What Classics Did You See last Week? 13th to 19th Dec?

I wonder if they'd produce specific candles for specific noirs.... The Touch of Evil one smelling of dynamite, Akim Tamiroff's BO, Tania's chili, Chuck's Mexican make up and Janet Leigh's fear....😁

2:22 (2017).


Office Christmas Party (2016).



Married by Christmas (2016).



Tolkien (2019).

Went ahead and saw the Angel and the Badman. Because judging by the title, i thought that it was a john wayne film i hadn't seen before. But then after watching the first few minutes i realized i just forgot that i had seen it, and did't really like it.
So then i had to watch the whole thing again.

I guess i'll watch the Shepperd of the hills next, from what i hear wayne is excellent in it.

Sunday 13
FONZ AND THE HAPPY DAYS GANG (1980) “Ming Fu to You Too” 40TH ANNIVERSARY The gang end up in Ancient China. This was the episode I first remembered, due to a VHS recording of a 1981 broadcast. This episode, with Fonzie hypnotized by a cobra probably started my childhood aversion to any scene where the hero gets brainwashed (maybe it’s how the eyes look). CBS FoxVideo DVD

THE RICHIE RICH/SCOOBY-DOO SHOW (1980) “Scooby’s Fun Zone/The Abominable Stone Plan/Swamp Witch/Scooby and the Black Knight/Constructo” 40TH ANNIVERSARY I remember having a VHS recording of several of these episodes. Ironic that the two Scooby episodes recorded were left unfinished (the ending recorded over or channel change). Warner DVD

THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN (1980) “Portal into Time” 40TH ANNIVERSARY. Thundarr and company go to 1981! Warner DVD

THE HEATHCLIFF & DINGBAT SHOW (1980) “Kitty a La Clare/Mystery Loves Company/French Fried Fracas/Showbiz Shenanigans” 40TH ANNIVERSARY Warner DVD

DRAK PACK (1980) “International Graffiti” 40TH ANNIVERSARY YouTube

THE FLASH (1990) “Ghost in the Machine” 30TH ANNIVERSARY An evil scientist from the 1950s cryogenically revives in 1990, also bringing back a 1950s crimefighter. Gloria Reuben has an early scene as a girlfriend to Barry’s lab partner. Warner DVD.

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION (1995) “The Day Tokyo 3 Stood Still” 25TH ANNIVERSARY Japanese with English Subtitles ADV DVD.

CHRISTMAS IN TATTERTOWN (1988) Molly and her doll Miss Muffet end up in Tattertown, “the elephant graveyard of unwanted toys” where said toys come to life. The wistful Molly tries to teach the town the holiday of Christmas, but her old doll Moppet- now a volatile tyrant- wants to put a stop to it with her dangerous toys. A failed pilot by Ralph Bakshi, Tattertown is a weird surreal production done in the style of a Max Fleischer Betty Boop cartoon (a secret society member from BIMBO’S INITIATIONS (1931) can be spotted, as well as a waiter from DIZZY DISHES. Is that Oswald the Rabbit and Flip the Frog drinking their sorrows?). I remember one promo say it was from the creators of MIGHTY MOUSE (the controversial 1988 cartoon series), and then a few years later, a new promo ordained it from the makers of Ren and Stimpy. This comes from a gestalt recording (due to an accident in recording Act 2) of a 1992 Nick at Nite (titled “Christmas at Tattertown”) recording and a 1995 ABC recording (retitled “Tattertown Christmas”).

A DISNEY CHRISTMAS GIFT (1982) Disney cobbled this special together with scenes of 1982 Disneyland and shorts and film clips. “Once Upon a Wintertime” (from MELODY TIME), PETER PAN’S “You Can Fly” number, the Merlin departure/Tournament/Sword drawing scene from THE SWORD IN THE STONE (with Wart’s dialogue in the major scene silenced), PLUTO’S CHRISTMAS TREE, the ice scene from BAMBI, the “Bibbidi, Babidi, Boo” number from CINDERELLA (with June Foray adding her own voice to Verna Felton’s), and an edited version of THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS (removing Junior’s Blackface moment and adding footage from SANTA’S WORKSHOP). Disney VHS.

CHRISTMAS IS… (1970) 50TH ANNIVERSARY this month. TV special about a boy cast as a shepherd for his Christmas play finds himself in the actual event. With the voices of Hans Conreid, Don Messick (who would reprise Joseph for Rankin Bass’s NESTOR THE LONG EARED CHRISTMAS DONKEY), and June Foray. YouTube.

