My 10 Favourite Christmas Films
Merry Belated Christmas to you all!
I thought it would be a nice idea to do an extra post this month and dedicate it to my favourite Classic Christmas films because of the festive season. There will be no major surprises here because I'm pretty sure all film titles will be familiar among classic film lovers and some will undoubtedly feature on your list of favourite Christmas films as well. Also, when you're not familiar with classic films and you want to explore Christmas films from Old Hollywood, a simple online search will lead you to lists on several websites, mostly revealing the same Christmas titles. Not so surprisingly since there are only so many Christmas films made during the heyday of Classic Hollywood. Fortunately there are some high-quality films among them, with great performances from the best actors and actresses Hollywood has to offer. Because of this, we can enjoy these Christmas films year after year, even throughout the year.
I love the fact that my favourite actress Barbara Stanwyck and my favourite actor James Stewart have Christmas films in their filmographies. And what quintessential titles! It's a Wonderful Life and The Shop Around the Corner for Jimmy and Remember the Night and Christmas in Connecticut for Barbara. The first three films mentioned are also among my favourite films ever and I can watch them over and over again.
I thought it would be a nice idea to do an extra post this month and dedicate it to my favourite Classic Christmas films because of the festive season. There will be no major surprises here because I'm pretty sure all film titles will be familiar among classic film lovers and some will undoubtedly feature on your list of favourite Christmas films as well. Also, when you're not familiar with classic films and you want to explore Christmas films from Old Hollywood, a simple online search will lead you to lists on several websites, mostly revealing the same Christmas titles. Not so surprisingly since there are only so many Christmas films made during the heyday of Classic Hollywood. Fortunately there are some high-quality films among them, with great performances from the best actors and actresses Hollywood has to offer. Because of this, we can enjoy these Christmas films year after year, even throughout the year.
I love the fact that my favourite actress Barbara Stanwyck and my favourite actor James Stewart have Christmas films in their filmographies. And what quintessential titles! It's a Wonderful Life and The Shop Around the Corner for Jimmy and Remember the Night and Christmas in Connecticut for Barbara. The first three films mentioned are also among my favourite films ever and I can watch them over and over again.
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Last year I had only rewatched It's a Wonderful Life but this month I intend to (re)watch as many Christmas films as time will allow, hopefully also all films listed below.
Let's reveal what's on my top 10 list. The list is not exactly ranked in order of preference except for the top 3 titles, they are my absolute fave ones. Still, the order of the top 3 can also vary depending on mood. So here goes!
1. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
“Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?”
This film about a small town (Bedford Falls) and one of its inhabitants (George Bailey) must be the most loved and most widely seen Christmas classic ever, one that I've also seen multiple times since childhood. It wasn't really well received upon release and it wasn't until it fell into the public domain by mistake and aired on television every year that it became a quintessential Christmas film. At present it's not in the public domain anymore since the original story and music are still under copyright, but the film is widely available now and nothing can shatter the holiday classic status it has gained. What makes this film so appealing to a great many people is its heartwarming message and James Stewart's outstanding performance. With me the ending always evokes tears, especially when Harry Bailey brings out a toast to George in the final scene, saying: "A toast to my big brother George: the richest man in town", and with Clarence's book inscription: "Remember, George, no man is a failure who has friends." Now I cannot wait for it to be shown on the big screen at the Filmoteca some day!
2. THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940)
“Oh dearest sweetheart Klara, I can't stand it any longer. Please ... take your key and open post office box 237 and take me out of my envelope and kiss me.”
This charming gem directed by Ernst Lubitsch is another timeless classic which I only saw for the first time in September 2015. I had wanted to see it since forever but never had it available to me before. I was already familiar with the Ryan/Hanks remake You've Got Mail, watched the other remake In the Good Old Summertime with Judy Garland right after my first viewing of The Shop Around the Corner, and though I love the two remakes as well, nothing beats the original. The chemistry between James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan is amazing and natural and they are great in their roles as bickering co-workers without knowing they're each other's secret pen pals. All their scenes together are pure cinematic gold and it's great to see their relationship develop. One of my favourite films, not just for Christmas.
