than anything that he could see his grandaughter. For me, that is the power and brilliance of the film.

So go watch it…ya filthy animals.

“Christmas Vacation” – 1989, Warner Brothers – Widely Available

Did you know the role of Aunt Bethany was played by Mae Questel who made her first screen appearance as Betty Boop alongside Rudy Vallee in 1931? Known primarily as a voice actress she voiced Betty Boop for longer than any other actress. Her last Betty Boop performance was a voice role in the 1981 film “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”

This movie has a loose plot line about a man who always bites off more than he can chew. It has an all star cast of comic actors. (It also has people like EG Marshall playing it straight to hilarious effect.).

The fun in this film is that is so relatable. Every, gag, every scene is just a caricature of what happens in real life…from the bored teenagers in the station wagon, to the grandparents recounting their medical problems.

You’ve watched this film before, and you know what’s coming. You watch it again anyway because the squirrel coming out of the tree is funny no matter how many times you watch it.

Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Randy Quaid and too long of a list of funny actors to write out.

“A Christmas Story” – MGM, 1983 – Widely Available

Okay this one is a little close to my heart. I have been a fan of Jean Shepherd’s storytelling since I was a boy growing up in Queens, NY in the late 1960’s. There wasn’t much to do at night in our tiny apartment when I was home from military school so I listened to records, watched football and listened to Shepherd on WOR NY. His show was a rambling monologue sometimes bringing in the engineer on duty, but mostly Shepherd holding forth.

The highlight of his nightly show was his story. I was fascinated and somehow felt connected to his stories about growing up in this faraway exotic place Northwestern Indiana. Most of my favorites involved boys doing boy things like eating “The Fisherman’s Platter” before going on a roller coaster. Then there was the whole thing about Polish Girls, that I had no clue about until I moved to Indiana and met a Polish girl from Hammond. For real. You can read about that in his book “Wanda Hickey’s Night of Golden Memories.”

Yes I’ve been to the house. Yes I’ve got the leg lamp.

This is a story about growing up in simpler, some would say gentler times. There were no mobile devices, not even televisions so kids had to entertain themselves outdoors, or with less tech-dependent activities. They still had fun, laughed, cried and got into trouble.

I too remember the taste of Lifebuoy soap.

The show is ranked in many polls as the number 1 Christmas movie of all times. It certainly made Jean Shepherd wealthy thanks to the many screenings including the now annual Christmas marathons on TBS.

The department store scenes were shot at Higbee’s department store in Cleveland, Ohio but the real store was Goldblatt’s in downtown Hammond, Indiana. Shepherd appears in a cameo, standing in the Santa Claus line.

Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon and Darren McGavin star.

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