Fa-La-La-La-La, La-La-La-La... Christmas Day

For Christmas Day I have selected A Christmas Carol. Pick whichever version is your favorite as there are quite a few good versions of Dickens' story. As for me, I think I'll watch The Muppet Christmas Carol today.




Here's some of the songs from the movie:


















Merry Christmas everyone!!

Fa-La-La-La-La, La-La-La-La...Christmas Eve

Today's movie is It's a Wonderful Life starring Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Henry Travers, and Beulah Bondi.

Before we watch that trailer, here is a short message from the same year as the movie:





Plot
Jimmy Stewart has put off following his own ambitions his entire life to the betterment of his family and town. He is now contemplating suicide as the solution to a pressing financial problem, and believes that everyone would be better off if he had never been born. An angel, Henry Travers, is dispatched to show Jimmy Stewart the shocking reality of what his family and town would be like without his presence.

Fa-La-La-La-La, La-La-La-La... Day 23

Today's movie is White Christmas starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen, Dean Jagger, Mary Wickes, John Brascia, and Anne Whitfield.






Plot:
Bing and Danny are successful entertainers who meet and decide to follow Rosemary and Vera-Ellen to a Vermont resort where the ladies are booked as the singing act. The resort is owned by Dean Jagger who was Bing and Danny's beloved commanding officer when they were in the Army. The resort is struggling since Vermont is having a warm and snow-less season, so Bing comes up with a plan to help Dean Jagger.

Fa-La-La-La-La, La-La-La-La... Day 22

Today's movie is The Bishop's Wife starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven, Monty Woolley, James Gleason, Gladys Cooper, Elsa Lanchester, Sara Haden, and Karolyn Grimes.

This is another film where the trailer doesn't tell you anything about the movie.




Here's another clip from the movie.




Plot: David Niven desperately wants a new cathedral to be built, but the wealthy benefactress funding the cathedral, has her own ideas about the project. He is so focused on getting the cathedral built, that he is ignoring everything else in his life including his family. Cary Grant is the angel who is dispatched to help David Niven, in answer to his prayer for guidance.

Fa-La-La-La-La, La-La-La-La... Day 18

Today's movie is We're No Angels starring Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray, Peter Ustinov, Joan Bennett, Basil Rathbone, Leo G. Carroll, John Baer, and Gloria Talbott.

I can't find a trailer, but here is a scene from the movie:



Plot: Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray, and Peter Ustinov are three criminals who break out of prison right before Christmas. They plan to steal from a local storekeeper, but then take pity on him and his family after learning more about them. The prisoners hatch a a plan to help the family which involves the use of Peter Ustinov's pet.

Fa-La-La-La-La, La-La-La-La... Day 17

Today's movie is The Christmas Box starring Richard Thomas, Maureen O'Hara, Annette O'Toole, Kelsey Mulrooney, Robert Curtis Brown, Michael Ensign, and Greg Brouwer.




I'm sorry, but I'm unable to find a trailer for this movie.




Plot: Richard Thomas, Annette O'Toole, and Kelsey Mulrooney move into Maureen O'Hara's home to provide light housekeeping and yard-work in exchange for room and board. Richard Thomas has dreams of financial success and works crazy hours at his store with his eyes on his future goal. Kelsey and Annette are gradually able to befriend Maureen, but Richard doesn't like her, especially when she keeps asking him the same question - "What was the first gift of Christmas?" Curious about some odd events that happen in the house, Richard finds a box in the attic which helps him better understand Maureen and how the events of her life have shaped her.

Fa-La-La-La-La, La-La-La-La... Day 16

Today's feature is The Christmas Card starring Edward Asner, John Newton, Alice Evans, Lois Nettleton, Ben Weber, Peter Jason, Andrew Sanford, Kate Hamon, Glorinda Marie, and Charlie Holliday.




Plot: Alice Evans is a young woman who participates in a local church activity of sending Christmas cards to troops stationed outside the US. John Newton is a soldier who receives her card. John's friend is killed and he is asked to deliver his deceased friend's dog tags to his fiancee, who just happens to live in the same town as Alice. After visiting with his late friend's fiancee, he accidentally bumps into Alice and eventually ends up saving her father's life. Alice's family invites him to Christmas dinner and he soon grows very attached to Alice and her family. Did I mention that Alice already has a steady boyfriend??