A VERY MERRY CRICKET (1973) The second sequel to Chuck Jones’ animated adaptation A CRICKET IN TIME SQUARE (drawn in his later ‘feminine eyes’ period), the animal trio of Tucker Mouse (Mel Blanc), Henry Cat, and musical cricket Chester (both by Les Tremayne) try to bring harmony to the anti-social rat nest of New York City. LionsGate DVD.

ROCKO’S MODERN CHRISTMAS or YOU CAN’T SQUEEZE CHEER FROM A CHEEZE YULE LOG (1994) Rocko the wallaby tries to enjoy Christmas despite the lack of snow (the cloud seem to have some…problems) and the machinations of Mr. Bighead (one of Charles Adler’s many roles in this series). Shout DVD.

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (1965) Caught this broadcast on PBS (due to Apple taking the broadcasting rights away from ABC). It is the uncut version, although the closing gets an added credits for the voice cast.

Monday 14
ADVENTURES OF THE GUMMI BEARS (1985) “Bubble Trouble/Gummi in a Strange Land” 35TH ANNIVERSARY. The second part of this is rather poignant seeing Grammi and Gruffi arguing, knowing that this might be the last scene for June Foray (Rocky) and Bill Scott (Bullwinkle) considering the latter’s death. Disney DVD.

INSPECTOR GADGET (1985) “MAD in the Moon” 35TH ANNIVERSARY. Cinedigm DVD.

ER (1995) “A Miracle Happens Here” 25TH ANNIVERSARY Dr. Greene deals with problems of the past and present (his future as a doctor is jeopardized by his actions in last season’s “Love Labour Lost” and his marriage is now over), but regains optimism in helping a Holocaust survivor find her missing granddaughter. Meanwhile, Dr. Peter Benton involves himself in new surgical procedures and Carol Hathaway tries to get her ‘new’ house (in the context of having recently bought the ruin) ready for the holidays. Look closely for a young pre-NCIS Sean Murray (although much of his appearance ended up on the cutting room floor). Warner DVD.

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN (1970) 50TH ANNIVERSARY Again I watch the Rankin-Bass special on its Golden Anniversary from December 14 1970. I first saw this in my childhood, but I believe the first real time of remembrance was December 1993. One particular scene got my attention. The broadcast- an afternoon one on my ABC station- an edit down to Jessica’s “My World is Beginning to Change” (to the climax). Later broadcasts would chop the song altogether, so I had to seek the full version on a VHS rental in December 1999. From then on, the song was a major highlight to all my December viewings of the special. This is the Family Home Entertainment VHS.

Tuesday 15
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM WING (1995) “Sanc Kingdom Falls” 25TH ANNIVERSARY Quatre gets his Gundam back, but it’s too late to save Sanc Kingdom, as Relena offers herself to the Romefeller Foundation. First appearance of the satellite base Libra, and intro to the song “Rhythm Emotion” which will play several times and become the series’ second Intro. Japanese with English Subtitles. Bandai DVD.

JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS (1985) “Frame-Up Act II” 35TH ANNIVERSARY The Misfits frame Jem, but one of its members is having second thoughts, characterizing Stormer as the good girl in the group. Rhino DVD.

MONTY PYTHON’S FLYING CIRCUS (1970) “Spam” 50TH ANNIVERSARY Like the last episode, the teaser is a rather long one, although in this case it’s a serious portrait of a movie, with credits and a beginning (until John Cleese’s Man in the Dinner Jacket comes up). My first experience with some of the sketches here (an animated spoof of 2001, World Forum, and the Tobacconist sketch) were from AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT and MONTY PYTHON AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL. This was also my first Python VHS for my Birthday in 1993. Paramount VHS.

THE NUTCRACKER (1977) Mikhail Baryshnikov’s television production of the Tchiakovsky ballet with then-girlfriend Gelsey Kirkland as Clara. The shortest of the three Nutcrackers ballets in my viewing (several pieces were shortened, and the “Arabian Dance” omitted), it is probably the most popular of the three. A Christmas perennial since 1996. This film was first released under MGM/UA (among the first videos from the studio) and now is Kultur, while THE MOTION PICTURE is now in MGM/UA.

MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 (1990) “King Dinosaur” 30TH ANNIVERSARY The fourth Robert l. Lippert film (ROCKETSHIP X-M, JUNGLE GODDESS, and LOST CONTINENT) has space travelers on a planet of giant lizards. This actually aired on December 22, 1990, but my Christmas schedule forces me to watch it a week early. YouTube.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (1998) “Amends” Something is troubling Angel (more than usual for our tortured vampire with a soul); he is seeing ghosts of his victims, including Jenny Calendar (Robia LaMotte in a role she regretted reprising). Despite reservations, Buffy decides to the get to the bottom of it before Angel either dies or becomes evil again. First saw this on the summer of 2005, and since 2006 it has been a Christmas perennial. FoxVideo DVD

OLIVER TWIST (1985) “Episode Ten” 35TH ANNIVERSARY Oliver reunites with Mr. Brownlow and a connection is made to Monk’s identity. Amazon Prime

THE LEPRECHAUN’S CHRISTMAS GOLD (1981) On Christmas Eve, a cabin boy comes to an island to pick up an Evergreen for his ship’s Christmas celebration; his endeavor finds him Gold, Leprechauns, and a Banshee. Celebrating its 35th Anniversary, LEPRACHAUN was the penultimate Rankin-Bass Animagic special. It is the production’s swansong to regular writer Romeo Muller and songwriters Laws and Bass (although “Christmas in Kilarney” is also included). Warner VHS.

Wednesday 16
DADDY LONG LEGS (1990) “Graduating from the Past” 30TH ANNIVERSARY. The Moment of Truth Part 1, as Judy graduates and comes honest about her orphan background. Japanese with English Subtitles. YouTube.

THE FLINTSTONES (1960) “The Sweeps Ticket” 60TH ANNIVERSARY The first appearance of Wilma and Betty’sWarner DVD.

FREAKAZOID! (1990) “In Arms Way/The Cloud” 30TH ANNIVERSARY Bootleg DVD.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE (1977) ‘Elliott Gould/Peter Tosh (and Mick Jaggers).” The fourth season Christmas episode with previous host Gould and comedy duo Bob Elliot (father and Grandfather to future SNL’S Chris and Abby) and Ray Goulding. Aired on December 16, 1978, the highlight of this episode is a ‘Mommie Dearest’ sketch, where Joan Crawford (Jane Curtin) plays host to a Christmas get together with her daughter Christina (Gilda Radner) who receives the full brunt of her mood swings, assaults, and Christmas presents of liver and other dinner she found inedible. Guests include Dan Akroyd’s Clark Gable, Bill Murray’s Cary Grant, and Laraine Newman’s Kathrine Hepburn (whom Joan snaps about being alone while Spencer is spending Christmas with Mrs. Tracy and the kids). Apart from lover Gable, I don’t recall Joan having any association with Kate or Cary. Universal DVD

MICKEY’S CHRISTMAS CAROL (1983) My first experience with Charles Dickens’ oft-told Ghost story. The first major features for Wayne Allwine’s Mickey Mouse, Alan Young’s Scrooge McDuck, and the last for Clarence Nash’s Donald Duck. Viewed on a VHS recording of its Television premiere broadcast on NBC. Commercials include a scary promo for PINNOCHIO’S 1984 re-release, Rainbow Brite (with Wizard of Oz music), the promo for the Jane Seymour-Hart Bochner THE SUN ALSO RISES, and a family commercial of my local painting company Brendell (back when it was a family of six).

THE BOX OF DELIGHTS (1984) “Episode 4: The Spider in the Web” Using the box, Kay Harker is able to evade getting scrobbled by Abner Brown’s men. Mariah is returned safe and sound, but other people like Peter Jones and the Bishop of Tarchester cathedral get scrobbled. Kay journeys to the Chester Seminary and learns that Cole Hawling is not as old as he thought he was (or more accurately, not as young as he is supposed to be).

Thursday 17
THE LIFE ADVENTURES OF SANTA CLAUS (1985) 35TH ANNIVERSARY The final Rankin-Bass Animagic special. Based on L. Frank Baum’s book, this version of the story of Santa Claus takes on a different ton than R-B’s previous works. Different cast, different music, plus a darker tone: Here Claus witnesses war, slavery, and poverty, and desires to make something better for the innocents. First saw this 35 years ago on CBS. The scene of the elf Neciele adopting Claus always touched me, especially the song “A Child” which had been deleted from many a ABCFamily broadcast. Watching on its Anniversary, I suddenly realized that Claus’ cap is the swaddling clothes his infant self was clothed in. Warner VHS

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1984) My second viewing of the George C. Scott version. Every December, I watch in the first week of December, and then on its broadcast date of December 17. FoxVideo DVD.

Friday 18
BEN-HUR (1959) MGM’s 11-Oscar winner Biblical Epic. Although the majority of the story is outside the holidays, the prologue of the Nativity partially made this a Christmas watch. Also, because I first saw the film during the holidays. December 1990 on TNT was my first almost full watching (I missed out on the prologue). The prologue was probably my first engineered ‘Watch on Christmas’ although I would include the rest of the film in future watches, beginning in 1995, and consistently since 1997. Warner DVD.

