A Christmas Carol (1938)
Bob and Tiny Tim arrive home from church.
Perhaps surprisingly, the winter holidays aren’t fully embraced by everyone. Indeed, many people simply can’t stand the thought of the Yuletide season, decrying what they feel is sanctimonious sentimentality, gratuitous gift giving and phony family forgiveness of sins committed throughout the year.
A prime example was Laurence Harvey’s sardonic comment in 1962’s spellbinding The Manchurian Candidate. After his pal, Frank Sinatra, put on a phonograph record of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” Harvey spat: “Twelve days of Christmas! One day of Christmas is loathsome enough!”
Yet, holiday movies on TV are an annual staple, and some are shown ad nauseam. For example, a few years ago I counted 18 airings of Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) between Thanksgiving and Christmas with 14 showings on basic cable and four on broadcast channels.
Such films are as annoying as Elvis Presley’s dreadful version of “Blue Christmas.” Aside from Billy Bob Thornton’s hilariously bawdy Bad Santa (2003)—which doesn’t qualify as wholesome film fare—I can’t think of a recent holiday movie worth it’s salt.
But there always was light in the holidays. Here’s a dozen from the days of yore invoking Christmas in a quirky, darker manner. Each has at least one memorable Yuletide scene or depicts a nontraditional Santa Claus, and each is slice-of-life serious:
A Christmas Carol (1938, 1951): Each version of Charles Dickens’ classic is a knockout with stunning allegories. Reginald Owen and Alastair Sim are unforgettable as Ebenezer Scrooge. Supported in 1938 by Terry Kilburn (Tiny Tim) and Gene Lockhart (Bob Cratchit), and in 1951 by Glyn Dearman (Tiny Tim) and Mervyn Johns (Bob Cratchit).
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Meet John Doe (1941): Gary Cooper is a bum buffaloed by a newspaper into agreeing to jump off the roof of City Hall on Christmas Eve. Barbara Stanwyck is a reporter, James Gleason her editor, Walter Brennan is Cooper’s best buddy and Edward Arnold a flag-waving patriot who actually was a fascist. Tough Yuletide stuff.
Battleground (1949): One of MGM’s all-time winners opens with a Christmas tree scene as American soldiers observe the holiday at the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. Star-studded cast includes Van Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban, James Whitmore, James Arness and Marshall Thompson who “sound-off” in a pulsating finale.
3 Godfathers (1948): John Ford’s inspired Western take on the story of the Three Wise Men, with John Wayne, Pedro Armendáriz and Harry Carey Jr. in the title roles. The hard-bitten outlaws adopt a baby born in the desert around Christmas in this beautifully mounted film by one of the masters of the cinema.
Stalag 17 (1953): William Holden’s cynical turn as a suspected Nazi spy earned him an Oscar in this Billy Wilder gem set inside a World War II prisoner of war camp. Its commandant (Otto Preminger) hounds Holden, Peter Graves, Robert Strauss, Harvey Lembeck and Neville Brand as they plan to help Don Taylor escape on Christmas day.
The Apartment (1960): “It was the night before Christmas and all through the house, and nothin’ was stirrin’. Nothing. No action. Dullsville.” Hope Holiday’s memorable line highlights Billy Wilder’s comedy of corporate politics and romance that won the Oscar for Best Picture. Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine and Fred MacMurray head a great cast.
The Victors (1963): Stinging World War II drama in which Frank Sinatra is heard singing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” in a sad, snowy scene as an American soldier who has deserted, is executed by firing squad. With George Peppard, Eli Wallach, George Hamilton, Vince Edwards, Melina Mercouri, Peter Fonda and Albert Finney.
Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964): In 1928 Chicago, gangster Frank Sinatra and his pals—including Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Bing Crosby—rob from the rich and give to the poor. After a series of reverses, they dress up in Santa Claus suits to solicit street donations for a boys’ orphanage. The “Rat Pack’s” turn on the Robin Hood legend.
The French Connection (1971): This street-tough Academy Award winner for Best Picture opens in Brooklyn with detective Gene Hackman, dressed as Santa Claus. After asking neighborhood kids what they want for Christmas, he takes off on foot after a young, suspected criminal. Santa Hackman then proceeds to humiliate the terrified thug.
The Gathering (1977): Mean-spirited businessman (Ed Asner) tells his estranged wife (Maureen Stapleton) he is dying, and she invites their four grown children—who dislike him—for a Christmas reunion. I was fortunate to witness portions of this hard-edged holiday tale of tough love, family style, being filmed in a Cleveland suburb.
The Silent Partner (1978): Delicious, offbeat caper film as a smarmy villain (Christopher Plummer) in Santa Claus garb robs a shopping center bank in Toronto. Bank tellers Elliot Gould and Susannah York team up to outsmart him for the loot. Neat supporting cast includes a young John Candy and incredibly gorgeous Céline Lomez.
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Kramer vs. Kramer (1979): Ad agency whiz Dustin Hoffman raises his young son solo when wife (Meryl Streep) leaves him. After his single-parent struggles help get him fired, he is desperate. On Dec. 22, he crashes an agency Christmas party and insists on an interview. Impressed by his pluck, the celebrating bosses hire him—for a lot less money.
