Category Archives: holiday picks

Sometimes angels rush in where fools fear to tread.

Posted on by under holiday picks

Cary Grant as an angel … well, if that’s not the most obvious casting ever.

And yet initally, our favorite dreamboat was actually cast in the role of a despairing bishop in the 1948 film The Bishop’s Wife. It wasn’t until filming was already underway that Grant realized he was more suited for the angelic part, thereafter switching roles with costar David Niven. The resulting film is a heartwarming holiday trifle, one that has maintained a steady popularity throughout the years.

Grant plays Dudley, an angel sent to Earth to help Bishop Henry Brougham (Niven), who spends his days soliciting funds to build a grand new cathedral. His constant fundraising leaves him at odds with his wife, Julia (Loretta Young), who feels neglected and unhappy in the wake of her husband’s dedication to the project. Dudley reveals himself to Henry and explains that he has come to help the bishop in answer to the bishop’s own prayer. But while a suspicious and increasingly jealous Henry believes that Dudley means to get the cathedral built, Dudley’s true purpose is merely to guide Henry into realizing that his marriage and his family are more important than the project. Dudley’s plans are somewhat set awry, however, when the angel finds himself falling in love with the bishop’s wife.

As angelic as Grant may appear onscreen, he and Young reportedly clashed several times throughout the filming of the movie. Grant, a persnickety actor under ordinary circumstances, was particularly exacting while making this film, which greatly annoyed Young. But there is little hint of this conflict on the screen. Throughout the movie, Grant and Young actually share more chemistry than Young and Niven–the former pair’s scenes virtually light up the film, while the latter pairing seems rather pallid in comparison.

The overwhelmingly bright spot in the movie is the appearance of Monty Woolley as the Brougham’s agnostic friend, Professor Wutheridge. Woolley, so brilliant in another perennial Christmas classic, 1942′s The Man Who Came to Dinner, almost steals the film from his costars during his few appearances. The scene in which Dudley continually refills Wutheridge’s depleted sherry features a particularly deft bit of comedy on Woolley’s part, as he repeatedly looks down and finds that his glass has magically replenished itself. His expressions are utterly priceless.

The movie was remade in 1998 as The Preacher’s Wife, with Denzel Washington as the angel and Whitney Houston in the title role. Having never seen it, I can’t make a recommendation as to whether or not it’s worth a viewing. But I can tell you that the original film most decidedly is. If you’ve never seen it, catch it this week on TCM–it’s airing on Christmas Eve. It’s a great one to watch with the family!

New Christmas classics.

Posted on by under brandie's faves, carrie's faves, holiday picks, new classics, nikki's faves, they made movies after 1970?

Though our humble blog tends to focus on the classics (which we generally categorize as pre-1970s movies, with a few notable exceptions), this does not mean we thumb our nose at so-called “modern” film. Quite the opposite, in fact. Well, except for crap like Transformers. Or The A-Team. Or Jackass 3-D. And so on. I, for one, don’t see explosions, fast cars, and crotch shots as the height of cinematic sophistication. Does that make me a snob?

Oh, well.

Getting back to the point … among our favorite Christmas films are quite a few from the post-70s period, movies that have brought us joy from our childhood days and beyond. A couple of our modern favorites, in no particular order …

Love Actually (2003)

Almost every British actor of note has been in the Harry Potter films since 2001. And if they haven’t been in Harry Potter, they were in this film. American filmmakers have tried to recapture the magic of this ensemble piece since it was released six years ago (Valentine’s Day, anyone?), but for some reason, it eludes them. The interwoven stories in this romantic opus connect each of the characters in love, friendship, and family bonds, and though some of the situations are overly sentimental, the film neatly avoids delving into the overly maudlin. Of particular note are the performances of Colin Firth as a cuckolded writer, Hugh Grant as the Prime Minister, Emma Thompson as Grant’s sister, and Alan Rickman as Thompson’s straying husband.

Die Hard (1988)

Speaking of Alan Rickman … I don’t care what anyone says, it’s just not Christmas without the original Die Hard. Rickman’s Hans Gruber is a perfect mixture of charisma and evil, and I’d argue that Bruce Willis has never been better than in his first go-round as New York cop John McClane. Yes, it serves up a little (okay–a lot) of blood with its yuletide cheer, but this is one kick-ass action movie. And I don’t say that about many action movies, to be honest. Plus, it’s funny as hell.

So yippee-kay-ay, mother … you know.

