As a moviegoer for more than 70 years, I’ve seen some great movies, some not so great, some really bad ones, some trying but failing to be deep and meaningful, some reveling in their shallowness. I was born the year The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind were released. My mother started taking me to the movies shortly after that. I saw some movies that were definitely not PG rated. I can still remember being afraid of The Thing and delighting in An American in Paris.

Many times I disagree with the critics. I don’t call them and tell him what I think of their reviews, so now that there is an internet for anyone to babble on, I add my voice. I’m sure there are many of you who will disagree with my assessments. Some of you will agree. I hope to hear from all of you.

Ho! Ho! Ho! It’s that time of year again. Unfortunately, there have been more bad movies made about the holiday season than any other subject. There been some decent ones too, but they are in the minority. How many times can you watch It’s a Wonderful Life without throwing up? In this case, it’s probably familiarity breeds contempt. After five or more versions of The Christmas Carol, I’m sorry but “I can’t stands no more.” Bad Santa is just bad. All three Santa Clause movies should have been revoked. The people who made Elf must have been 12-year old boys. Trading Places shouldn’t have. What kind of message does Home Alone send? Pretty scary. And, Santa’s Slay—I’m wordless.

I enjoyed watching the following:


Miracle on 34th Street (1947): Edmund Gwen stars as the loveable Santa who must stand trial to prove his existence—the nerve. John Payne and Margaret O’Brien are his loyal supporters.

White Christmas (1954): Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye are war buddies who help out their former commanding officer to save his inn. They find time to court sisters Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen.

We’re No Angels (1955): Three escaped convicts, Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Rey and Peter Ustinov, end up trying to save their intended victim. The shopkeeper and his family are so endearing these hardened criminals cook-up a convoluted plan to raise money. While they’re at it, they also help romance by helping the daughter find love. My personal favorite.

The Dead (1987): John Houston directs daughter, Anjelica, in this adaption of James Joyce’s The Dubliners. The story centers around a Christmas dinner in the early 1900s. After dinner a husband and wife must come to terms with their issue-filled marriage. Isn’t that always the way?

The Bishop’s Wife (1947): An angelic Cary Grant becomes an unwitting rival between David Niven and Loretta Young. Niven, the bishop, is trying to raise money to build a new cathedral. This obsession causes a strain on his marriage. Will the angel save the day? You can always bet on Grant.

March of the Wooden Soldiers: Babes in Toyland (1934): Who better than Laurel and Hardy to get it right? This delightful film has them trying to rescue the widow Mrs. Peep and her daughter Bo-Peep. There are at least three versions of this story. Start with the first and best.

Christmas in Connecticut (1945): Barbara Stanwyck stars as the Martha Stewart of her era. Unfortunately, it’s all a sham to promote her job as a columnist for a woman’s magazine. Her publisher, Sydney Greenstreet, comes up with another scheme: Invite war veteran, Dennis Morgan, to Christmas dinner. You can guess what’s going to happen, but it’s enjoyable all the same.

Holiday Inn (1942): Der Bingle, Bing Crosby, and Fred Astaire team up in this Irving Berlin story of a three-way romance. Marjorie Reynolds is the love interest. The story centers around Crosby as owner of a country inn only open on holidays.

I’ll Be Seeing You (1944): Prison inmate Ginger Rogers on a furlough for the holidays meets Joseph Cotton on a train. They are attracted to each other, but Rogers is afraid of what he would think if he knew her secret. It turns out that Cotton has a few secrets of his own. What will become of them? Oh my. Shirley Temple co-stars. Now you know. What could possibly go wrong in a Shirley Temple film?

The Lemon Drop Kid (1951): Bob Hope is at his best in this Runyon-like tale of a small-time crook who cheats a big-time crook. Forced to come up with $10,000 before Christmas, Hope engages the talents of his girlfriend, Marilyn Maxwell, and his gang to devise a plan. They do and it involves Santa suits. The song, “Silver Bells,” came from this delightful movie.

A Midnight Clear (1992): It’s France 1944. An American Intelligence unit meets a German platoon. The Germans prefer surrendering to the Americans rather than facing possible death in the waning days of the war. The two groups spend Christmas together.