Merry Xmas! [Part 1]: A Classic Hollywood Christmas

Okay, if you read my post for the Bogie blogathon earlier today, you'll know how I screwed up the blogging schedule I've quite carefully figured out for this week (with two blogathons, several birthdays, and CHRISTMAS). I really wanted to follow up with the post I'd planned for today, Christmas Eve, so I'm going to go ahead and write it anyway, despite the fact I'll be showing up twice in your feed today (at least, in my time zone). Apologies once more (I don't like to overhaul people with posts, lol).

All December I have been spotlighting my favorite Christmas films as a part of my Sunday Movie Review. Tomorrow is a Sunday, and is also happens to be Christmas Day, and therefore I'll be following up with my little Christmas blogathon by reviewing my favorite Christmas movie of all time.

However, in pledging myself to do this I realized I'd be missing out on some of the other Classic Hollywood/Christmas stuff there is to talk about, and so I decided to do a two part post. This is the first part, and the second part will be tomorrow, which will consist of my movie review.

For this first part I present to you all a list of ten random, Classic Hollywood Christmas things I felt compelled to share with you all.

10 Things That are Classic Hollywood and Christmas

1. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AVA

Ava and one of her pet corgis wishing you a merry Christmas! Ava is one of my favorite actresses and I like her despite her faults because over all, she was still an awesome person. And she had good values about particular things, like she was ahead of her time when it came to racism: she didn't believe in it. But anyway, the point is that today, Christmas Eve, is her birthday! I read in her biography that it was a ritual on the 24th for two cakes to be baked: one chocolate and one coconut. One was supposed to be for the baby Jesus and the other for her but she always thought of them both for her. Anyway, any person born on Christmas Eve must be awesome, and Ava was. Happy birthday, Ava!

2. I LOVE LUCY: CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

I'm sorry, I could only find the colorized version (yuck!) on Youtube. However, this is a flashback episode and the flashbacks are still in B&W, I believe. Anyhow, try to ignore the colorization and enjoy this. It's a "walk down memory lane" episode for the Ricardos and Mertzes, and it takes place on Christmas Eve so I guess it's particularly appropriate for today. This episode isn't run in syndication with all the others, so if you watch Lucy on TV (versus online or on DVD) you might haven't gotten the chance to see this yet.

3. THE DONNA REED SHOW: A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

I just watched this the other day, I'd never seen an episode of the Donna Reed Show before. I liked and it so I'm sharing it! It was a little mushy but mush never hurts anyone in the holiday season [expect perhaps the Grinch and Scrooge]. Plus, this show's got Donna Reed, who should be the queen of holiday mush as she starred in The Best Christmas Movie of All Time (can you just guess what movie I'll be talking about tomorrow). I like her a lot, I think she's an underrated actress. (Donna Reed, I mean.)

4. GREER AND AN ADORABLE LITTLE BOY WISH YOU HAPPY HOLIDAYS

[via]

I would SO much rather get this in my mailbox instead of the usual tacky Christmas cards (just saying). The GIF (which isn't mine, you know where to click, yep, that's right, the "via" link, because that Tumblr is pretty awesome) is from "Blossoms in the Dust". (A Greer and Walter movie, I saw it but never did a review of it. It's good, though, so watch it! Albeit, not a Christmas film, it only has a Christmas scene in it, just so you know.)

5.  CHRISTMAS PIN-UPS

So many awesome Classic Hollywood Christmas related pin-ups! This is a handful of so many. From left to right: Paulette Goddard opening presents, Elizabeth Taylor showing off her kitten and wishing us a happy holiday, Mary Pickford changing the street sign from "Hollywood" to "Santa Claus Lane", Ginger Rogers fooling around with the Christmas tree, Doris Day boasting the presents she's got, Carole Lombard admiring her presents, Natalie Wood smiling through her adorned wreath, Audrey Hepburn hugging Santa Claus, and Lucy and Desi bashfully exchanging gifts with one another. :) 

6. CHRISTMAS PLAYLIST


"The Little Drummer Boy" by Bing Crosby

"Silent Night" by Lena Horne 

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Doris Day

"We Three Kings (of Orient are)" by Ella Fitzgerald

Some Christmas carols I love. I know I've been adding a Christmas carol with each movie review, but these are a few that I like that I didn't get the chance to share!

7. SUSPENSE RADIO: TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

"Twas the night before Christmas..." Christmas Eve with a mysterious twist! Greer Garson stars in this Suspense Radio Theater production that was broadcast on December 21st, 1953. A suspenseful take

on one of the most cheerful holidays of the year! 