Elf (2003)

Okay, so out of the True Classics crew, I think I’m the only cotton-headed ninny muggins who actually likes this movie. And this is coming from a woman who heartily dislikes Will Ferrell in every movie he’s ever done except this one and 2006′s Stranger than Fiction. But thankfully, Elf features a sweetened Ferrell doing a toned-down version of his usual schtick as Buddy, a human raised by elves. The film also includes great performances from Bob Newhart as Ferrell’s adoptive father, James Caan as his “naughty” biological dad, Ed Asner as Santa, and Zooey Deschanel as Buddy’s bemused love interest. Despite an influx of sentimentality at the end, there’s a true sense of love at the heart of this movie, and I guess that’s why it strikes such a chord with me.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Tim Burton’s unique take on the holiday is a keeper. This stop-motion animated film tells the story of Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King who is fascinated by Christmas, and his ill-conceived bid to take over as Santa Claus, to disastrous results. A little creepy, true, but strangely heartwarming at the same time. Who else but Burton could accomplish that feat? The voice talent in this film features Burton stalwarts Catherine O’Hara, Paul “Peewee Herman” Reubens, and the recently-deceased Glenn Shadix as well as Chris Sarandon as the voice of Jack.

While You Were Sleeping (1995)

I don’t know if many people consider this Sandra Bullock film to be a Christmas film, per se, but as the bulk of the movie takes place over the holidays, it’s one that I always like to break out at Christmastime. Sleeping is utterly charming from start to finish, and the first indication that Bullock had immense comedic talent beneath the sarcastic veneer that marks her performance in the previous year’s Speed. Her Lucy is a winning protagonist, funny and winsome and heartrendingly sincere. Plus, the film features Bill Pullman in one of his best roles as Jack, Lucy’s supposed future brother-in-law, as well as the late, great Peter Boyle as Jack’s father, Ox.

Scrooged (1988)

Bill Murray is as synonymous with the 1980s as Members Only jackets and legwarmers, so it’s only fitting that he embody that decade’s version of Ebeneezer Scrooge. As Frank Cross, Murray is an unrepentant slimeball who finally sees the error of his ways when confronted by the three Christmas ghosts. This version injects elements of dark humor into Charles Dickens’ classic parable to great effect–it’s far from the traditional Scrooge tale, but an enjoyable adaptation nonetheless. Of note for classic film fans, Scrooged marks one of the final big-screen roles for Robert Mitchum, who would only make a handful of subsequent films before passing away in 1997.

Home Alone (1990)

Macaulay Culkin gives one of the better kid performances in “modern” film in Home Alone, as he matches wits with a pair of bumbling home invaders Marv and Harry (Daniel Stern and Joe Pesci). Some people are fonder of the 1992 sequel, in which Kevin ends up in New York City, with Marv and Harry once more at Kevin’s mercy as they plot holiday misdeeds. For me, the original is the better film, though I do enjoy Tim Curry’s performance as the smarmy concierge in the second one.

A Christmas Story (1983)

Cable’s TBS has almost ruined this movie for me. I say “almost” because if I manage to avoid TBS for the 24 hours surrounding Christmas Day, I don’t get over-saturated on it. And that’s a good thing, because this film, more than any other, is representative of my childhood, and each viewing brings with it some good holiday memories from days gone by. Not because my childhood was anything like Ralphie’s (although I was kinda envious of my brother when he got a BB gun for Christmas one year), but because this is one of my parents’ favorites. Even before its prevalence on television every year, this movie had a heavy rotation in our household. Not for nothing is this a modern classic–there are too many memorable moments to list, but I truly believe this movie has gained such a beloved following because there’s something for everyone here, whether you grew up in writer Jean Shepherd’s time or not.

Now that we’ve had our say–what’s your favorite “modern” Christmas classic?

Therapy Thursday: Psychology of a Tree

Posted on by under carrie's faves, classic cartoons, holiday picks, therapy thursdays

Psychiatric Help

Merry Christmas!  In the spirit of the season, True Classics will be doing a number of reviews of some of our favorite Christmas movies. This is not exactly the beginning of that series, but I have to say A Charlie Brown Christmas is still on my list. It’s a great Christmas movie, but that’s another post.

Trying to think of a good Therapy Thursday Christmas movie led me almost immediately to this one. After all, Lucy gives psychiatric advice, right? In all seriousness, though Charlie Brown walks through several of the most common themes that people find distressing. Well, that’s his job, isn’t it? And we love him for it.

Charlie Brown spends the movie trying to find out what Christmas means. Everyone has an opinion. In the end, Linus gives a beautiful rendition of the Christmas story- but it doesn’t end there. In his searching, Charlie Brown finds a sad, lonely Christmas tree. It was his job to find a wonderful tree, but he decides that he likes this one, “and besides, I think it needs me.” In that very moment, he finds his own meaning for Christmas, even though the other children find his tree a great disappointment. Good grief.

