THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER - A CHRISTMAS CAROL

 

No Christmas would be complete without the Dickens classic tale of redemption and a list of Christmas films without Scrooge in it would be unthinkable.

There have been many film adaptations over the years since the first made in the silent era

1910 (Marc McDermott) Silent

1913 (Seymour Hicks) Silent

1935 (Seymour Hicks)

1938 (Reginald Owen)

1951 Scrooge (Alistair Sim)

1970 Scrooge (Albert Finney) Musical

1971 (Alistair Sim) Animated

1984 (George C. Scott)

1988 Scrooged (Bill Murray) Comedy

1997 (Tim Curry) Animated

1999 (Patrick Stewart)

2004 (Kelsey Grammer) Musical

2006 Disney Animated

2009 (Jim Carey) Animated

And even more TV adaptation, variations and spoofs and I would defy anyone to say that at least one of them didn’t strike a chord on some level.

My own personal favourite is the 1984 version with George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge, Frank Finlay as Marley's Ghost and David Warner as Bob Cratchit.

But special mention has to go to the very excellent Edward Woodward as the most wonderful Ghost of Christmas Present.

Now I find it very difficult to believe that there is a soul on the planet who is unfamiliar with the story but if there is one this bit is for them.

A Christmas Carol tells the story of the embittered old miser Ebenezer Scrooge, who after being visited by a succession of spirits on Christmas Eve transformed into a warm-hearted kindly philanthropist.

THE CANDY CANE

 

The humble candy cane has been around for nearly four hundred years.

It was during the seventeenth century when European Christians began the use of Christmas trees as part of their Christmas celebrations and they began making special edible decorations for their trees.

The first of these decorations were cookies and sugar-sticks.

It was very soon after the all-white candy canes were given out to children after a nativity service that sweet makers both professional and amateur began making the straight hard white sugar-sticks.

The custom of clergymen handing out candy canes after Christmas services spread throughout Europe and then later to America.

There is an historical reference that a choirmaster at cologne cathedral bent a candy stick into the shape of a shepherd’s crook as early as 1670.

The canes remained all white and straight but sometimes the confectioners would add sugar-roses to embellish the canes.

It was at the start of the 20^th century that the canes acquired their familiar red stripes.

Great religious significance has been bestowed upon the humble candy cane for example the white indicates the purity of our lord, the three stripes represent the holy trinity the red is for the blood of Christ and the crook on its top is for the shepherds.

The hardness of the candy represents the church's foundation on solid rock and the peppermint flavor the use of hyssop, an herb referred to in the Old Testament.

And last but by no means least if you turn the cane upside down you have a letter “j” which, yes you’ve guessed it is for Jesus.

There is no historical evidence to support these claims, quite the contrary, but they are lovely thoughts.

Around the same time as the stripe arrived so did the flavorings, Peppermint and wintergreen and they have remained unchanged ever since.

During the 1950’s a catholic priest called Gregory Keller is credited with invented a machine which automated candy cane production.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER - CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT

The 1945 film “Christmas in Connecticut” tells the amusing story of a magazine writer, played by Barbara Stanwyck, famous for being an expert cook, mother and homemaker who has to entertain a war hero (Dennis Morgan) and her employer (Sydney Greenstreet) at her home on a Connecticut farm.

The only snag being that she can only write about homemaking, she isn’t a mother, she isn’t married and as for cooking she can’t even boil water and she lives in a small apartment in the city.

CHRISTMAS SKY

 

The winter stage is dressed in tones of white

Everywhere is quiet everywhere is bright

Houses are adorned with lights of every hue

To celebrate the Christmas hullaballoo

And the starry sky on a frost filled night

Is in truth the most wonderful sight

A sky that held the star they had to follow

Over two thousand Christmas skies ago

THE CHRISTMAS PARTY IS OVER

 

The Christmas party is over

And so, I guess

It’s now the time to wish you

A Happy Christmess

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER - THE BISHOPS WIFE

 

The 1947 film “The Bishop's Wife” Tells the tale of An Episcopal Bishop, Henry Brougham played by David Niven, who has been working for months on the plans for a new cathedral paid for by a selfish and stubborn widow Mrs. Hamilton, Gladys Cooper.

As a result, he begins to lose sight of his wife, Julia, Loretta Young and family and of why he joined the church in the first place.

So Dudley, an angel, Cary Grant, is sent to help him.

Dudley help’s everyone he meets, but not always in the way they would have chosen.

None the less everyone liked Dudley except Henry.

As Christmas approaches Henry begins to believe that Dudley is there to replace him, at work, and in his family’s affections.

A gem of a movie.

CHRISTMAS IN RUSSIA

 

During the days of the Soviet Union, the people were not free to practice their religion or to celebrate Christmas so it was the New Year which was the most important time when 'Father Frost' brought presents to children.

With the breakup of the Soviet Union the Communist regime fell and religious freedom abounded and Christmas was once again openly celebrated but not on December 25th but on January 7th which is Christmas Day for the Russian Orthodox church, who use the old 'Julian' calendar for all holy days.