FANTASIA (1940) The ‘Nutcracker Suite’ segment with the Sugar Plum Fairy, Chinese, Russian, Flute, and Arabian Dances, and an abbreviated Dance of the Flowers. Disney VHS.

A recording of shows from November- December 1981.
-JOURNEY BACK TO OZ (1974) Dorothy (voice of Liza Minelli) returns to the land of Oz, getting new friends (Paul Lynde’s Pumpkinhead and Herschel Bernardi’s Woodenhead), reuniting with old (Mickey Rooney’s Scarecrow, Larry Storch’s Tin Man and Milton Berle’s Lion) and facing new enemies (Ethel Merman’s Mombi) in an adaptation of Marvelous Land of Oz (without Tip/Ozma, Jinjur, the Powder of Life, etc.). This production by Filmation had something of a Thief and the Cobbler-esque shelf- life. Filmation producers Hal Sutherland and Lou Schiemer kept putting the production (starting in the mid-1960s) on hold due to financial problems, always waiting for money to continue and finish it. It was not a success in theaters but found new life under the SFM Holiday Network program, which made the film a popular holiday broadcast since the late 1970s; one of those broadcasts, (November 29, 1981), had been recorded on VHS and viewed on the 35th Anniversary of its airing. This TV version added live-action sequences of Bill Cosby as the Wizard playing Greek chorus to the proceedings. Commercials in this broadcast includes a JC Penneys’ clothing promo (with a young Carey Lowell), several Ore Ida French Fries advertisements (one a Rich Little gallery of impersonations of John Wayne, Paul Lynde, Jimmy Durante, Boris Karloff, and Humphrey Bogart, the other concerning a live-action Lois Lane making fries for an animated Superman) and an SFM Holiday Network promo for EL CID (1961), which was my introduction to that movie.
-THE SMURFS (1981) In view of its recent success as a Saturday Morning cartoon, NBC gave a prime-time showing of several episodes: “SuperSmurf,” “The Smurfette” (an early episode, noted by Frank Welker still not quite getting the hang of voicing Hefty Smurf), and “The Baby Smurf” (No, not the debut of that character. That will happen two seasons later). This special features the original intro with a narrator (not the syndicated intro that includes footage from The Smurfic Games special in 1984) but ends with a preview of scenes, climaxing with a freeze frame of a terror-stricken Smurf facing a tidal wave as the credits roll. This NBC Broadcast (November 29, 1981) has promos for LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, CHIPS, THE FACTS OF LIFE, short-lived items like THE REGIS PHILBIN SHOW, James Garner’s BRET MAVERICK, and Tony Randall’s LOVE SIDNEY, as well as the Robert Blake-Randy Quaid version OF MICE AND MEN, which broadcast that night.
-RUDOLPH’S SHINY NEW YEAR (1976) Rankin-Bass first sequel of RUDOLPH returning Billie Richards and songwriter Johnny Marks with the voices of Red Skeleton, Morey Amsterdam, Paul Frees, Hal Peary and Frank Gorshin. This ABC broadcast (December 10, 1981) is more uncut than the Freeform/ABC Family Channel broadcasts (although Gorshin’s Sir Ten-to-One’s “It’s hopeless!” is deleted). Commercials include promos for PERRY COMO’S FRENCH-CANADIAN CHRISTMAS, BENSON and the short-lived BOSOM BUDDIES, IT’S A LIVING, and CRITIC’S CHOICE. Also promos for the second seasons of FONZ AND THE HAPPY DAYS GANG and HEATHCLIFF (this time paired with MARMADUKE) plus the LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY cartoon.

Saturday 19
A SNOW WHITE CHRISTMAS (1980) 40TH ANNIVERSARY After JOURNEY BACK TO OZ, Filmation did a sequel to Snow White, in this case a generational story as the title character’s daughter (Filmation Producer’s daughter Erika Schiemer) seeks the protection of the Seven Friendly Giants (cousins of the Dwarves) from the resurrected Wicked Queen (Melinda Britt). Filmation’s final product would be a different sequel to the story HAPPILY EVER AFTER. I remembered a little of this when I was a child; I would get a full watching on USA Network in December 1988. YouTube.

JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS “The Jumpin Jupiter Affair” 50th ANNIVERSARY. In Peru, the gang comes to a plot by crooks masquerading as aliens to force natives into mining diamonds. Has my favorite Pussycat song “A Long Way Baby.” Warner DVD.

VANDREAD: THE FIRST STAGE (2000) “They Really Don’t Care About Us.” Japanese with English Subtitles. Funimation DVD.

