2009 TCManiacs Holiday Picks!

TCManiac's has picked favorite films that celebrate faith, family and festivity of the December holiday season.

TCManiacs Holiday Picks!

3 Thursday 8:00 PM Christmas Carol, A (1938)
In this adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic tale, an elderly miser learns the error of his ways on Christmas Eve. Cast: Reginald Owen, Gene Lockhart, Kathleen Lockhart. Dir: Edwin L. Marin. BW-69 mins, TV-G, CC
9:15 PM Little Women (1949)
The four daughters of a New England family fight for happiness during and after the Civil War. Cast: June Allyson, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter Lawford. Dir: Mervyn LeRoy. C-122 mins, TV-G, CC, DVS
11:30 PM Tenth Avenue Angel (1948)
A child of the tenements helps an ex-con find a new life. Cast: Margaret O'Brien, Angela Lansbury, George Murphy. Dir: Roy Rowland. BW-74 mins, TV-G, CC

12 Saturday
12:00 PM Christmas Carol, A (1938)
In this adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic tale, an elderly miser learns the error of his ways on Christmas Eve. Cast: Reginald Owen, Gene Lockhart, Kathleen Lockhart. Dir: Edwin L. Marin. BW-69 mins, TV-G, CC

13 Sunday 12:00 AM Ben-Hur: A Tale Of The Christ (1925)
In this silent film, a rebellious Israelite prince out for vengeance crosses paths with the Messiah. Cast: Ramon Novarro, Francis X. Bushman, Carmel Myers. Dir: Fred Niblo. BW-143 mins, TV-G

17 Thursday
8:00 PM Christmas In Connecticut (1945)
A homemaking specialist who can't boil water is forced to provide a family holiday for a war hero. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet. Dir: Peter Godfrey. BW-102 mins, TV-G, CC
10:00 PM Holiday Affair (1950)
A young widow is torn between a boring businessman and a romantic ne'er-do-well. Cast: Robert Mitchum, Janet Leigh, Wendell Corey. Dir: Don Hartman. BW-87 mins, TV-G, CC

19 Saturday
12:00 PM Meet Me In St. Louis (1944)
Young love and childish fears highlight a year in the life of a turn-of-the-century family. Cast: Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor. Dir: Vincente Minnelli. C-113 mins, TV-G, CC, DVS

20 Sunday
9:00 PM The King Of Kings (1961)
Epic retelling of Christ's life and the effects of his teachings on those around him. Cast: Jeffrey Hunter, Siobhan McKenna, Robert Ryan. Dir: Nicholas Ray. C-171 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format
12:00 AM The King Of Kings (1927)
In this silent film, Cecil B. DeMille directs an epic retelling of the life of Christ. Cast: H.B. Warner, Dorothy Cumming, Ernest Torrence. Dir: Cecil B. DeMille. BW-157 mins, TV-G
22 Tuesday
10:00 AM Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
In Russia before the revolution, a Jewish milkman tries to marry off his daughters who have plans of their own. Cast: Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey. Dir: Norman Jewison. C-181 mins, TV-G, CC, Letterbox Format

24 Thursday Christmas Eve 8:00 PM Remember the Night (1940)
An assistant D.A. takes a shoplifter home with him for Christmas. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, Beulah Bondi. Dir: Mitchell Leisen. BW-94 mins, TV-G
9:45 PM Christmas In July (1940)
An unemployed dreamer thinks he's won a big radio contest. Cast: Dick Powell, Ellen Drew, Raymond Walburn. Dir: Preston Sturges. BW-67 mins, TV-G
12:38 AM Short Film: Star In The Night (1945) A motel owner who has lost faith in more than just the humanity of mankind, is visited by a kindly stranger on Christmas Eve
1:00 AM Meet Me In St. Louis (1944)
Young love and childish fears highlight a year in the life of a turn-of-the-century family. Cast: Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor. Dir: Vincente Minnelli. C-113 mins, TV-G, CC, DVS
3:00 AM In The Good Old Summertime (1949)
In this musical remake of The Shop Around the Corner, feuding co-workers in a small music shop do not realize they are secret romantic pen pals. Cast: Judy Garland, Van Johnson, S.Z. "Cuddles" Sakall. Dir: Robert Z. Leonard. C-103 mins, TV-PG, CC, DVS
5:00 AM Shop Around The Corner, The (1940)
Feuding co-workers don't realize they're secret romantic pen pals. Cast: Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Frank Morgan. Dir: Ernst Lubitsch. BW-99 mins, TV-G, CC, DVS
25 Friday Christmas Day
7:00 AM Little Women (1933)
The four March sisters fight to keep their family together and find love while their father is off fighting the Civil War. Cast: Katharine Hepburn, Joan Bennett, Paul Lukas. Dir: George Cukor. BW-116 mins, TV-G, CC, DVS
9:00 AM A Christmas Carol (1938)
In this adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic tale, an elderly miser learns the error of his ways on Christmas Eve. Cast: Reginald Owen, Gene Lockhart, Kathleen Lockhart. Dir: Edwin L. Marin. BW-69 mins, TV-G, CC
10:15 AM The Man Who Came To Dinner (1942)
An acerbic critic wreaks havoc when a hip injury forces him to move in with a midwestern family. Cast: Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan, Monty Woolley. Dir: William Keighley. BW-113 mins, TV-G, CC, DVS
12:15 PM Christmas In Connecticut (1945)
A homemaking specialist who can't boil water is forced to provide a family holiday for a war hero. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet. Dir: Peter Godfrey. BW-102 mins, TV-G, CC
2:15 PM Little Women (1949)
The four daughters of a New England family fight for happiness during and after the Civil War. Cast: June Allyson, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter Lawford. Dir: Mervyn LeRoy. C-122 mins, TV-G, CC, DVS
4:30 PM Holiday Affair (1950)
A young widow is torn between a boring businessman and a romantic ne'er-do-well. Cast: Robert Mitchum, Janet Leigh, Wendell Corey. Dir: Don Hartman. BW-87 mins, TV-G, CC

Frank Capra's World War II ``Why We Fight'' 8-part series Free Online

Why We Fight is a series of seven propaganda films commissioned by the United States government during World War II to demonstrate to American soldiers the reason for U.S. involvement in the war. Later on they were also shown to the general U.S. public to persuade them to support American intervention.

Most of the films were directed by Frank Capra, who was daunted yet also impressed and challenged by Leni Riefenstahl's propaganda film Triumph of the Will and who worked in direct response to it. The series faced a tough challenge: convincing an only recently isolationist nation of the need to become involved in the war and ally with the Soviets, among other things. In many of the films, Capra and other directors spliced in Axis powers propaganda footage – recontextualizing it so it promoted the cause of the Allies instead.

Made from 1942 to 1945, the seven films range from 40 to 76 minutes in length, and all are available on DVD or online.

In 2000 the United States Library of Congress deemed the films "culturally significant" and selected them for preservation in the National Film Registry. Created by the U.S. Army Pictorial Services, the films are in the public domain; all of them are available for download at the Internet Archive.

• