Ever since I researched 1940s Hollywood for Stars in the Night, I’ve been a bigger fan than ever of classic movies. Growing up, my favorite movies were from the 30s and 40s…that hasn’t changed. There’s something I love about the simplicity of that time that shines through in movies that make me laugh and feel. So today I thought I’d share a few of my favorites.
White Christmas: I adore this relatively simple story set during the post WWII years. I love the theme of honoring those we admire…even at great cost to ourselves.The ending scene with the general makes me tear up every time. And hearing Bing Crosby croon White Christmas? And Danny Kaye is the perfect comedic foil. Sing with me “Sisters, Sisters….” Perfection! My family adores this movie.
Holiday Inn: This is more than a Christmas movie because it features 13 Irving Berlin songs that are set around the holidays. Fred Astaire’s fire cracker dance has always been a favorite of mine, but I love the theme of letting a loved one go so they can chase their dream. Happy sigh.
It Happened on 5th Avenue: I shocked some folks last year, because I’d never seen this movie. Oh my! They were all right. I love it! It’s the story of a rich girl who stumbles on some homeless men who are living in her father’s seasonally abandoned mansion in NYC. She joins them and their friends, and before long her dad and mom have joined them — while pretending to be people other than they are. This is a story of realizing the hold things and money can have on us and turning instead to the value of people. A beautiful story.
It’s a Wonderful Life: I have to admit that I watched this so many times growing up, it lost some of its appeal. But my husband loves this movie, and it’s growing on me again. Who hasn’t felt like their dreams died and in the process their life didn’t matter. I love the way this story shows the long-lasting impact we can have on people without realizing it. The imagining what life would be like without us. It’s a definite keeper and one to watch each year for the reminders that we do matter — even when we feel like our story has no meaning or value.
Christmas in Connecticut
: Here’s another classic that we’ve recently discovered and enjoy as a family. A woman in post WWII America is desperate to keep her job as a domestic column writer. Her readers think she knows everything about cooking and child-rearing. But she isn’t married, has no child, and doesn’t cook. It’s not a problem until her editor decides to join her for a perfect Christmas. Then the fun begins. This is a comedy that the whole family can enjoy. (And I’m giving away a copy!)
So these are a few of the classic Christmas movies that my family loves to watch. I’d love to know which ones are part of your traditions. Is there a favorite holiday go-to movie in your family?
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I love Holiday Inn and White Christmas!
Love those movies so much. Watch them year round.
I love “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I don’t know if this quite qualifies as a classic, but my family loves “Christmas Story.” The young actor reminds us of a friend my son had when he was younger, and we all often use the line, “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!”
By the way, what is the giveaway?
Christmas in Connecticut.
A copy of Christmas in Connecticut 🙂
I love all of the movies that you mentioned, Cara, and I own several. Just watched White Christmas a few nights ago (and cried in the scene where the troops honor their old general as I do every single time). The Bishop’s Wife if another favorite.
We are in the middle of watching that one!
Oooo…I would have listed the same ones as you…I have yet to own Christmas in Connecticut and It Happened on Fifth Avenue, though, but I get excited when I see them on television (TCM at the in-laws during the holidays). The Shop Around the Corner is good too – but White Christmas and Holiday Inn were the ones we always watched growing up, stringing popcorn and cranberries for the tree. I have most of those songs memorized and am doing my best to indoctrinate my children with how awesome these movies are. 😉 The Christmas Card is a newer movie that I’ve added to my favorite list, but it’s more of a chick-flick than a classic. Elf and Home Alone always come out at some point for fun family movie nights…but you definitely listed the best of all time that I’ve seen.
What a great list of movies, Jessica!I can tell you love Christmas movies, too.
White Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street are two of my favorites. Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to you, too!
It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street.
I enjoy watching Santa Claus is Coming to Town, The Grinch, and The Polar Express with my granddaughter.
Thanks for listing ones I had not heard of!
Those are fun movies to watch with kiddos. And we love It’s a Wonderful Life around here, too. So good!
You’ve picked all my favorites. I also enjoy The Bishop’s Wife with Cary Grant and Miracle on 34th Street. Recently, I’ve added “November Christmas” to my list of favorites, and not just because of Sam Elliott. However, when Christmas Eve rolls around, I’ll be snuggled up in my chair by the electric woodstove heater with a cup of hot chocolate and everything will be “hunky dunky” as I watch Christmas in Connecticut. It’s at the top of my list!
LOVE that watching in front of the heater with cocoa! Such a good way to get in the Christmas mood.
It’s a Wonderful Life is my favorite Christmas movie. My favorite animated Christmas special is A Charlie Brown Christmas because it is the only one I know of that tells the true meaning of Christmas. 🙂
I love how the Charlie Brown movie has Luke 2 and the true meaning of the season in here.
Our favorite Christmas movies are It’s A Wonderful Time. My kids love the classic Christmas shows: Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Those kids shows are such classics. Not sure my kids have seen Rudolph though. Need to change that.
My husband loves “A Christmas Story” so we watch it every year. I like “One Special Night”.
I haven’t seen One Special Night, Kim. What is it about?
My favorite is the original Miracle on 34th Street. For fun we enjoy National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and Skipping Christmas.
Skipping Christmas? That’s not okay 😉
White Christmas and It’s A Wonderful Life are hands-down my two favorite Christmas movies! I haven’t seen the other ones you mentioned, aside from Holiday Inn, so I’d love to win them! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
You’ll love the others, if you like White Christmas and It’s a Wonderful Life!
Outside of “Choreography” (the song, that is), I love White Christmas, and my in-laws watch it every year. Danny Kaye is one of my favorite comedic actors of all time.
Choreography is an odd one, I agree. Danny Kaye is amazing!
White Christmas is my favorite
It’s so good!
I like the movie Silver Bells.
I haven’t seen that one!
These are all great classics! I particularly love Christmas in Connecticut. And I also recently discovered It Happened on Fifth Avenue. Bachelor, Mother, The Bishop’s Wife (with Cary Grant!), Holiday Affair, Remember the Night (another Stanwyck film) and The Christmas Carol are also classic favorites.
My more modern Christmas favorites include While You Were Sleeping, The Holiday, The Family Man and many of the Hallmark movies.
I love old movies, “It’s a Wonderful Life” is a repeat often. Another one not necessarily a Christmas movie is “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” I watch that on repeat often too.. I haven’t seen “It Happened on 5th Avenue”, “Holiday Inn’ or “Christmas in Connecticut”. New movies to add to the list of things to watch this year.
My husband and I really enjoyed The Holiday. A fun twist on a Christmas story.
I like Home Alone 1 with the Polar Express coming in for a close second. Thanks for the giveaway. I have never seen this movie.
I showed Home Alone to my kids a year or two ago with much trepidation. Fortunately they laughed alot without getting ideas. 🙂
Like you, I had never seen It Happened on 5th Avenue until last year and it became a new favorite for me. The movie I look forward to every Christmas is A Christmas Carol starring Patrick Stewart. Thanks so much for the giveaway!
Oh, I’ll have to look for that version of the Christmas Carol.
I’d love to win a copy of Christmas in Connecticut. I’ve never seen it but I adore Christmas movies. My absolute favorites are Silent Night (a WW2 movie with Linda Hamilton), The Christmas Wish (with Debbie Reynolds), & It’s a Wonderful Life.
Thanks for the giveaway opportunity! Am I entered by commenting? Sorry if I missed that in the post:)
Merry Christmas!!
Isn’t there something about Christmas movies that makes them extra special. And you are entered! Thanks for participating.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas & Charlie Brown’s Christmas are my 2 favorites.
Those are two good ones. Which version of the Grinch do you enjoy?
There isn’t but I love classic movies. Awesome suggestions here, I’ll watch the last one somewhere even if I don’t win. 🙂
We don’t really have a favorite but often find very good Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel. My wife and I do a lot more reading than TV viewing.
White Christmas and It’s a Wonderful Life are my two must-sees for this season. I also enjoy Henry Winkler’s It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, as well as the animated Arthur Christmas.
I forgot about It Happened on 5th Avenue! I’ve only seen it once, but what a hoot! Wish I had that one. Will have to add it to my wish list.
Hugs,
Andrea
I really have to watch Arthur Christmas, because you’re about the 6th person today to recommend it!
Your favorites are all my favorites, too, especially “White Christmas” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I also love the various “Christmas Carol” movies. My favorite is the 1970 version of “Scrooge” with Albert Finney because it’s a musical, and I know the words to all the songs!
I plan to read the Christmas Carol to the kids and then watch a version of it. There are so many of that story.
My must-see movies every year are: It’s a Wonderful Life, George C. Scott’s “A Christmas Carol, Miracle on 34th Street, White Christmas & the original animated The Grinch Who Stole Christmas! I’ve heard so much about Holiday Inn that I’ll be checking to see if my library has a DVD copy of it 🙂
I love all the old-timey movies too Cara! Good wholesome entertainment and great music 🙂
There’s something to be said for movies you can watch as a family without concern for what hidden “Gems” will be in them. Stucco checks as we call them.
I have so many I love but the Charlie Brown Christmas is a HUGE favorite here. The scene with Linus quoting Luke 2 gets me every time.
That’s my favorite part of that movie, too.
White Christmas is my favorite! Love it so much! And I also always watch The Grinch and Charlie Brown Christmas
Both of those cartoons are so good. Great conversation starters with the kids.
I like White Christmas.
We adore that one.
Haven’t seen It happened in 5th Avenue. But, yes to all the others. I even like the remake of Christmas in Connecticut. There are many others I watch yearly, but are newer. Merry Christmas & happy watching!
What’s the remake called? I’ve only seen the original (I think).
Love The Muppet Christmas Carol! I watch it every year at Christmas time. It’s my favorite version of A Christmas Carol I’ve seen, and follows surprisingly close to the original story. I especially love the music in it!
Maybe that’s the one I’ll watch with the kids this year…
I don’t remember how we discovered Christmas in CT, but it has become one of our “musts” for the Christmas season. We’ve given away copies as gifts too.
How fun!
I enjoy most of the Hallmark Christmas movies but my very favorite Christmas movie is The Christmas Card. A wonderful guy is back from the Army, does a good deed, falls in love with a family, more especially, the daughter, and yet, it is not the first time. You see, this young woman sends Christmas cards to soldiers and hers happens to be the one he received before he leaves. Lovely story!
I love old movies, “It’s a Wonderful Life” is a repeat often. Another one not necessarily a Christmas movie is “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” I watch that on repeat often too.. I haven’t seen “It Happened on 5th Avenue”, “Holiday Inn’ or “Christmas in Connecticut”. New movies to add to the list of things to watch this year.
I love watching The Nativity Story, I think it was a very well done telling of the Christmas story (and the magi crack me up). Growing up our go-to was Home Alone, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen that one though! It’s a Wonderful Life is my favorite classic for sure.
I love the animated How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Muppet Christmas Carol, White Christmas, While You Were Sleeping, and The Holiday. So many great ones!
White Christmas is still a favorite! I havent seen Christmas in CT. I really enjoy Christmas Carols…Muppets version, An American Christmas Carol with Henry Wrinkler as Scrooge. I am making a list of the movies from the comments above to find and watch.