The highest grossing film of 1954 stars Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye as two talented song-and-dance partners who team up with two equally talented sisters (Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen) to save a fledgling winter resort in Vermont owned by their former commanding general. I love watching White Christmas each year for its humor & classically entertaining musical numbers in a wintry setting.
This 1989 comedy sees Chevy Chase reprising his role as Clark Griswold, a hopeless patriarch who just wants to show his family a nice Christmas when things predictably take a turn for the worse. While you can probably guess what hijinks are coming as far as plot is concerned, this is still one of the funniest Christmas movies you're likely to see, if not the funniest. From Cousin Eddie and the in-laws to a gorgeous femme fatale to a more-than-slightly overcooked turkey, the gags never get old.
Gotta love this original starring Edmund Gwenn and a very young Natalie Wood. It's about a jolly old New York City man who fancies himself as Santa Claus and befriends a Macy's businesswoman and her daughter. When he is committed to a mental institution, a young lawyer attempts to legally prove that the man's identity is truly that of the real Santa Claus. Miracle on 34th Street is a funny, warmhearted film that perfectly captures the Christmas spirit thanks to Gwenn's Oscar-winning performance. If you've seen the 1994 remake with Richard Attenborough and not this original version... SHAME ON YOU!! (Watch the original this season and you'll see that the remake doesn't even compare.)
For director Bob Clark's perennial comedy classic, I shouldn't even have to say. The story follows Ralphie, a young boy who tries his darnedest to convince his family, schoolteacher, and even Santa that he deserves a Red Ryder B.B. gun for Christmas. With more memorable moments and quotable lines than you can count on your pink bunny fingers and toes, A Christmas Story is a riotously funny must-watch with a good heart that begs multiple viewings, as long as you haven't managed to shoot your eyes out during the hustle & bustle of the holiday season.
A favorite of both director Frank Capra and star Jimmy Stewart, It's A Wonderful Life tells the story of small-town businessman George Bailey, a man with grand aspirations far too big for his hometown of Bedford Falls, New York. When George teeters on the brink of insanity, a guardian angel teaches him a life-saving lesson by showing him what life would be like if he hadn't been born. It's A Wonderful Life isn't just my favorite movie for Christmastime. It's one of my all-time favorites, period. I could watch it over and over at any time of the year for its wonderful story, clever dialogue, and colorful characters. 66 years after its release, it's still one of the most original films I've ever seen, and I think I cherish it more and more every year. Partly because it's such a classic holiday treasure and partly because it means it's been another year that Hollywood hasn't announced a remake. *wink* Thanks Clarence!
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