Every Christmas season I watch a lot of old, familiar Christmas movies on TV or from my DVD collection, as many people do.
There are perennial favorites, such It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and A Christmas Story.
I love these movies, but my three favorite Christmas films may not be on your list, or even on your radar.
Although 1951’s A Christmas Carol is another perennial favorite, and actor Alastair Sim is nearly everyone’s favorite Scrooge, I prefer the 1984 film with George C. Scott as Scrooge.
The 1984 adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol offers a powerful performance by Scott, who is strong, willful and downright mean and nasty, whereas Sim was kind of whiney.
If you have not seen this film, I suggest you watch it.
You can watch the film via the below link:
A Christmas Carol (1984) - The Full Movie - YouTube
I love O. Henry’s short stories and I love the 1952 film, O. Henry’s Full House.
The 1952 film offers five adaptations of O. Henry’s great short stories with Christmas themes, featuring five fine directors, fine screenwriters and a fine cast.
The film presents some of my favorite short stories from one of my favorite writers.
The O. Henry stories - The Clarion Call, The Gift of the Magi, The Ransom of Red Chief, The Cop and the Anthem, and The Last Leaf - offer humor, drama, pathos and irony.
I especially like the crime story The Clarion Call, with Dale Robinson and Richard Widmark (seen in the above photo).
You can watch the film, which features the late, great actor Charles Laughton and a young Marilyn Monroe (seen in the above photo), via the below link:
O. Henry's Full House (1952) - YouTube
One may not think of a James Bond film as traditional Holiday fare, but every Christmas season I watch On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
The film, which was released in December of 1969, has a Christmas setting and takes place in the snow-covered Swiss Alps.
The film, despite not having the great Sean Connery who recently passed away, as Bond, is one the best in the series in my view.
Considering that the new Bond, George Lazenby, had to follow Connery in the role, and that he had not acted before, I believe he delivered a better than fair portrayal of Bond.
He looked like Ian Fleming's Bond and he was very good in the fight and action scenes.
The film was also graced with Diana Rigg, who recently passed away, as Tracy, a strong, yet troubled woman with whom Bond has a serious - if ultimately tragic - love affair.
Although I would have preferred a European actor to portray Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Telly Savalas was a commanding, brilliant and truly mad Blofeld. The supporting actors were also very good.
The director of this fine film was Peter Hunt, who edited the earlier Bond films. Hunt was faithful to Ian Fleming's novel, even going with the thriller's dark ending. Peter Hunt gave us a true James Bond thriller.
The film also offers a terrific soundtrack by John Barry.
You can watch scenes from the film and listen to John Barry's instrumental We Have all the Time in the World via the below link:
On Her Majesty's Secret Service • We Have All the Time in the World • John Barry - YouTube
You can also watch scenes and listen to John Barry's great love song sung by the late, jazz great Louie Armstrong via the below link:
Louis Armstrong - We Have All the Time in the World [007 On Her Majesty's Secret Service ] - YouTube
Enjoy the films. Merry Christmas.
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