Fa-La-La-La-La, La-La-La-La... Day 15

Today's movie is A Christmas Story starring Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Peter Billingsley, Ian Petrella, Scott Schwartz, R.D. Robb, Tedde Moore, Yano Anaya, and Zack Ward.



Plot: Peter Billingsley has his heart set on getting a Red Rider BB gun for Christmas even though every adult including Santa, tells him that "You'll shoot your eye out!" Will Santa relent and give Peter his treasured BB gun?

Fa-La-La-La-La, La-La-La-La... Day 14

Today we have Home Alone starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard, Roberts Blossom, Catherine O'Hara, Angela Goethals, Devin Ratray, Gerry Bamman, Hillary Wolf, and John Candy.





Plot:
Macaulay Culkin is accidentally left behind as his family rushes to catch a plane to Paris. He enjoys being on his own until two burglars show up on Christmas Eve. It's up to eight year old Macaulay Culkin to hilariously defend the family homestead until the adults return.

Fa-La-La-La-La, La-La-La-La... Day 8

Today's movie is Come to the Stable starring Loretta Young, Celeste Holm, Hugh Marlowe, and Elsa Lanchester.


I can't find a trailer, but the entire film is currently available at Hulu.



Plot:
Loretta Young and Celeste Holm are two nuns from France who arrive in the small New England town of Bethlehem with the dream of building a hospital for sick children. The Sisters discover the perfect spot for the hospital and the owner agrees to give them the land for free if they will agree to install a stained glass window honoring his late son in the completed hospital. The Sisters then acquire a three month option on an old bottling plant to use until the hospital can be built. Unfortunately, the sisters misunderstood the terms of the contract on the bottling plant, and it will take a miracle to save their dream.

Fa-La-La-La-La, La-La-La-La... Day 7

Today's movie is The Shop Around the Corner starring Margaret Sullavan, Jimmy Stewart, Frank Morgan, Joseph Schildkraut , Sara Haden, Felix Bressart, William Tracy, and Inez Courtney.



Plot:
Jimmy Stewart is a young man who works in a gift shop who is in love with a female pen pal that he has never met. Margaret Sullavan is his coworker at the gift shop, and these two coworkers can't stand one another! Jimmy Stewart then discovers that Margaret Sullavan and his pen pal are one and the same. Can you say awkward?

Fa-La-La-La-La, La-La-La-La... Day 6

The movie for today is Holiday Affair starring Robert Mitchum, Janet Leigh, Wendell Corey, Gordon Gebert, Griff Barnett, and Esther Dale.



Sorry, I can't find a trailer for you to watch.



Plot:
Janet Leigh is a young widow working as a "comparison shopper" to support herself and her young son. Robert Mitchum is the clerk who waits on her and figures out that she is not a regular customer when she buys an expensive train set and doesn't ask any questions about it. She returns again with the train the next day, and Robert Mitchum takes pity on her after she explains that she is a war widow and allows her to return the train. He also decides not to turn her into his boss for being a spy, which leads to him being fired. Robert then invites Janet to lunch where he tells he about his plans to leave NYC and go build sailboats with a friend in California. Janet Leigh has a steady boyfriend who wants to marry her, and now this intriguing drifter is turning her head. What is a girl to do?

Fa-La-La-La-La, La-La-La-La... Day 5

Today's movie is The Lemon Drop Kid starring Bob Hope, Marilyn Maxwell, Lloyd Nolan, Jane Darwell, Andrea King, and Fred Clark.

I can't find a trailer for this film, but here is a clip from the movie where they introduce the world to the now famous Christmas song, Silver Bells.



Plot:
Bob Hope is a hustler who manages to get himself in deep with gangster Fred Clark. He comes up with a surefire scheme at Christmastime to raise the $10,000 he owes to Fred.

Fa-La-La-La-La, La-La-La-La... Day 4

Today's movie is I'll Be Seeing You starring Ginger Rogers, Joseph Cotton, Shirley Temple, Spring Byington and Tom Tully.


I've been unable to find a trailer for this film.