Another collection of VHS recording from December 1984:
-THE RACCOONS CHRISTMAS (1980) Kevin Gillis animated special (with the voices of Rita Coolidge, Leo Sayer, and Rupert Holmes) that led to several more specials and an animated series THE RACCOONS.
-The CBS Network television premiere of THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER, with commercials (including a promo for the George C. Scott’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL, premiering December that year).
-YOGI’S ALL-STAR CHRISTMAS CAPER (1982) a 1982 animated special of the Hanna-Barbera stable.
-MUPPET BABIES (1984) “Gonzo’s Video Show” broadcast alongside YOGI.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (2000) “Into the Woods” 20TH ANNIVERSARY Marc Blucas’ Riley was never popular with Buffy fans, so he makes his departure from the series in this episode. FoxVideo DVD.

ANGEL (2000) “Reunion” 20TH ANNIVERSARY Last episode, Wolfram and Hart had Drusilla sire Darla back to vampirism, causing Angel to make a dark step that estranges himself from his goal and his team. FoxVideo DVD.

THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW (1970) "Christmas and the Hard Luck Kid II" 50TH ANNIVERSARY Mary has to work on Christmas. Later in the episode she gets a call from Henry Corden, who would succeed Alan Reed as Fred Flintstone as well as voice in several Ruby Spears shows like THUNDARR and HEATHCLIFF. This episode also has the scene of Mary embracing Lou, Murray, and Ted, which will appear on the credits. FoxVideo DVD.

With the pandemic going on, I can’t go see THE NUTCRACKER at my local theatre. So I watched the Bloshoi version by Yuri Grigorovich and starring Yekaterina Maksimova and Vladmir Vasilev. The DVD by Kino Lorber lists this as the 1978 version, but I suspect this is the 1987 version that I already saw. Kino wouldn’t lie, would it? Kino Classics DVD.

I also saw parts of:
Christmas in Eureeka’s Castle (1990) VHS recording of Nickelodeon broadcast December 1992.

A Christmas Carol the Movie (2003) MGM/UA DVD

The Life and Passion of Jesus Christ (1903) Just the Infancy narrative scenes. Image DVD.

Masterpiece: 50 Fabulous Years (2020) More like Masterpiece: the Last 10 Years. A lot more focus on the shows of this decade then the other 40. PBS.

Everybody has a favorite Christmas movie.

It’s no accident that Christmastime is usually among the busiest weeks of the year at the nation’s box office. It’s actually expected that the most prestigious and highly-anticipated movie releases of the year are placed into movie theaters on Christmas Day itself. Partly that’s because the nation’s other businesses are generally closed that day, so the moviegoing audience’s attention is undivided. But for other families, attending a movie on Christmas or watching one on television has simply become a custom.

In past years, Christmas movie releases have included such highly-anticipated pictures as last year’s “Little Women,” Denzel Washington’s long-awaited film adaptation of the August Wilson play “Fences” in 2016, the film adaptation of the stage sensation “Into the Woods” in 2014, the movie version of the Broadway hit “Les Miserables” in 2012, and the enormously anticipated sequel “The Godfather, Part II” in 1974 (with “Part III” debuting on Christmas Day 1990). And of the five most profitable movies of all time, three--1997’s “Titanic,” 2009’s “Avatar,” and 2015’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”--have been Christmastime releases.

But a Christmas movie is another breed of film entirely--a single picture a person or an entire family includes among their Christmas holiday traditions. Over the years, there have been more than two dozen motion picture adaptations of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”--the first, in 1901, was actually among the first narrative movies ever made, one of the first movies depicting a story instead of just a series of random moving images. Add animated versions and made-for-television adaptations of Dickens’ story to the list and the total is multiplied.

While Dr. Seuss for years flatly refused to allow any of his celebrated children’s books to be adapted into movies, his wife persuaded him to make an exception in 1966, when the author’s World War II US Army Signal Corps buddy Chuck Jones approached him with an idea to adapt his 1957 tale “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” into a 30-minute animated television special. Since his last meeting with Dr. Seuss just after the war, Jones had become the top animator at Warner Bros. studio’s famed “Termite Terrace,” and the creator of such classic cartoon characters as Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.

Dr. Seuss became a full creative partner in Jones’ endeavor, even composing the lyrics to the songs and adding four additional couplets to the ending of his story. Narrated memorably by horror movie legend Boris Karloff (who had also read bedtime stories to children over the radio during the war years, easing their tensions with his distinctive mellifluous tones), the result was Christmas magic--a holiday staple adopted by millions of new fans every time the cartoon is televised during the holiday season. Since then, each new generation seems to have a new motion picture version of The Grinch.

Many Christmas favorites, of course, lose their luster over the years. Produced by Paramount Pictures during World War II, long before the namesake hotel chain opened their first doors, 1942’s “Holiday Inn” became a Christmastime favorite during the early 1960s, when the movie was made widely available for television broadcast. But the picture has mostly disappeared from sight during more modern times, despite having the distinction of being the movie in which Bing Crosby first performed the song “White Christmas,” the most popular holiday tune in history.

Even with a song score by the great Irving Berlin, the movie about the countryside inn and nightclub which is open only during holidays has dated badly. The ill-advised Lincoln’s Birthday sequence, performed by the cast in traditional minstrel show blackface, was repugnant even in 1942. Viewed today in the time of #BlackLivesMatter, the scene is particularly offensive, casting a malaise over the rest of the picture. The 1954 movie “White Christmas,” a semi-remake of “Holiday Inn” again starring Crosby, seems to have supplanted the earlier film on the nation’s broadcast airwaves.

But other Christmas movies actually gain popularity over the decades. 1934’s “Babes in Toyland” seems to be adding new fans with each screening, due in no small part to the gentle, whimsical humor of its stars, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Also known by its European release title “March of the Wooden Soldiers,” the film’s popularity seems to have been augmented when a colorized version of the black-and-white perennial first became available in 1991 (with the exception of an obscure World War II training film, Laurel and Hardy never appeared in a color film).

Produced on the heels of the commercial and critical success of the Academy Award-winning “Oliver!” in 1968, a big budget musical adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” entitled “Scrooge” opened in 1970. Starring Albert Finney in the title role and featuring a splashy musical score by “Doctor Dolittle” and “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” composer Leslie Bricusse, the film was a box office disappointment during its original release. But through its release on home video and repeated viewings on cable, the film is also achieving the status of a Christmastime favorite.

Filmmaker Tim Burton over the years has revealed a real flair for depicting the dark and damaged side of the Christmas holiday in a number of his films. At the end of his 1992 comic book-inspired sequel “Batman Returns,” Burton with a few deft strokes brilliantly captured the aching loneliness of observing Christmas alone, with a broken heart. But although often eclipsed by the better-known 1993 animated classic “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” Burton’s real holiday classic is his 1990 film “Edward Scissorhands.”

Inspired equally by “Pinocchio” and “Frankenstein,” “Edward Scissorhands” is Burton’s fable about a boy with elaborate cutlery for fingers, created by a lonely inventor who dies before crafting hands to the boy’s arms. Containing a significant message about the importance of inclusion, the picture provided actor Johnny Depp with one of his first important motion picture roles...and a poignant coda to the motion career of movie horror legend Vincent Price as the inventor. If the very best Christmas classics bring a tear to the viewer’s eye, the closing scenes of “Edward Scissorhands” encourage outright weeping.

Among more modern holiday films, the comedy “Instant Family” is in a class of its own. Starring Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne, the film is director and co-writer Sean Anders’ story of a childless couple on the cusp of middle age who open their upscale suburban home to three children who’ve been abandoned by their substance-addicted mother and shifted between shelters all their lives. Released at the beginning of the holiday season in 2018, “Instant Family became an instant Christmas favorite for many viewers.

With equal quantities of laughter and tears, the impact of “Instant Family” is augmented with the knowledge that the movie is remarkably accurate to the real process of child protection and adoptive services, inspired by filmmaker Anders’ own experiences as a foster parent. In addition to a chaotic first Christmas celebration as a family, the movie contains the most sidesplitting Thanksgiving prayer in motion picture history. And if the ending doesn’t coax tears from the viewer’s eyes, he needs to consult a physician--he doesn’t have a heart.

One of the most popular Christmas movies of all, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” was considered nothing special during its original release in 1946. A return to Hollywood filmmaking for both the celebrated comedy director Frank Capra and the beloved star James Stewart after their heroics during World War II, the picture during its original release barely earned back its $3.16 million production budget, with only $3.3 million in ticket sales from a public which had grown more sophisticated in its movie viewing during the wartime years.

But when a clerical mistake caused the copyright of “It’s a Wonderful Life” to lapse in 1974 and the picture entered the public domain, local television stations quickly learned that the film could be broadcast freely, without rental fees to the film’s distributor. It was only at that time that the picture became a family favorite--the film could be found almost anywhere and everywhere during the holiday season, at any time of day. Today, “It’s a Wonderful Life” is prominent on the American Film Institute’s list of the Greatest Films of All Time, and was chosen in 1990 by the National Film Registry as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Everybody has a favorite Christmas movie. Whether your family’s favorite stars Scrooge or the Grinch, George Bailey or Clarence the Angel, the Christmastime movie experience has become a tradition celebrated by millions of households. And in 2020, at the end of a historically turbulent and troubled year, viewing a classic Christmas film might be a wonderful excuse to switch off the news for an hour or two...and possibly to remember that Christmas is the time of miracles. There are still reasons to rejoice, and better days are just around the corner.

