Classic Christmas Cinema

Like most people Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year. From advent season at church, to fun parties, baking and family events, I love it all. What I enjoy most though is hanging out at home with my hunky husband watching Christmas movies. Our tree is lit, we make some hot chocolate and cuddle up on the couch for a couple of hours. It's bliss right?

But I'm a tad picky about my Christmas movies. I'm actually a little obsessed. I have a huge dvd collection of classic Christmas films and keep an updated calendar of almost every Christmas special that comes on tv. My favorites are the old classic black & white Christmas movies of the 30s & 40s especially. I grew up watching these with my Grandparents on the weekends when I was out of school on Christmas break. I have such great memories of baking with my Nana, dancing in the living room to Bing Crosby with my Papa, and watching these movies with my cousins while sitting under the Christmas tree. It's been tradition ever since. So get out your calendars and set your dvrs for my picks of must-see classic Christmas movies!

The Man Who Came To Dinner Uproarious comedy with Monty Woolley, Bette Davis, & Ann Sheridan about an acerbic radio personality who slips on the ice outside his host's home prior to a dinner engagement at Christmas. He moves in, er takes over, the family's home while recuperating and wreaks havoc in everyone lives. Truly one of the best comedies you'll ever see.

It airs on TCM Sunday Dec 18th @ 10pm and again on Friday Dec 23rd @ 4pm.

The Shop Around The Corner 
If you've seen Meg Ryan & Tom Hanks in You've Got Mail, well this film is the original, and so much better! James Stewart & Margaret Sullivan play 2 Coworkers in this sweet romantic comedy that takes place at Christmastime, who have an intense dislike for one another. But both soon find out though that they are each other's love pen-pals.
It airs on TCM Friday Dec 16th @ 12am and again on Sunday Dec 18th @ 10am.

Holiday Affair
A war widow who's newly engaged falls for a store clerk who she inadvertently gets fired at Christmas. This is not only a favorite Christmas movie, but one of my most fave movies ever. Robert Michum & Janet Leigh at their best! But little Gordon Gebert steals the show.

It airs on TCM Tuesday Dec 20th @ 11pm and again on Christmas Eve @ 2:30pm.

The Bishop's Wife
It had me at Cary Grant. Loretta Young, David Niven, and Monty Woolley costar in this ultimate Christmas film about an angel (Cary Grant) who comes to help a Bishop (Niven) rediscover his purpose, but only serves to be a thorn in the Bishop's side. A fantastic story of how the real meaning of Christmas can get lost in material concerns. The scene where Dudley the angel tells little Debby the story of the Shepherd David is magnificent.
It airs on TCM this Sunday Dec 4th @ 10am and again on Friday Dec 16th @ 8pm.

Meet Me In St. Louis

Judy Garland in her husband Vincente Minnelli's musical about a year in the life of a family set to move to New York before the St Louis World's Fair in 1904. The unforgettable scene in which Judy Garland debuts the classic standard Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas still gives me chills.

It airs on TCM Tuesday Dec 6th @ 2am and again on Christmas Eve @ 6pm.

Christmas In Connecticut

Spectacular Christmas romantic comedy with Barbara Stanwyck, Sydney Greenstreet, SZ Sakall, and Reginald Gardiner. Stanwyck plays a Magazine Writer who pens articles about her life as a Domestic Queen on an estate in Connecticut. Only it's a sham, but a sham she must see through when her boss invites himself to her non-existent estate for Christmas, bringing along 2 American war heroes.

It airs on TCM Sunday Dec 11th @ 10am and again Friday Dec 16th @ 10pm.

White Christmas

Everybody's favorite Christmas film. Epic Irving Berlin Musical with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney & Vera Ellen at a Vermont Inn to put on a show for Crosby & Kaye's Commanding General from WWII. The scene on the train where they sing "Snow" is amazing and the final scene is nothing short of wonderful.

It airs on AMC multiple times throughout December starting Monday Dec 12th @ 8pm

It Happened On 5th Avenue

Fantastic story of 2 homeless men who move into a 5th ave mansion while the owner's are spending Christmas in the South. Starring Charlie Ruggles, Ann Harding, Gale Storm, & Don DeFore, the comedy develops when the owner's daughter poses as a runaway and moves into the mansion, falls in love with a homeless ex-GI. She convinces her family to pose homeless as well to ensure her love interest won't be tempted to marry her just for her money.
It airs on TCM Sunday Dec 18th @ 8pm and again on Christmas Eve @ 12:30pm.

It's A Wonderful Life
Who hasn't seen this movie at least a hundred times? My Dad & I used to watch this every year together. And even though he's not with us anymore, not a Christmas goes by without me watching Frank Capra's classic & having a toast to my Dad. It's just such a terrific story of how even at the worst of times we still have so many reasons to hope & count our blessings. Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, and Lionel Barrymore give Oscar-worthy performances, no doubt.
It airs on NBC this Saturday Dec 3rd @ 8pm and again on Christmas Eve @ 8pm.


A few other favorites that aren't airing on tv this Christmas season, but are available on dvd: The Bells Of St Mary's, Holiday Inn, and Remember The Night. What's so wonderful about all of these movies is not only are they classic, fantastic films, but they're appropriate for the entire family. There's no bad language or objectionable material and they make for great family movie nights or a date night with your honey. So what are some of your favorite, most sentimental Christmas movie picks? Let me know which of these movies you'll be watching this month y'all!