MY TOP 10 CHRISTMAS MOVIES

 Every year, at this time, I prepare myself to watch my favorite Yuletide Season movies and I have ranked them in order of preference. They're all great films and their place in the list does not deter from their merits. All 10 are highly recommended if you like classic films and/or Christmas themed movies.

1.-   A CHRISTMAS STORY (1983)

2.-   NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION (1989)

3.-   BABES IN TOYLAND (MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS) - 1934

4.-   THE BISHOP'S WIFE  (1947)

5.-   WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954)

6.-   IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)

7.-   MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1947)

8.-   ELF (2003)

9.-   POLAR EXPRESS (2004)

10.- THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL (1992)

There's also the matter of the excellent and essential Christmas TV specials which I never miss during this season, but that is the subject of my next blog entry!

MY FAVORITE CARY GRANT

 Cary Grant made 73 films from 1932 to 1966. His thematic range went from high adventure, action thrillers, and screwball comedies, to romance and drama. He is chiefly remembered for his collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock on four of his best films: SUSPICION, NOTORIOUS, TO CATCH A THIEF and NORTH BY NORTHWEST, and also from his screwball comedies of the late thirties and early forties. Some of his best works combined romance, drama and comedy, such as HIS GIRL FRIDAY, ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS, GUNGA DIN, PENNY SERENADE and CHARADE and in all of them, the unmistakable Cary Grant persona and sophisticated charm always came through.

Out of his enormous output, I have chosen these 30 films, which are the ones I revisit and enjoy over and over again.

MY FAVORITE CARY GRANT list on IMDb:

https://www.imdb.com/list/ls557970806/

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS:

As 2021 slowly but surely steps in, and in the aftermath of the sad and shameful events that transpired on January 6th at Capitol Hill, I feel the need to review some of the things that, for me, make life worth living. These favorite things still bring a smile to my face and give me a sense that, in spite of all the idiocy and brutality in the world, there will always be a reason to be thankful and keep my hopes high!

Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy

Buster Keaton

 

Harold Lloyd

Sean Connery

Cary Grant

Frank Sinatra

Marilyn Monroe

Steve McQueen

Barbara Feldon & Don Adams in GET SMART

Benny Goodman                                            THE PINK PANTHER

 

HUCKLEBERRY HOUND and YOGI BEAR

Mort Drucker

The first 40 years of MAD Magazine

MY TEN MOST-WATCHED FILMS

I've seen quite a lot of films during my 69 years of life but just a chosen few have been revisited by me over and over again for different reasons.  This here is a list of the first 10 films I know I have seen more than a 100 times, although there are more than 50 in my complete most-watched checklist. The question people may ask about this is: why watch a film over and over again when you've already seen it and know every scene by heart? Isn't once enough?
If you have your own MOST-WATCHED FILMS tally, then you know the answer!

And without any further explanation, here we go:

THUNDERBALL (1965)

BULLITT (1968)

GOLDFINGER (1964)

THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957)

CASABLANCA (1943)

THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING (1975)

THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963)

WAY OUT WEST (1937)

THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948)

CHARADE (1963)

I'll post 10 more in a later chapter.

CARY GRANT remembered.

                                              We lost Cary Grant on November 29, 1986.

Born Archibald Alexander Leach, he was born in Horfield, Bristol on January 18, 1904 and passed away on November 29, 1986 at the age of 82.

His skill at playing comedy and dramatic roles with equal ease, was unparalleled in his time and as of today, there's still no other actor that can match his style or charismatic screen presence and charm.

I immensely enjoyed his early screwball comedies from the mid thirties through the forties like GUNGA DIN, THE AWFUL TRUTH, BRINGING UP BABY, PENNY SERENADE, HIS GIRL FRIDAY, ARSENIC AND OLD LACE and MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE, and I still watch them repeatedly whenever I can.

But my favorite films are the ones from his later career like TO CATCH A THIEF, NORTH BY NORTHWEST, OPERATION PETTICOAT and CHARADE, probably just because I was born in the fifties and I related to these more closely.

                                              

                                 

Anyway, Cary Grant was one of my very favorite actors and, like every male back in the day, I also wished I was more like Cary Grant.

               

               

Cary Grant and his fifth wife, Barbara Harris.

Cary Grant, like many celebrities, was the subject of many affectionate caricatures throughout his career.

 By Al Hirschfeld


         Hollywood Steps Out (Merrie Melodies) 1941

 By Mort Drucker

It should be mentioned that Cary Grant was one of the names considered when Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli were about to cast the first James Bond film, DR. NO, back in 1962.  Grant didn't want to sign for a multi-picture contract so he passed on the offer.

NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)

CHARADE (1964) 

Here's a video showing how Cary Grant could've handled 007's duties: