12 Classic Movies of ChristmasI love Christmas movies, but some of the sappy stuff on Hallmark is… well, it’s so badly written and acted that even I, the guru of Christmas, can’t bear to watch it. Thank God for Netflix and Turner Classic Movies where I can watch all the great classics. Here are my 12 favorite classic Christmas movies.
12. An American Christmas Carol
Released 1979
Director: Eric Till
Starring Henry Winkler and Dorian Harewood
This retelling of A Christmas Carol set in America’s depression era is really good.
11. Remember the Night
Released 1940
Directed by Mitchell Leisen
Starring Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwick
A prosecuting attorney asks for a pretty thief to be let out on bail for Christmas. When the thief is placed in his custody, interesting things occur.
10. The Homecoming: A Christmas Story
Released 1971
Directed by Fielder Cook
Starring Patricia Neil and Richard Thomas
This movie became the pilot of the TV series, The Waltons, and tells of a family during the depression. I remember first watching it when I was around twelve. I wanted to be a writer like John Boy, so I related to him.
9. Santa Claus, The Movie
Released 1985
Director: Jeannot Szwork
Starring David Huddleston and Dudley Moore
The best film that tells the story of Santa Claus.
8. A Christmas Carol
Released 1951
Director: Brian Desmond Hurst
Starring Alastair Sims, Jack Warner, and Kathleen Harrison
There are a couple of newer ones I really like, but when it comes to classic renditions of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, this one is the best.
7. 3 Godfathers
Released 1948
Director: John Ford
Starring John Wayne
A Christmas western where three outlaws must get a baby safely to the cow town of Bethlehem while running from a posse. This is my personal favorite John Wayne movie. One reason I like it so much is because I watched it when I came home with my first child. John Wayne was learning to take care of an infant while I was learning to take care of my son.
6. Home Alone
Released 1990
Director: Chris Columbus
Starring Macauley Culkin
First of many movies about a boy accidentally left home alone at Christmas time. I usually don’t consider movies made in 1990 classics, but this one has become a Christmas classic.
5. White Christmas
Released 1954
Director: Micheal Curtiz
Starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye
Best Christmas musical ever made with great singing and dancing features the song, “White Christmas”.
4. A Charlie Brown Christmas
Released 1965
Created by Charles M. Shultz
Animated
This animated classic helps Charlie Brown learn the true meaning of Christmas. The best part is where Linus tells the Christmas story word for word from the Bible and ends with “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”
3. Miracle on 34th Street
Released 1947
Directed by George Seaton
Starring Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gween, and a very young Natalie Wood
This is the best movie made about believing in Santa Clause. It also featured the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
2. A Holiday Affair
Released 1949
Directed by Don Hartman
Starring Janet Leigh and Robert Mitchum
This is the best Christmas love story ever filmed. It’s sad more people don’t know about it.
1. It’s a Wonderful Life
Released 1946
Directed by Frank Capra
Starring James Stewart and Donna Reed
This touching story of an ordinary man who sacrifices his own ambitions for others is my all time favorite Christmas movie.
Bio:
Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures and writes Christian historical fiction set in America because there are so many adventures in American history. She is married to the love of her life, has two grown children, and lives in Akron, Ohio. Soldier’s Heart and A Christmas Promise are two of her historical novellas that have been published.
Tamera is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire For Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist. She has curriculum published and is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.
You can contact Tamera online at these sites.
Word Sharpeners Blog: http://tameralynnkraft.com
Revival Fire For Kids Blog: http://revivalfire4kids.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TameraLynnKraft
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tamerakraft
A Christmas Promise
By Tamera Lynn Kraft
A Moravian Holiday Story, Circa 1773
During colonial times, John and Anna settle in an Ohio village to become Moravian missionaries to the Lenape. When John is called away to help at another settlement two days before Christmas, he promises he’ll be back by Christmas Day.
When he doesn’t show up, Anna works hard to not fear the worst while she provides her children with a traditional Moravian Christmas.
Through it all, she discovers a Christmas promise that will give her the peace she craves.
Available at these online stores:
Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GM59GN4/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb
Pelican Book Group
http://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_47&products_id=512
Christian Books.com http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=48711EB&item_code=WW&netp_id=1206746&event=ESRCG&view=details
Blessings!
2 comments:
Thanks for having me, Carole.
Loved having you, Tamera!
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