8.  I ♥ ASTA ORNAMENT

I made this myself. Honestly, who WOULDN'T want this ornament. Seriously,  if this were a real item it would totally have been in my holiday gift guide. Because who DOESN'T love Asta, I tell you. [Lassie?? Pfffhtttt].

9. LUCY: SANTA LUCIA

"I squinted up into the blazing sun and saw a figure hovering over me dressed all in black with a Santa mask and beard and rolled up orange hair. "Santa Lucia!" I cried out."

- I LOVED LUCY by Lee Tannen

* did you ever see a more beautiful Santa? *

10.  THE MOVIES I MISSED

I decided to share with you my favorite Christmas films this December, and I only had four Sundays, which meant only four movies. I had to leave out a few that I love. Here are clips from them --

THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940)

Jimmy Stewart, Margaret Sullivan 

THE THIN MAN (1934)

Myrna Loy, William Powell

HOLIDAY (1938) [New Years]

Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant 

***

The second part of this post will be up tomorrow [the movie review]. Now, I'm off to enjoy "It's a Wonderful Life" (I always watch it on Christmas Eve! ;D).

But in advance: Merry Merry Christmas, my readers - or whatever holiday you're celebrating this time of year!

Sunday Movie Review: "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947) ❅

I'm back again, with the third Sunday in my Four Sundays of Christmas blogathon! For each four Sundays of this month, I'm sharing with you my favorite Christmas films. So far, I've reviewed "Holiday Affair (1949)" and "Christmas in Connecticut (1945)".

As a note: Sally over at Flying Down to Hollywood is hosting the 12 Days of Christmas blogathon, and I secured a spot, promising to write up for this film. Therefore, this review is my contribution to the blogathon. Be sure and go over to her blog and check out the other 11 entries, I'm sure they'll all be lovely - I believe a full list of all twelve entries will be compiled on Christmas Eve, so you can see it then. As for now, this is my entry. Thank you, Sally, for hosting this!

Before I get onto the review, just a quick note, guys - you might have noticed that I only need one more follower to reach fifty. To reach fifty followers after a little more than six months of blogging would honestly just make me sooo happy! When I started this blog I wasn't even sure if I'd be able to manage a few followers, so to nearly reach this milestone truly blows me. :) The thing is, I haven't exactly reached it yet... I still need just another follower, and I've really like to reach fifty by the end of this year. There's just about thirteen days left in this year. Let's see if we can reach it!

Okay, enough of that. Time for the review! And, as promised, here is this Sunday's classic Christmas carol:

"Let it Snow" by one of my favorites, Doris Day

And this week's movie, as you might already be able to tell, is "Miracle on 34th Street," (1947) with Maureen O'Hara, Edmund Gwenn, and a very young Natalie Wood.

***

The poster: Alright, if a little dull! (In my humble opinion)

The plot:

When Santa falls down drunk in the Thanksgiving Day Parade, reluctant Macy's supervisor Doris Walker (Maureen O'Hara) offers the job to a bearded Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn, who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar) purporting to be the real Santa! During the Christmas season, he shares a flat with Doris's neighbor (John Payne), who has eyes for Doris. Kris hopes to unite the two while winning over Doris's skeptical 6-year-old daughter (Natalie Wood). [from Netflix]

The starring players:

• Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle
• Maureen O'Hara as Doris Walker
• Natalie Wood as Susan Walker
• William Frawley as Charlie Halloran

The verdict:

4/5

You may call this movie a big advertisement for Macy's but I love it all the while. I love the plot, it's humorous and sweet, but don't label it as all fluff. It actually deals with some serious topics, not to mention that our Santa lands up in an mental institution on grounds of insanity. You also have Maureen O'Hara as a successful single mother - single due to divorce, something not quite popular in 1947. Thus Doris Walker became such a symbol for immorality in this Christmas film that it impelled the Legion of Decency to give this movie a B rating. So, no, despite it being based on a children's tale by Valentine Davies, it's not all fluff.. not exactly.

Edmund Gwenn is the perfect stereotypical Santa, with his glorious beard, rotund stomach, and jolly holiday spirit. He is so good, in fact, I think that he is the very definition of "Kris Kringle" in many people's minds, mine included. He is persuasive above all, which I think in this movie is very necessary. So he definitely deserved the Oscar he garnered for this role.

Maureen O'Hara is also fantastic as Doris Walker. In most cases you would resent the fact that she has forced her daughter, Susan, to grow up and face reality the way it is. But I can honestly say that her character is likable, and you can truly understand her reasons for not wanting Susan to believe in Santa Claus. She is wonderful across John Payne, her romance interest. He too is good, a very likable character, and all the while long you have your fingers crossed for he and Maureen O'Hara to get together.

Thus brings me to Natalie as Susan Walker. Natalie Wood never really considered herself a child movie star, not one in the likes of Shirley Temple or Margaret O'Brian - whereas the latter mentioned actresses had vehicles created for them in which they starred, Natalie usually played people's children in films. So she considered herself more of an actress in films who happened to be a child. Yet out of all the films of her childhood career, this is the most famous, and the one that probably marks her as a child movie star.

Bottom line is I loved her in this role. She is so sweet as the doubting six year old, and one of my favorite scenes in this movie is one in which she teaches Santa how to chew bubble gum. All the while her maturity prevents her from becoming sickeningly sweet or annoying, i.e Shirley Temple in her films. Also in this cast you've got William Frawley, in one of his pre-Fred Mertz roles.

I really love this movie. It's sentimental, charming, genuinely entertaining - albeit bordering on corny at times, but that's okay because it's a Christmas movie. I find it, even, a little clever. This film has found its way into many people's hearts - point in case, a colorized version (one we should all AVOID however). But I really suggest you settle into a comfy chair with a cup of hot chocolate and the B&W version of this movie. This one is one of my favorites to watch over and over!

Bottom line:

This will take you on an affectionate journey, and it's the type to leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling. So I strongly suggest you watch it. :)

Some photos:

[via]

Some trivia:

• Natalie, who was eight when she did this, was truly convinced during the filming that Edmund Gwenn was Santa Claus. It wasn't until she saw him at the wrap party out of costume that she realized he wasn't Santa.
• Darryl F. Zanuck did not really promote this as a Christmas movie. He wanted the film to be released in May (and it was), because he claimed more people went to the movies in the summer. Therefore, the Christmas movie angle was not used so often when publicizing this movie.
• Maureen O'Hara was pretty much forced into this role, as she was just returning to native Ireland when she got called back for this movie. But upon seeing the script and meeting the young Natalie Wood (she and Maureen would form a strong bond), she changed her sentiments.

A movie tidbit:

***

It's only a week until Christmas! Can you believe it???!

You'll probably be hearing a lot from me this upcoming week. I have two blogathons as well as some Christmas posts planned, and then the last Sunday in my blogathon. So.... until later! Here's a photo of Lucy, Cary Grant (!!!!) and Ann Sheridan to keep you in the holiday spirit:

Yes, I cried tears of joy when I saw this photo.

The Big 10 - My Favorite Actresses

You must be wondering, "This girl obviously doesn't have anything to Blog about, because we already know her favorite actresses..." Well, check one more time! ;) I have listed five of my favorite actresses in the "My Favorite Actresses and Actors" tab. But there are a couple more I love, and so I thought I'd publish a list of my ten favorite actresses with my favorite movie roles of theirs, and post some videos too. 


So, here it is. I love most Old Hollywood actresses, but these are the ones I tend to watch the most of and really enjoy.

1. Lucille Ball

Favorite role: Bubbles in "Dance, Girl, Dance" (1940)

(the movie isn't all that great, but Lucy sure is and she has an awful lot of fun dancing away to glory!)

2. Ingrid Bergman

Favorite role: Alicia Huberman in "Notorious" (1946)

3. Natalie Wood

Favorite role: Alva Starr in "This Property is Condemned" (1966)

4. Grace Kelly

Favorite role: Lisa Carol Fermont in "Rear Window" (1954)

(couldn't find a clip of Grace Kelly in this - so had to settle for the trailer. Apologizes!)

5. Audrey Hepburn

Favorite role: Holly Golightly in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961)

(this was so hard to pick!)

6. Elizabeth Taylor

Favorite role: Leslie Benedict in "Giant" (1956)

7. Doris Day

Favorite role: Jan Marrow in "Pillow Talk" (1959)

8. Katharine Hepburn

Favorite role: Susan Vance in "Bringing up Baby" (1938)

(once again, I apologize for having to settle for the trailer)

9. Jean Arthur

Favorite role: Clarissa Saunders in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939)

10. Sophia Loren 

Favorite role: Cinzia Zaccardi in "Houseboat" (1958)

Soon, I'll be posting a blog on my top ten actresses that I also enjoy, but haven't seen that many of their films yet and hope to see more. 

Ciao for now!