I observe a sacred tradition every Christmas. Well, maybe not sacred, but something I have been doing for a lot of years. I watch three movies every holiday season.
These three holiday movies, I watch in a certain order. It starts with Thanksgiving, and of course, ends with Christmas. I think that they are the best movies made that represent the holiday, and the Christmas spirit. There have been many different versions made, each with outstanding actors, but for me these three movies are the best. I have all the movies in their original back and white version.
First, I start with a Miracle on 34th Street, which was made in 1947. It stars Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood, and Edmund Gwenn, as Santa Clause. This movie starts the holiday season for me. Actually, I have already watched Miracle on 34th Street on Thanksgiving Day. It was a quiet holiday. This year, since I only like the dark meat of the turkey, I decided to attempt making Peaking Duck. I combined three recipes, for this, two-day cooking extravaganza. Surprisingly, it was successful. So, with a bottle of my favorite Merlot, I sat back and thoroughly enjoyed the movie.
The next movie I watch, is The Bishops’ Wife. It is a romantic comedy, made in 1947. It stars, Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven, and Monty Woolley. I know Denzel Washington, starred in the remake, The Preacher’s Wife, but the Cary Grant version is my favorite. The plot is about an angel who helps a bishop with his problems. Bishop Henry Brougham (David Niven), is troubled with funding the building of a new cathedral, he prays for divine guidance. His plea is seemingly answered by a suave angel named Dudley (Cary Grant), who reveals his identity only to the clergyman. However, Dudley’s mission is not to help construct a cathedral, but to spiritually guide Henry, and the people around him.
The last movie is A Christmas Carol, it is Charles Dickens’s wonderful story of reclamation of the soul. When I was a teenager, there was a local television program called, “The Million Dollar Movie,” that showed classic films, every week. Every Christmas they played “A Christmas Carol,” for an entire week. This version was not the first produced. In my professional opinion, this is the best adaptation of Dickens story. This British version was produced in 1951. Sometimes it is entitled Scrooge.
It stars Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge. Sim is a fantastic actor, and backed by a very talented cast. I think my favorite part, is when Scrooge is standing on a snow-covered street, before the Spirit of Christmas Present. The Spirit opens his robe, and shows Scrooge two sickly, staving, scrawny children. Scrooge says, “Spirit, are these yours?” The Spirit of Christmas Present answers,
“They are Man’s.’ ‘They cling to me for protection from their fetters.’ ‘This boy is Ignorance; this girl is Want.’ ‘Beware them both.’ ‘But most of all.’ ‘Beware the boy!’”
I always think about the warning, that Dickens gave us. But I’m not sure that we have learned the lesson.
All these movies are my favorite Christmas movies for a lot of years, and more to come.