Charlie Brown gets a tiny tree that "needs" him.

While he searches for the meaning of Christmas, Charlie Brown feels depressed. He doesn’t see meaning, and he doesn’t feel he belongs anywhere- the story of his life, literally. In the end, however, everyone helps decorate his tree. He has a “family” of sorts- and the tiny tree, through hard work and some cartoon magic is truly beautiful. In truth, everyone loves Charlie Brown, even if they don’t really show it.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

This is iconic, really. Most people know about Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree. We call small trees “Charlie Brown trees.” People buy them purposefully.  The character Charlie Brown has saved small trees everywhere- quite an accomplishment for a depressed animated character.

Charlie Brown speaks for tiny trees everywhere

Christmas, especially these days, means exactly what we believe it to mean. A Christian holy day. A day for family. A season for giving, where people remember that altruism might be for the greater good (a time when people might actually care about the greater good). A time to be thankful and help those less fortunate. A time for forgiveness or making changes. A day for magic. A day to remember those you love and those you’ve lost. 

Rehearsal interrupted.

Christmas seems empty to those who have found no meaning in it. Well, that’s true. Most things are empty if you find no meaning. Charlie Brown shows us that. But, since we can ascribe any meaning we like, and Christmas means what we think it means, the sky’s the limit. Christmas shows us that we can have any environment we want, if we choose to make it that way.  So, like Ebenezer Scrooge (jumping stories here…) can we choose to keep Christmas all year?

So, Merry Christmas, whatever it means for you, and enjoy the time, however you spend it.

Fun isn't always focused...

Christmas Classics: Susan Slept Here

Posted on by under brandie's faves, hahas, hays code, holiday picks

Susan Slept Here (1954) is a delightful, if somewhat creepy (by today’s standards, anyway) bit of holiday fluff.  Starring Debbie Reynolds and Dick Powell, the film played with the censors at a time when it seemed everyone in Hollywood was determined to give the Hays Office its share of hell.

Reynolds stars as the titular Susan, a seventeen-year-old “juvenile delinquent” (which, in this movie, is essentially a fancy term for “vagrant”) who is picked up by a pair of cops on Christmas Eve. The policemen take Susan to the apartment of Mark Christopher (Powell), an Oscar-winning screenwriter who had used the cops for research in the past. The two flatfoots convince Mark to take Susan in for the night so that she need not spend Christmas alone, but his charitable gesture soon creates havoc and turns his entire life upside-down when Susan falls in love with him.

This marks the final big-screen performance for Powell, who had made his name initially as a song-and-dance man in a number of 1930s musicals (42nd Street, Gold Diggers of 1933) before reinventing himself as a noir anti-hero in the 1940s, originating the role of Philip Marlowe in 1944′s Murder, My Sweet. After completing work on Susan Slept Here, Powell retired from movie acting and concentrated his efforts on directing and producing for television, serving as one of the founders for Four Star Television.

In Susan Slept Here, the fifty-year-old Powell attempts to pass for thirty-five, with mixed results. Still, the age difference between Mark and Susan–a good eighteen years–is an almost insurmountable one for the film. It’s the one true weakness of an otherwise endearing storyline. Reynolds, who was twenty-two at the time of filming, was more than game, and it shows. But there is still an element of creepiness to the older Mark marrying an underage Susan.

The film alludes to this fact in several instances, most blatantly when the cops warn Mark and his “right-hand man,” Virgil (Alvy Moore), “Remember, you guys, she’s underage. Lay one hand on her and that’s all, brother.” And there are reminders of Susan’s youth sprinkled throughout the film, adding to the uneasiness. Yes, Mark marries Susan to protect her and keep her from being returned to jail, but still–he’s marrying a girl, not a woman. There’s a bit of an “ew” factor there, and it’s a little surprising that the film was approved according to the strictures of the Production Code. A young girl spending the night, unchaperoned, in the apartment of a committed bachelor, to whom she then ends up a teen bride? Ten years before, Joseph Breen and company would have been yelling their fool heads off.

My favorite aspect of the film is the way it slyly plays with the censors in constructing some of the dialogue. For instance, when Susan notices a picture of Mark’s longtime lover, Isabella (Anne Francis), it leads to this hilarious exchange:

Susan: “You know, I’d like to get a dye job and a facial like her.”
Mark: “Isabella is a natural blond.”
Susan: “You sure?”
Mark: “We’re very good friends. [pause] She told me.”

When I first heard this line, I practically gasped with laughter at the little hint of naughtiness in Powell’s delivery of that last line. The meaning he injects into that weighted pause is just one of the things that makes him a severely-underrated actor.

