Christmas In Black and White

I will admit I am a huge fan of black and white movies.  Christmas movies are no exception.

I love spending afternoons or evenings watching holiday movies during the weeks leading up to Christmas. Watching movies at home is A LOT cheaper than actually going to the theatre. You can make your own popcorn at home if you want the "ambiance" of going to the movies. (and just as a side note I saw on the news this morning, research shows that a large movie theatre popcorn is a whopping 1700 calories! Staying at home to watch movies can save you A LOT of calories! Hey, I'm just trying to keep you informed.)

I started a tradition with my son when he was about 5 years old.  Every year, the weekend after Thanksgiving we would pull out all the Christmas decorations. As we were decorating we would drink hot chocolate and watch "It's A Wonderful Life".  Now my son is 14 and just the other day he asked me which day next weekend, were we  going to make hot chocolate and watch "It's A Wonderful Life" and decorate the tree? Children love tradition....and so do adults!

When I got remarried and gained a new husband and two new children we made some new traditions of our own. This year, even though all our kids are teens I'm thinking we might have a cookie baking/decorating day. It might be a messy endeavor with all the "help" in the kitchen....but it will be something to remember.

So, why not get the family together for some classics? Here is a list of my "must see" Christmas movies. Hope you enjoy!

The Bishops Wife--- starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven. 1947 (there was a remake called The Preacher's Wife starring Whitney Houston--I liked it, but not near as much as the original.)

Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn---starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. 1942 (the film where audiences first heard the now classic, "White Christmas".)

Irving Berlin's White Christmas---starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen.1954 (an all time favorite. Who doesn't love it snowing at the inn in Vermont?)

Frank Capra's It's A Wonderful Life---starring James Stewart and Donna Reed. 1947 (another favorite that reminds me each year how blessed I really am. "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets it's wings!" )

Miracle On 34th Street---starring Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, and Edmund Gwenn. 1947 (this movie won three Academy Awards in 1947. I know they made a remake of this movie, but nothing is ever as good as the first!)

Christmas In Connecticut--- starring  Barbara Staywyck, Dennis Morgan, and Sydney Greenstreet. 1945 (funny movie)

A Christmas Carol--- starring Alastair Sim. 1951 (although there have been many, many versions of the Charles Dicken's classic, the 1951 version is deemed the best)

Along with the classics, there are some movies that I really enjoy that have been made more recently.

Prancer---starring Sam Elliott, Cloris Leachman, and Abe Vigoda. 1989 (can reindeer really fly?)

Prancer Returns---starring John Corbett, Stacy Edwards, Michael O'Keefe, and Jack Palance. 2001 (the sequel to the first Prancer movie)

The Christmas Shoes ---starring Rob Lowe and Kimberly Williams. 2002 (this movie is based on the #1 hit song "Christmas Shoes" by Newsong.  It is a real heart- tugger.)

The Christmas Blessing---starring Neil Patrick Harris, Rebecca Gayheart, and Angus T. Jones. Rob Lowe makes an appearance. 2007 (sequel to The Christmas Shoes)

The Christmas Card---starring John Newton, Alice Evans, and Edward Asner. 2007 (I found this movie last December and absolutely LOVED it. I am a real sucker for the romance movies anyway. The gist of the story is a soldier in Afganistan gets a Christmas card...that changes his life. Now, doesn't that make you wonder? You have to get this movie!)

Hope you enjoyed the movie list as part of the Christmas Experiment. Keep checking in to see what is next!