Music, drama, and humor make up this list of five classic holiday films that are enjoyed year after year among families all around the country.
Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn was produced in 1943 and stars Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire as two entertainers (Jim and Ted) who split up their act because of a woman. Jim is dissatisfied with the life of a nightclub entertainer. He’s burnt out. So he purchases a farm in Connecticut with the intention of relaxing, but after realizing that it’s hard work and also because he misses entertaining, he decides to turn it into a dinner club that is open only on holidays. This gives him the rest of the year to relax, which is quite an ingenious plan.
Jim hires a female singer to help with the holiday shows and as time goes by they fall in love. After breaking up with the woman he wooed away from Jim in the first place, Ted comes back into his life and proceeds to woo Jim’s new partner.
The film is filled with songs. The classic song White Christmas was introduced in this movie. There are several other songs which span the holidays, from Valentine’s Day to Christmas. However the culmination of the film is White Christmas.
Holiday Inn is a fun film that is filled with humor, drama, and most of all music.
White Christmas
White Christmas came out in 1954. Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen star in this story of dedication and appreciation.
Crosby and Kaye are entertainers Bob and Phil. They met in the Army where Phil saved Bob’s life. Ever since then Phil has been holding that incident up whenever he wants something from his friend. The two become a successful entertainment duo, thanks to Phil’s insistence that they team up, something he never lets Bob forget.
The two meet a sister act and they all wind up in New England at a ski resort. Unfortunately, when they arrive there there is no snow.
The owner of the lodge is their old Army General. Seeing that he is in financial troubles, Bob and Phil devise a plan to bring their show up to the lodge to attract customers.
The movie has many great numbers and ends with the entire cast singing the title song, White Christmas. The Anniversary DVD includes bonus features about the cast and comes with a code to download five holiday songs.
Miracle on 34th Street
This 1947 classic film stars Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, and a very young Natalie Wood. Miracle on 34th Street is the story of belief – belief in Santa Clause and the meaning of Christmas.
When an old man who calls himself Kris Kringle, poses as Santa Clause at Macy’s, he is the best Santa they have ever had. But is he really playing the part or is he the real Santa, which he claims to be?
Kris is taken away to a mental institution, but thanks to a smart attorney, he is given a hearing to prove that he is in fact Santa Clause. He is an amazing man who manages to steal the hearts of the people while spreading his message that Christmas is not about commercialism. Kris wants to bring back the true meaning of the holiday.
There is no way to disprove his claim that he is Santa Clause. They cannot prove that he is not Santa. This hearing takes the city by storm and brings back the magic of the season.
It’s a Wonderful Life
It’s a Wonderful Life is one of Frank Capra’s best movies. James Stewart and Donna Reed star in this classic movie. This 1946 story about a man who gets the opportunity to see what life would be like if he had never been born has had people wondering about their own effect on others around them through the years.
The story is about humanity and what is important in life. The important part of life is not finances or personal wealth. It is family and friends.
The new Collectible DVD Gift Set includes a code for downloading songs. There is also a “making of” documentary and a tribute to Frank Capra. And it comes along with a bell to ring. As they say in the film, every time a bell rings, and angle gets its wings.
A Charlie Brown Christmas
From 1965, A Charlie Brown Christmas has inspired generations of viewers. Good Ol’ Charlie Brown is upset about the commercialism of the holiday. His friend Lucy tells him to become the director of the Christmas Pageant at their school to boost his spirits.
One of his tasks is to procure a Christmas tree. Charlie Brown selects a scrawny little tree which provokes the rest of the cast to chastise him. But Charlie Brown insists the true meaning of Christmas is not about the biggest tree.
Together they all decorate the little tree and with love and attention it turns into a beautiful Christmas tree, proving that the meaning of Christmas is exactly what Charlie Brown said. It is about love, giving, and caring.
Because of this movie, small, scrawny little trees are now referred to as “Charlie Brown trees.” The impact of this one little tree has endured over forty years.
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