Merry Christmas to Everyone on the Classic Film Board, and God Bless.

Two Tars / James Parrott (1928). Hal Roach Studios. Silent. Usually where Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy go, disaster follows – but never on a scale that matches the destructive mayhem of “Two Tars.” L&H are sailors on leave in a rented 1919 Ford Model T. They pick up two women (blonde Ruby Blaine and brunette Thelma Hill) and, after a brief skirmish with a store owner, go for a ride in the country (Centinela Avenue, now a main thoroughfare in Santa Monica). The boys get stopped in a traffic jam. A slight mishap with another motorist escalates into full-ledged warfare among the travelers in hilarious and inventive ways. I love the way Stan and Ollie can simultaneously pull the front wheels off a car causing the front end to fall with a jolt. Timeless comedy classic. Be sure to have your Depends securely in place before watching.



    THE NEXT ONE IS MY ONLY CONTRABUTION TO THIS CHRISTMAS THEMED THREAD

Big Business / James W. Horne & Leo McCarey (1929). Hal Roach Studios. Silent. Another killer comedy of retaliatory destruction but on a simpler level than “Two Tars.” Stan and Ollie are unsuccessful door-to-door Christmas tree salesmen.

Ollie: Hello, madam. Would you care to buy a Christmas tree?
Woman: No, I wouldn’t.
Ollie: Perhaps your husband would want to buy a Christmas tree?
Woman: I don’t have a husband.
Stan: If you had a husband would he want to buy a Christmas tree?
Woman slams door.

At the next house they run into their frequent nemesis, James Finlayson. This begins a feud where The Boys demolish Finlayson’s house while he reduces their car to scrap metal. Even as the anger and property damage mount higher and higher, a crowd of neighbors and passers-by – even a motorcycle cop - gather to passively watch. An enduring classic of film comedy.




Dick Tracy / Alan James & Ray Taylor (1937). Republic Pictures. Cinematography by Edgar Lyons & William Nobles. The Sunday comics of the Detroit Mirror on October 4, 1931 was the first appearance of the Dick Tracy strip. Just six years later, Tracy was the star of his own cliffhanger serial, the first of four from Republic Studios. Serendipity gave Republic the perfect look-a-like actor, Ralph Byrd, to play the part. For 15 thrilling chapters Tracy and his team fought against the machinations of a mysterious criminal mastermind known only as The Lame One. One outstanding feature is the frequent use of forensic science. Gwen Andrews (Kay Hughes) is often the lead scientist. She also is a pilot. Republic Studios had just been founded six years earlier as a merger of six small Poverty Row studios including Mascot Pictures which was producing solely serials. Republic took over that function and became the place that made possibly the best in the business.




The Mark of Zorro / Rouben Mamoulian (1940). Twentieth Century Fox. Cinematography by Arthur C. Miller. We all know the story: Don Diego Vega (Tyrone Power) returns from Spain to his home in 17th century California only to find it ruled by a dictator. Pretending to be an ineffectual fop, he disguises himself behind a mask and all black costume, calling himself Zorro, the Fox. In this guise he battles the ruler and his minions. The governor, though, is a weak figure head. The power is the head of the army, Capt. Esteban Pasquale (Basil Rathbone). Ironically, Vega falls in love with Lolita (Linda Darnell) the daughter of the indecisive  governor. Several thrilling action set-pieces follow as Zorro rescues political prisoners and returns tax money extorted from destitute farmers – all the time accompanied by some great sword fighting choreography. This movie is a remake of a popular silent film of the same name starring the acrobatic star Douglas Fairbanks. Tyrone Power steps easily into Fairbanks’ boots. The story was made again in 1974 with Frank Langella as Zorro and Ricardo Montalban as Esteban.