A note of interest: this may be the only film ever narrated by the Oscar statuette–at least, I can’t think of another one! Mark’s Oscar sits on the mantel, introducing us to the players and occasionally commenting upon the action. It’s a gimmick, yes, and the film could likely do very well without it. But it’s still a fun little element of an already enjoyable movie.

One thing I could do without is Susan’s dream sequence, which is a little too overwrought for my taste. As Susan pictures herself locked in a cage, strangling Virgil to get the key and “rescue” Mark from Isabella’s spidery clutches, I found myself waiting impatiently for the film to get back to the action. Sometimes, these little asides work (the extended dance/dream sequences in An American in Paris and Singin’ in the Rain come to mind), but when not done effectively, such scenes tend to bog down the entire film.

That being said, Susan Slept Here is ultimately a charming little picture, despite the “ew” factor of the age gap in the characters. And though only the first half of the film involves Christmas, it is still a nice little flick to watch by the fire as you wait impatiently for Santa this month. It’s playing again on Christmas Day, so try to catch it if you can!

A brief announcement.

Posted on by under classic cartoons, classic disney, holiday picks, news update

Just a quick heads-up:

You may have noticed that we did not post an entry for Saturday Morning Cartoons this week. What with the craziness surrounding the holidays and work schedules, we’re scaling back regular contributions to SMC until the new year. Nikki will post an entry on Lady and the Tramp this weekend, and we’ll return with more classic Disney after the holidays.

In the meantime, Caroline over at Garbo Laughs mentioned yesterday that she enjoys “Mickey’s Christmas Carol,” Disney’s 1983 retelling of the Charles Dickens classic, and that made me seriously want to see it again. So in case you’re struck with the same urge, here ’tis, courtesy of YouTube.

Happy holidays!

Posted on by under holiday picks

In addition to some of our regular posts this month, we’re going to be looking at several of our favorite Christmas flicks from over the years–an admittedly  cliched “12 Days of Christmas” celebration, if you will, highlighting some of our classic faves as well as maybe a couple of “modern” Christmas classics.

We’ll be kicking things off tomorrow, but in the meantime, while Uncle Bing sings us a song …

… tell us: what are your go-to classic Christmas films every year?

 

Therapy Thursday: You Can’t Take It With You and It’s a Wonderful Life

Posted on by under carrie's faves, holiday picks, therapy thursdays

Hello, Classic Film World!  I apologize for my absence from the blog (and especially to Brandie and Nikki for leaving them to keep things going so swimmingly without help- *pause for a moment of applause*).

So, I’m getting back in gear with Therapy Thursday again… and I’m taking it a different direction. Today, I’m doing both a TT blog and a comparison blog- we’ll see how this goes.

James Stewart as George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life

Now, I’m not personally a big fan of It’s a Wonderful Life, blasphemy, that I know it is. Still, I watched it with the family over the holiday. It’s good for a Therapy Thursday, for pretty obvious reasons. First, the whole karma-ness involved. George Bailey does everything he can to help those around him, trying to keep their lives from crashing down, eventually to the expense of his. Social work burnout, anyone? In the end, though, it comes back to him. We like this idea; it’s pretty warm and fuzzy. Also, it’s a pretty classic take on altruism. Many theorists don’t believe true altruism doesn’t exist- that we all want something in return, even if it’s just a “good feeling” about what we did. George comes pretty close to true altruism, but the moral of this story is that all his giving came right back to him, anyway, so it’s irrelevant. However, not everyone was like that, especially when he hit his low.

When George Bailey became hopeless, the world agreed with him.

Which brings me to my next thought: when he felt hopeless, the world became that way. No one helped him. People were mean to him. He made poor decisions. Things spiraled and got worse very, very quickly, until he hits rock bottom- and who likes to see Jimmy Stewart like that? However, after his “time of reflection” with Clarence, George Bailey realizes how important what he has is to him. It’s his life affirming moment; after that small change, his world puts itself back into place. Interestingly, this is how a lot of depression works. You can’t see the solution if you’re staring at the problem, which is the reason behind the now popular solution-focused therapies. People viewed him as crazy in the film when he was unhappy/miserable. However, they also were concerned with his ecstatic exclamations at “obvious” things. How could he be suddenly happy with so many problems?

Mr. Vanderhoff encouraged everyone to live for fun and what they truly want.

