watchingwell: December 2019

Watchingwell

Curated classic films

Season’s Greetings!

I am pleased to bring to your attention some holiday films to add to the list of the favorites that I have shared before and will share again at the end of the list. I admit that I have not recommended some of them before because they did not appeal to me for some reason or other, but a lot of people are fond of them, so you can decide for yourself, -- and some I forgot about, or just discovered.

The Lemon Drop Kid (1951) is one that I forgot. The

Damon Runyan story, upon which it is based, stars Bob Hope as a con man who owes a gangster, played by Fred Clark, $10,000 that he must pay back by Christmas. Directed by Sidney Lanfield and an un-credited Frank Tashlin, it also stars Marilyn Maxwell, with whom Hope sings “Silver Bells” the holiday favorite, introduced in this film.

Christmas Eve (1947) is another film that I forgot, having only seen it once. Ann Harding plays a woman

who tries to locate her three adopted sons, played by George Brent, Randolph Scott, and George Raft, whose lives have taken them far away from her and each other. She hopes to reunite with them at Christmas to save her fortune from her nephew, who is swindling her. Directed by Edwin L. Marin and also starring Joan Blondell and Virginia Field.

The Holly and the Ivy (1952) is a quiet British gem that I just discovered on DVD. Ralph Richardson plays a clergyman who is spending his first Christmas without his wife. His children, played by Celia Johnson, Margaret Leighton, and Denholm Elliot use this occasion to confront long-buried family tensions. Poignant drama set in post-World War II England is beautifully acted. Directed by George More O’Ferrall.

The Great Rupert, also known as, A Christmas Wish

(1950) is another one I just discovered. Jimmy Durante stars in this quirky, but charming, tale that takes place in the holiday season, and his co-star is a kind of animated, squirrel puppet, courtesy of a technique devised by producer, George Pal, of science fiction fame. The squirrel, part of an out-of-work vaudeville act, has taken up temporary residence behind the wall of Durante’s apartment. A Scrooge-like landlord hides his money in a hole in the wall, and the squirrel retrieves it and gives it to Durante, a generous fellow, who distributes it to the community. With Terry Moore and Tom Drake. Directed by Irving Pichel.

3 Godfathers (1948) is a film that I have seen a number of times, but many years ago. So, I may have forgotten the remarkable cinematography of Death Valley by Winton Hoch and how well-acted it is. John Wayne stars along with Pedro Armendariz and Harry Carey, Jr. as outlaws on the lam in the desert with no water, who feel compelled to honor a woman’s dying wish to save her baby. Ward Bond is the pursuing sheriff. I am not often entertained by westerns, but this one is completely absorbing. John Ford directs this parable of the three wise men, with a fine score by Richard Hageman.

It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947) seems to be getting a revival as a holiday film. It has a heartwarming message about class and charity. The plot

involves a hobo, Victor Moore, who annually breaks in to mansions in NYC when the owners are away for the winter and in one particular season, impersonates the owner and takes in boarders, who are struggling because of the post-war housing shortage. Because Gale Storm (if you remember, My Little Margie), the daughter of the real owner, Charlie Ruggles, falls for one of the boarders, she gets Ruggles to pretend to be homeless, too. There are even more plot lines, but you get the general idea. Also starring Don DeFore and Ann Harding and directed by Roy Del Ruth.

Another favorite of many – The Shop Around the Corner (1940), is the story of the nearly-thwarted romance of Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart during the Christmas season in pre-war Budapest. Directed by the masterful, Ernst Lubitsch, it has many comic moments, but many sad and bittersweet ones, too. Also starring Frank Morgan, Joseph Schildkraut and Felix Bressart.

While I have recommended Holiday Inn (1942) over this if you have to choose, White Christmas (1954) is quite enjoyable because of Rosemary Clooney joining co-stars, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen. They all get together to save the Vermont inn of the retired commanding general under whom Bing and Danny served. Irving Berlin songs and romance abound. Directed by Michael Curtiz.

At some point, I have to include the classic A Christmas Carol (1951) which has been made and remade a number of times. The one I recommend is the one starring Alastair Sim, whose amazing performance carries the whole production. His plastic facial expressions portray both the malevolent and comical, as well as the pathos of his eventual remorse. This is the dark version that evokes the world that Dickens meant us to see. Directed by Brian Desmond-Hurst.

Having said all that, you might be pleasantly surprised by Scrooge (1971), the musical version starring Albert Finney. Directed by Ronald Neame, with a moving score by Leslie Bricusse, it also stars such notables as Alec Guiness, Edith Evans and Kenneth More. Finney is pretty convincing as the cynical miser.

Many more people than me really like The Bishop’s Wife (1947) starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven, and directed by Henry Koster. However, I’ve recently seen it again, and, actually, I always seem to watch it when it appears, unless there’s something better on, and Loretta Young is so lovely and Cary Grant is so --- well, Cary Grant, so I understand how it appeals. The message of the film: re-discovering the value of the spiritual over the material existence is done with a touch of humor. Also the Christmas tree scene is nice. I love tinsel.

Which brings us to Holiday Affair (1949), starring Janet

Leigh, Robert Mitchum, and Wendell Corey. Not one of my favorites, but other people like it. Directed by Don Hartman, the story centers around war widow, Leigh, inadvertently getting Mitchum fired, and inviting him to Christmas dinner to atone, where he proposes to her in front of in-laws and fiancé, Wendell Corey. To many, the son trying to return the train set to give Mitchum the money is sweetly seasonal in spirit, but I find the kid a little whiney. Actually, the only really likable character in this drama is Wendell Corey, who, in the end, and correctly, in my opinion, observes that he deserves better than Leigh.

And if you are still not sure of what seasonal fare will satisfy your mood, and you don’t want to watch any of my all-time faves (see previous blog posts for descriptions):