Movie Review
Christmas Addition
BY Devilish Vikki
This month, I will talk about some of the holiday movies. I love having a holiday theme. If you have not seen this list, or maybe you have; they are always good for a second look. Most of my picks can be watched any time of year, but make you feel good during the holiday season.
HOLIDAY AFFAIR (1949)
One of my must see that's a big fav of mine. Starring Robert Mitchum (by the way, he always plays the sexy bad boy… now who don't love that? Yummy!)
This is a comedy. OK... he's a bit of a silly bad boy, with only one yummy scene...but let’s get to the plot. A fatherless boy (Timmy played by Gordon Gebert) would love to get a train for Christmas. As part of his mother's job, she brings home a train he thinks is his. His mother tells him over and over; the train is not for you. Christmas morn, Timmy finds the train outside the front door. He thinks it is from his mother, but it is really from Steve Mason; a store clerk (Robert Mitchum) who gets fired for letting Connie Ennis return the train bought (played by Janet Leigh) who happens to be engaged to Carl Davis (played by Wendell Corey) The comedy starts, as Mitchum gets arrested and invited to Christmas dinner.
MEET JOHN DOE (1941)
Directed by an interesting director. Frank Capra has done a few great movies. This one, is in my top five of Frank's movies... we will save that list for another time.
Meet John Doe stars Gary Cooper & Barbra Stanwyck. Stanwyck always plays such strong female rolls in her movies; this one is no different. In this film, she works at a newspaper, and fabricates a letter by one John Doe how we should all love each other and help our fellow man. This letter also doubles as a suicide note, “… on Christmas eve, if things do not change I will jump off a bridge.” And they set out to find a man to say he wrote the letter. Gary Cooper (a homeless man) goes along with this plan. Once it starts to work, and people are being kind everyone at the paper including John Doe get rich and start to change. John starts to feel remorse, and convinced to keep it going until Christmas Eve. John gets found out as a fraud. People go back to the way they were; only out for themselves. Christmas Eve comes and John feel such guilt for what happened. The Politians who hate John, try to persuade him to jump. His true friends, ask him not to jump...watch it and see the end. I really loved it.
IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE
A great comedy film from 1947 starring Victor Moore,
Ann Harding, Don DeFore, Charles Ruddles and Gale Storm.
This movie received a nomination for an Academy Award for best story. The 2nd richest man in the world and a hobo. Every holiday season, the millionaire goes to his mansion in Florida due to issues in Florida. The hobo is in his new York mansion. Mike the owner, returns to new York and is mistaken for a pan handler and asked to stay in his own mansion. It’s not just the hobo in the mansion, it’s a couple of GI's who want to buy an army base owned by Mike the millionaire. Little by little, the guest finds out Mike is a millionaire, all but the hobo. They have one of the best holiday seasons together and plan to do it again next year.
MEET ME IN ST.LOUIS
Some may not think of this as a holiday film, but this movie depicts a year in the life of a family. The Smith family with four daughters and one son, has to decide; do we stay, or go to New York after the holidays. If you have never heard Judy Garland sing
“Have yourself a merry little Christmas,” you might add this musical to your holiday movie list. Directed by Vincent Minnelli …
Vincent and Judy were married after falling in love, on this picture. The cast is awesome. Judy garland as Ester Smith, Margret O'Brien as Tootie, Mary Astor as Mrs. Smith, Leon Ames as Mister Smith and Marjorie Main as Katie the Maid. If you let yourself get lost in the film, you may want a family like this yourself. It's sweet how before cable and the internet, people had parties at their home on Friday night.
I hope you enjoy my pix for holiday movies. Few more I could list
Christmas in Connecticut Christmas Vacation
Home Alone Bad Santa 1 and 2
From me to you, have the happiest of holidays & a blessed new year much love.