The Silver Screen Oasis

moira finnie wrote:Good call on Cash on Demand, Joel. Good retelling of The Christmas Carol.

It's a great little film, filled with suspense and fine acting, yet there are so many Christmas themes that emerge from it. My wife did not want to watch a traditional Christmas film this year, so I put this one in and she was hooked from the opening credits.

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Roadblock is a great noir--one of the few where the femme fatale experiences a change of heart, but too late to stop the protagonist's descent and eventual fall.

Mr. Arkadin also posted a resonant clip from Curse of the Cat People on Facebook. I think the quiet magic of Amy and "my friend" fits this thread beautifully:
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Another movie that approaches Christmas from a different direction occurred to me--The Man I Love (1947) with Ida Lupino as a saloon singer who returns to visit her siblings at the holiday. The restless air of the postwar period is captured with some grit and poignancy by the W. R. Burnett, Jo Pagano and Catherine Turney script. Under Raoul Walsh's direction, the outwardly steely and confident Ida gives one of her most touching characterizations, supported by the underrated Andrea King as her sister, Dolores Moran as a restless war bride, John Ridgely, Warren Douglas and Bruce Bennett, who is quite interesting as an enigmatic guy Ida (naturally) falls for in this story. Great Gershwin, Max Steiner and others music, blasted to a fare thee well by Warner Bros. unsung studio musicians.
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Moira, I just watched A STAR IN THE NIGHT five minutes ago! The sweetest, most beautiful short feature I've ever seen. It's on the copy of CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT I was given last year. I probably watched the short last year too, but I had forgotten all about it.

Is REMEMBER THE NIGHT the one with DA Fred MacMurray taking prisoner Barbara Stanwyck home for the holiday? I like that one better than "Connecticut."

Red:

You are right about "Remember The Night." I like it better than "CT" too. Also, I quite agree about "A Star In The Night." What a great job by Naish.

I just watched last night on AMERICAN MOVIE CLASSIC - Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye in WHITE CHRISTMAS, i haven't seen that movie in years and I was overjoyed by the beauty of this film.

I know everyone here agree with me - it was a very delightful and heartwarming film to watch.

Christmas in the 11th century:

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Some of the best film acting I've ever seen.

Agree. AND one of the best scripts ever.

Chris,

What a great idea for a thread! I probably haven't had enough caffeine yet to get my list complete the first time but I will give it a whirl-

White Christmas
It's a Wonderful Life- tied for number one. I saw both when I was in my teens and both had an impact on me.

In no particular order:

A Charlie Brown Christmas- cried like a baby at the end and still do. I also remember the Hostess Snowball commercials (ice cream rolled in coconut flakes with a candle) that used to air during commercial breaks.
Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer -I had no idea I would grow up to become the ringleader of the Island of Misfit Toys gang but if my small gang of college friends I still see every month is any indication, they tell me I did. And I still remember Santa riding the Norelco razor commercials!
How the Grinch Stole Christmas "Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot, but the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville - did not. The Grinch hated Christmas - the whole Christmas season. Now, please don't ask why; no one quite knows the reason." Priceless!
Christmas in Connecticut- who wouldn't want that house and "Cuddles" Sakall to come cook for you?
Meet John Doe- because I still miss someone.
Die Hard- who doesn't include this?
Love, Actually- "let's go get our butts kicked by love" and watching Emma Thompson's heart break is heart wrenching.
A Christmas Story- you'll shoot your eye out! Always reminds me of my family.
The Ref : "You know what I'm going to get you next Christmas, Mom? A big wooden cross, so that every time you feel unappreciated for your sacrifices, you can climb on up and nail yourself to it." The movie that always makes me think of my dysfunctional family during the holidays.

I'm the only person in the world who doesn't love DIE HARD. I like DIE HARD! It's an action film. "But it has this and that, and it's so..." It's an action film! I've seen it once, and never thought about watching it again.

Lzcutter wrote:Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer -I had no idea I would grow up to become the ringleader of the Island of Misfit Toys gang but if my small gang of college friends I still see every month is any indication, they tell me I did. And I still remember Santa riding the Norelco razor commercials!

I remember those commercials too, riding as though the electric razor were a snowmobile! But the brand name was given as "Noelco." My mother explained to me that only at Christmas was the company called by that name; the rest of the year they were "Norelco."

"Holly Jolly Christmas" was played on the radio all the time that year. And every year since. But ESPECIALLY that year! And I'm proud to say I was familiar with Burl Ives even before the TV special. I was only ten. But I knew a Class A folk singer when I saw one.

Noir Xmas:

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