3. REMEMBER THE NIGHT (1940)
“You don't have to be a horse to judge a horse show.” - Aunt Emma
My sister and I have been fans of this film ever since we've seen it in our childhood on television. It really was a rarity to be shown on television at all, while White Christmas would be shown almost every single year. Fortunately with the arrival of the digital age (the release of Remember the Night on DVD and it being on and off available on various streaming sites), this film has finally and rightfully gained the status of essential Christmas classic. I'm sure decades ago few people would have listed it among their favourite Christmas classics but now it is favoured by many. This is an engaging and heartfelt story about a shoplifter who's taken in for the holidays by the district attorney and his loving family. Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray shine in their leading roles and are supported by a wonderful cast consisting of Beulah Bondi, Elizabeth Patterson and Sterling Holloway. Though I didn't like the ending on a first watch, it's grown on me with every rewatch and now I find this film pretty perfect.
(This film doesn't appear on Letterboxd's 2018 list of 25 Top Rated Christmas Films of All Time. The reason they left it out is because — according to their data — it's often being watched in other months than December and to be eligible for a spot on their list the film should only be watched during the festive month. It's a stupid reason because this film has every right to be on a list of essential Christmas classics, being set at Christmas time and having this feel-good Christmas quality and spirit present. Besides, I can watch any favourite film of mine any time of the year.)
4. MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944)
“But the main thing is, Tootie, that we're all going to be together, just like we've always been. That's what really counts. We could be happy anywhere as long as we're together.”
5. WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954)
“Forty-five minutes all to myself.”
Probably the Christmas film I've seen the most which means I know it pretty much by heart. I think in terms of Christmasness, it doesn't get any more Christmassy than this. Elements of proof: the title, the title song, the closing scene with Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen and Danny Kaye dressed in their Christmas outfits, snow and a heartwarming story to boot. It might not be the best of the Christmas classics, with so much fierce competition, but it's pure fun and so rewatchable, and the musical numbers are memorable too. I particularly love Sisters, The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing and Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me. Also, the dance number with Vera-Ellen, Abraham, is one of my fave dance numbers.
6. BACHELOR MOTHER (1939)
“I don't care who the father is, I'm the grandfather!”
I've rewatched this delightful comedy recently and I enjoyed it even better than I did on previous viewings. Ginger Rogers plays a saleswoman who gets fired from her job during the Christmas season. She then gets mistaken for the mother of a baby left on the doorstep of an orphanage. David Niven is the son of Ginger's boss, the store's owner (Charles Coburn), and is willing to give her her job back on the condition that she keeps the baby. Needless to say this story premise leads to hilarious situations. Rogers and Niven have great chemistry and their scenes together are precious. This comedy may be a less obvious choice for a favourite Christmas film but I love it and it's set around Christmas time and has that holiday feeling written all over it.
7. MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1947)
“Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to.”
Definitely one of the quintessential Christmas films, remade in 1994 (a version I like very much too). The story premise of a department store Santa Claus claiming to be the real Santa and having to prove in court that he is Santa will tell you enough of how Christmassy this film is. Edmund Gwenn gives a believable performance as Kris Kringle/Santa, which won him an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, and Natalie Wood is adorable as the little girl who doesn't believe. Maureen O'Hara (as Wood's cynical mother) and John Payne complement the cast and bring some romance to this holiday tale. A curious thing I recently read is that studio head Darryl F. Zanuck insisted on the release of the film during the summer months. He argued that more people would go to the cinema in warmer weather. So the film was ultimately released in June and the Christmas setting had to be kept a secret during promotion. Imagine that!
8. CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT (1945)
“The things a girl will do for a mink coat.”
Christmas in Connecticut is another Barbara Stanwyck Christmas film, with Stanwyck playing a famous food writer who's supposed to live on a farm with a child and claims to be an excellent cook. In reality she is a fake, unmarried and unable to boil an egg. Enter Dennis Morgan as a war hero who is invited to spend Christmas on her 'farm'. It's all very unbelievable, but it's charming and fun and the cast really sprinkles some holiday magic with their performances. Stanwyck seems to have a blast playing a likeable and light character and gets great support by S.Z. Sakall, Una O'Connor and Sydney Greenstreet.
9. IT HAPPENED ON FIFTH AVENUE (1947)
“Remind me to nail up the board in the back fence. He's coming through the front door next winter.”
This touching Christmas film is one that in my opinion can't be omitted here. I just rewatched it and love it even more than the first time I saw it. The film is a little obscure, compared to the other well-known titles from this list, and it might have something to do with the fact that there are no big acting names here. Don DeFore, Ann Harding, Charles Ruggles, Victor Moore and Gale Storm will probably be known among classic film lovers but they are not familiar names with the larger audience. Still, this doesn't stand in the way of this being a heartily recommended Christmas classic. It tells the compelling story of a hobo (Moore) taking up residence as a squatter in the home of rich businessman Ruggles who has left New York for the season. The hobo then invites more homeless people to stay with him. When the home owners present themselves under assumed names, things start to get funny and touching. This is an underrated holiday film that really deserves to be wider seen, with great performances by especially Moore and Ruggles.