Plot:
Ginger Rogers has a secret. She meets and falls for Joseph Cotton while traveling by train to spend Christmas with her relatives. Joseph Cotton has his own secret to keep. Can these two overcome the secrets of the past and find happiness together?


PS: It's snowing this morning in Hairballville which is quite rare.

Fa-La-La-La-La, La-La-La-La... Day 3

Today's movie is Remember the Night starring Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, Beulah Bondi, Elizabeth Patterson, and Willard Robertson.


I can't find a version of the trailer that I can embed, but here's a link to it at Turner Classic Movies.


Plot:
Barbara Stanwyck is a thief who has been caught shoplifting for the third time. Fred MacMurry is the prosecuting attorney who fears that the jury might let her off easy because it's Christmastime, so he asks for a continuance until after Christmas. Fred MacMurry then feels guilty about Barbara Stanwyck staying in jail over Christmas, so he bails her out. He intends to drop her off to spend Christmas with her own family, but ends up taking her with him to visit his family. What will happen when they return to NYC for the trial?

Fa-La-La-La-La, La-La-La-La... Day 2

The movie for today is Miracle on 34th Street starring Maureen O'Hara, Edmund Gwenn, John Payne, and Natalie Wood.

I'll warn you know that the trailer doesn't tell you much about the storyline! Believe it or not, the film was released in May of 1947 and they decided to try and find a way to draw people in while keeping it a secret that the film is a Christmas movie.


Here' s the plot:
Maureen O'Hara is in charge of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, and it is brought to her attention by Edmund Gwenn that the man she hired to play Santa Claus is hopelessly drunk.Luckily, Edmund Gwenn agrees to take over the role for the parade. He is such a success that he is asked to stay on as the department store Santa at Macy's. There's just one problem. Edmund Gwenn actually believes that he is Santa Claus. Maureen O'Hara and her young daughter Natalie Wood are both skeptics who don't believe in legends or fairy tales, while John Payne, who would like nothing more than to be Maureen's husband and Natalie's stepfather, believes that Edmund Gwenn really is Santa Claus. Could it be true? Could there actually be a Santa Claus?

Fa-La-La-La-La, La-La-La-La... Day 1

Well, December 1st is here, so let's get in the mood with a Christmas movie. The selection for today is Christmas in Connecticut starring Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet, Reginald Gardiner, and S.Z. Sakall.



For those of you unable to watch the trailer, the plot goes like this:

Barbara Stanwyck writes a popular column in a ladies magazine where she paints a picture of domestic bliss on a farm with her adoring husband and infant son. She writes of home-cooked gourmet meals and a beautiful home filled with antiques. The truth is she is an unmarried "career girl" living in a NYC apartment who doesn't know anything about cooking.

Her boss, Sydney Greenstreet, who is unaware of Barbara's deception, decides it would be wonderful advertising for the magazine if Barbara and her husband would invite Dennis Morgan to spend an idyllic Christmas at their farm. Dennis Morgan is a sailor who has just been released from the hospital after returning from the war. Sydney Greenstreet also invites himself to spend Christmas at the farm much to Barbara's dismay.

So Barbara needs to learn how to cook gourmet meals, as well as come up with a farm, husband, and a baby or she's going to be out of a job!

Flashback Friday-TV4U

Recently, while doing a search to see if I could find a place to watch episodes of The Edge of Night online (the answer is no), I happened to come across TV4U. TV4U has lots of old TV shows, commercials, and movies that you can watch for free. It looks like the bulk of their programming is from the '40s, '50s, and '60s.

Happy viewing to my retro/vintage loving readers!

Flashback Friday!

Here's a few mysteries that I recently added to my DVD collection. There's a link under each movie to its IMDB page with pictures and other information about each film.


Murder On The Orient Express- 1974


Murder By Death-1976


Death On The Nile-1978


Evil Under The Sun-1982




Have a good weekend!!

Flashback Friday!

A few of the films from the 1940's that I enjoy watching.













Another one I enjoy is Since You Went Away, which I can't find a trailer for right now. I'll warn you that it is a real tearjerker!

On a personal note, this is going to be my last post for a while. I really do appreciate all of you who read and comment on my blog.