The Gunfighter / Henry King (1950). Twentieth Century Fox. Cinematography by Arthur C. Miller. One of the first (along with “Winchester 73” just above) to be what used to be called an “adult western” until “adult” came to mean something else in the movies. Now tagged as a “psychological western,” this sub-genre emphasized character, emotion, and grittiness. Tired gunfighter Jimmy Ringo (Gregory Peck) is recognized everywhere he goes. Just passing through town and stopping for a quick drink, he runs into some young punk who wants to make a reputation for himself. The punk picks a fight that Ringo can’t avoid. When he kills one young tough, the kid’s three older brothers head out after Ringo. He is headed to the town where his ex-wife and son live and an old friend turned lawman Matt Strett (Millard Mitchell) is Marshall. He wants to talk her into going far away with him. Also in this town is another would-be gunslinger, Hunt Bromley (Skip Homeier). Ringo takes a table in the local saloon as tension mounts. Bromley is looking for a chance and the three vengeful brothers are approaching. Amazingly, Peck was only 33 years old when he etched this complex portrait of a tired and cynical gunfighter.
“The Gunfighter” didn’t do all that well at the box office but it’s influence on subsequent westerns is immeasurable. The archetype of the aging gunfighter, the end of an era, and the passing to another generation essentially began here. I wonder if we could have had “Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid,” “The Wild Bunch,” or any of a dozen titles we could think of, if not for “The Gunfighter.”
One last word for one of pictures most unsung character actors, Millard Mitchell, superb in “The Gunfighter.” While his best known role is probably as the studio head in “Singin’ In The Rain,” I thought he was also very impressive in “The Naked Spur” (1950) and “Thieves Highway” (1949).





The Horse Soldiers / John Ford (1959). The Mirisch Corporation. Cinematography by William H. Clothier. Decent late John Ford offering. It is the time of the U.S. Civil War. The Union siege of Vicksburg is not going well. The rebels could hold out forever because they are being supplied by railroad from deep in the south. General Grant assigns Colonel John Marlowe (John Wayne) to take a contingent of soldiers south, knock out the supply dump and railroad. Thing is, to be successful they have to be one the road for several days without being seen by the enemy or engaging with him. After stopping for a night at a Plantation, they meet Southern Belle Hannah Hunter (Constance Towers). She is a Southern partisan but greets them kindly in an attempt to learn their plans. When she does learn them and they find out, they can either shoot her or take her with them. Of course they take her and a kind of truce developing into love between the them in spite of the 20-something gap in their ages. Also along for the ride, and forced on Marlowe, was a physician Dr. Henry Kendall (William Holden). An immediate feud breaks out between the two men started by Marlowe for reasons we don’t learn until later. But Kendall give as good as he gets. Although Marlowe outranks him, the Doctor has charge of all medical matters so can override the Colonel in those cases. Colorful action and good performances from the three leads rates a recommendation.





The Shootist / Don Siegel (1976). Paramount Pictures. Cinematography by Bruce Surtees. Aging gunfighter J.B. Books comes to Carson City, Nevada to see and old friend Doc Hostetler (James Stewart) and get a second opinion about his condition. Hostetler confirms what a first doctor had said: Books has cancer and not long to live. He decides to settle down in a rooming house run by widow Bond Rogers (Lauren Bacall) with the help of her son Gillom (Ron Howard who shows surprising depth). Books presence in the house and in the town causes no little commotion (especially after a nighttime assassination attempt) but he decides to stay right there and end his life in a battle with the town’s bullies and killers (Hugh O’Brien, Richard Boone, Bill McKinney). Some have held the opinion that this is John Wayne’s best performance. It certainly ranks among the very best. Since then, people somehow assume that because The Duke had been diagnosed with cancer and undergone some serious surgery back in the ‘60s that J.B. Books was mirroring Wayne’s actual condition at the time. In truth, Wayne’s cancer had been in remission since his operation and was not suffering from the disease during filming. His cancer did not return for another three years but when it did, he died quickly on June 11, 1979.




The Silent Partner / Daryl Duke (1978). Miles Cullen (Elliot Gould) is the nerdy bank teller who can’t get the right attention from co-worker Julie (Susannah York). Yet he has unexpected talents. He notices a number of small clues that tell him that his bank will be robbed the next day after a regular customer leaves a large cash deposit. When the customer does come in, Miles hides the money so the robber only gets what is in the drawer. When the hold-up man, Reikle (Christopher Plummer), sees in the newspaper the amount the bank is missing, he knows that Miles has the loot. Reikle, though, is a psychopath not just an ordinary everyday criminal. He begins a campaign of terror directed at Miles to force him to turn over the money. Miles, as we have already seen, has hidden depths so the two men begin a duel of wits. Very suspenseful. Great screenplay by Curtis Hanson from a novel. Excellent. NOTE: This movie is, like many others from the ‘70s and ‘80s, is heavy on female nudity. Some politically correct woke libs (like me) may find it a tad exploitive. SECOND NOTE: The setting is Christmas time and Christopher Plummer holds up the back disguised as Santa Clause so does that make this a Christmas movie, too? I think not.