10. LITTLE WOMEN (1949)
“Christopher Columbus!”
Little Women is not a Christmas film pur sang but I wanted to make this a list with films that I wholeheartedly love and since there is a strong Christmas presence in this film, I decided to add it. The film starts at Christmas time, with Marmee (Mary Astor) reminding her four daughters (June Allyson, Janet Leigh, Margaret O'Brien and Elizabeth Taylor) of the importance of giving to the less fortunate, especially around Christmas time. Based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott (one of my favourite childhood reads), the story is heartwarming and the characters lovable and I'm a sucker for stories about sisters (I have 3 myself). The production design is great, with beautiful sets and costumes, all in gorgeous Technicolor. Even though a lot of this film isn't set around Christmas time, the opening scenes with the snow-covered exterior and the March home with the decorated Christmas tree create the mood for the rest of the film, and watching it feels like being wrapped up in a warm comfortable blanket.
So that rounds up my list. There are many films that are (partly) set at or around Christmas time and are worth seeing but didn't make my top 10 list. Among these are titles like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, We're No Angels, Three Godfathers (1936), Three Godfathers (1948), Hell's Heroes, I'll Be Seeing You, Meet John Doe, The Bishop's Wife and Never Say Goodbye.
Two quintessential films (that feature on many fave Christmas films lists) would have made my list, were it not for the fact that after rewatching them this month I didn't like them completely. I'm talking about Holiday Affair and Holiday Inn. Holiday Affair was far less enjoyable this time because of Robert Mitchum's character. I just kept wishing that Janet Leigh would end up with likeable Wendell Corey, even though I knew of course that she wouldn't. With Holiday Inn the blackface routine really bothered me with this rewatch. I'm always aware with classic films that I should consider the film in context but I couldn't look past the blackface now. It wasn't the only thing. I didn't like Fred Astaire's character at all, which I know I'm not supposed to do, but also because of this I didn't think this film deserved a place in my top 10 list.
So if you're curious what else I watched this month, stay tuned for my upcoming round-up of December!
PHOTO/GIFS IN THIS POST FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:
*Christmas in Connecticut (1945) with Barbara Stanwyck;
*It's a Wonderful Life (1946) with Donna Reed and James Stewart;
*The Shop Around the Corner (1940) with James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan;
*Remember the Night (1940) with Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Beulah Bondi and Elizabeth Patterson;
*Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) with Margaret O'Brien and Judy Garland;
*White Christmas (1954) with Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen and Danny Kaye;
*Bachelor Mother (1939) with Ginger Rogers and David Niven;
*Miracle on 34th Street (1947) with Maureen O'Hara, Natalie Wood and John Payne;
*Christmas in Connecticut (1945) with Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan;
*It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947) with Gale Storm and Don DeFore;
*Little Women (1949) with June Allyson, Elizabeth Taylor, Mary Astor, Janet Leigh, Elizabeth Patterson and Margaret O'Brien;
*A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945) with James Dunn, Ted Donaldson, Peggy Ann Garner and Dorothy McGuire;
*Holiday Inn (1942) with Bing Crosby and Marjorie Reynolds.
ALL GIFS MADE BY ME!
*It's a Wonderful Life (1946) with Donna Reed and James Stewart;
*The Shop Around the Corner (1940) with James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan;
*Remember the Night (1940) with Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Beulah Bondi and Elizabeth Patterson;
*Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) with Margaret O'Brien and Judy Garland;
*White Christmas (1954) with Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen and Danny Kaye;
*Bachelor Mother (1939) with Ginger Rogers and David Niven;
*Miracle on 34th Street (1947) with Maureen O'Hara, Natalie Wood and John Payne;
*Christmas in Connecticut (1945) with Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan;
*It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947) with Gale Storm and Don DeFore;
*Little Women (1949) with June Allyson, Elizabeth Taylor, Mary Astor, Janet Leigh, Elizabeth Patterson and Margaret O'Brien;
*A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945) with James Dunn, Ted Donaldson, Peggy Ann Garner and Dorothy McGuire;
*Holiday Inn (1942) with Bing Crosby and Marjorie Reynolds.
ALL GIFS MADE BY ME!