Interestingly enough, Frank Capra has an answer to this another of his films: You Can’t Take It With You. I love this movie for it’s humor and over the top characters. It’s just lovable. Again, we see Jimmy Stewart and Lionel Barrymore in film together, but this time Barrymore plays his future father-in-law. Martin Vanderhoff (Barrymore) has essentially come to the conclusion that George Bailey comes to at the end of It’s a Wonderful Life: that life is meant to be lived, and that’s what matters. However, he phrases it more along the lines of “Life should be fun.” The corporate world also finds Mr. Vanderhoff quite odd, because he is dedicated to living life for fun, not financial gain. It’s true- his family is very unusual. However, something very interesting happens with this family: the neighborhood adores them.

Martin Vanderhoff even enjoys his crutches, because he had "always wanted to try to walk on crutches," and now was able to give it a try.

Mr. Vanderhoff is always kind to others, is even a local leader, and lives his life of fun not at the expense of others, but in encouraging others to be happy. Not unlike George Bailey, who sacrifices himself for others’ well-being and happiness.

Is happiness having what you want or choosing to be happy?

So, how do we become happy? By having what we want or deciding to be that way?

SUtS: Ann Sheridan

Posted on by under 4-star films, best.films.ever., brandie's faves, hahas, holiday picks, summer under the stars

Our recommendation: The Man Who Came for Dinner (1942)

Airing at 12:00AM EST

This film is one of my favorite Christmas movies (though overall, the theme is quite less than Christmas-y), and I’m so glad to see it on the schedule for today because it features one of Ann Sheridan’s most enjoyable (though relatively minor) roles. And who doesn’t love a little taste of the holidays during the summer?

… Just me, then? Okay. Watch it anyway.

The Man Who Came to Dinner stars Monty Woolley as Sheridan “Sherry” Whiteside, a caustic radio personality and critic with a beyond-beleaguered assistant, Maggie (Bette Davis, giving an understated but wonderful performance in one of her rare comedies). Though he is entirely unpleasant to people in person, he has gained immense popularity and legions of fans through his radio show, and while on a speaking tour, he stops in Ohio and is invited to the home of the Stanleys. Entering the house, Sherry falls on the icy steps, injuring his hip. Threatening to sue and unable to be moved, Sherry subsequently takes over the Stanley household, raising havoc, misery, and family drama in his wake (something in which he perversely takes immense pleasure). In the meantime, Maggie falls in love with local newspaperman and aspiring writer Bert (Richard Travis), but Sherry, unwilling to lose his very capable assistant, conspires with his protege, actress Lorraine Shelton (Ann Sheridan), to break up the young couple.

Witty, snarky, and altogether rude at times, The Man Who Came to Dinner is, simply put, utterly hilarious. It’s also immensely quotable–no surprise, considering the screenplay (based on the play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart) was written by Julius and Philip Epstein, who also wrote the equally quotable screenplays for films such as Casablanca and Arsenic and Old Lace. You’ll be throwing around some of these zingers (or wanting to, anyway) after watching this film.

Personally, my favorite interactions in the movie are between Sherry and his nurse, Ms. Preen (played by the ever-marvelous Mary Wickes in her screen debut), on whom he heaps nothing but abuse:

Sherry: “Ah, pecan butternut fudge!”
Preen: “Oh, my, you mustn’t eat candy, Mr. Whiteside, it’s very bad for you.”
Sherry: “My great-aunt Jennifer ate a whole box of candy every day of her life. She lived to be 102 and when she’d been dead three days, she looked better than you do now!”

And when Nurse Preen quits, she delights the audience (and Sherry) with her parting shot:

“I am not only walking out on this case, Mr. Whiteside, I am leaving the nursing profession. I became a nurse because all my life, ever since I was a little girl, I was filled with the idea of serving a suffering humanity. After one month with you, Mr. Whiteside, I am going to work in a munitions factory. From now on, anything I can do to help exterminate the human race will fill me with the greatest of pleasure. If Florence Nightingale had ever nursed YOU, Mr. Whiteside, she would have married Jack the Ripper instead of founding the Red Cross!”

Though Woolley–who was relatively unknown in Hollywood at the time he was cast–pretty much walks away with the film, Sheridan shines as pouty, ambitious Lorraine. She takes what could be a one-dimensional role–the rapacious, overacting starlet set on promoting herself and marrying well–and turns her into a delightfully self-involved, fully fleshed-out character.

The supporting cast is also full of gems: Jimmy Durante shows up for a brief but pivotal cameo as comedian “Banjo” and ends up putting Lorraine in her place; Reginald Gardiner is wonderfully smooth as the debonair Beverly Carlton, who helps Maggie try to foil Sherry’s plot; and Grant Mitchell and Billie Burke more than hold their own amidst the chaos as the put-upon Stanleys.

Make sure you catch this one. I guarantee you’ll be laughing from start to finish.