Classic Christmas Movies For the Holidays
Seasonal Favorites From the 1940s and 1950s Are Still in Demand
Dec 19, 2008
In the 1940s and 1950s, Hollywood film studios gave Americans a number of delightful Christmas movies that are today deemed classics. These movies had simple yet compelling stories with a Christmas message that hardly left a dry eye when the final credits rolled. These films premiered at a time of recovery and uncertainly. Americans looked back on one terrible war while facing another equally sinister one, the coming of the Cold War. More than just escape, these movies offered both hope and example entwined in a season of giving.
The Bells of St. Mary’s
Premiering the year World War II ended, Bing Crosby reprised his role as Father O’Malley, sent to St. Mary’s parochial store with the intent of closing it. But the school’s principal, Sister Benedict, played by Ingrid Bergman, is looking for a miracle. Between the efforts of the pragmatic O’Malley and the simple faith of Sister Benedict, they warm the heart of businessman Horace Bogardus, a Scrooge-like figure. In the end, his newly constructed office building becomes the new school.
The formula is utter simplicity but the message is moving. "Giving" people live longer, happier lives. The essence of faith is knowing that God still delivers miracles. In the final scene, Father O’Malley goes against doctor’s orders to tell Sister Benedict that she is being sent away due to her contraction of tuberculosis, not because of personal differences. This action was the greatest miracle and message of the film.
The Bishop’s Wife
Cary Grant comes to aid of an Episcopal bishop (David Niven) in this 1947 film that addresses the very essence of Christmas and giving. Grant plays an angel named Dudley who inspires goodness in everyone he meets. The movie is not, however, sappy or pithy. It looks deep into human nature and ultimately reminds the viewer what the angel atop a Christmas tree represents.
White Christmas
Paramount’s 1954 “White Christmas” became a perennial favorite, shown every New Year’s Eve on television well into the 1970s. It is a story of sacrifice and selfless giving. Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye contrive a way to give their old World War II general “the best Christmas gift” he ever had. With catchy Irving Berlin tunes, superb dance routines, and warmth of holiday spirit, “White Christmas” is an optimistic story with a happy ending.
It’s a Wonderful Life
Like “White Christmas,” Frank Capra’s classic Christmas movie of 1946 is all about love, giving, and the intrinsic value of life. Here again an angel, attempting to earn his “wings,” shows George Bailey what life would have been like had he not been born. The final scene is, of course, the best, precisely because it encapsulates the message of the film. Despite what seem as insurmountable obstacles, George Bailey has his family and friends to support him in his own time of need, and an angel received his wings.
Come to the Stable
Not the most well known film, this 1949 story highlights the “sublime” faith of two nuns determined to build a hospital for children in rural New England as a promise made to God during World War II when their hospital was spared destruction. The heart warming and often humorous story includes a pragmatic bishop who witnesses a miracle, a painter of religious art (Elsa Lanchester) whose faith is strengthened, and a worldly-wise song writer who ultimately comes to gripes with his own spiritual void. Loretta Young is at her best as Sister Margaret.
Other Christmas Films
There are many other Christmas themed films that remind viewers that the magical time of year should mark a spirit of selfless giving and happy endings. This Christmas, pick out of few of the classics, grab a box of tissues, and prepare to be whisked into the stories of miracles that still change lives.
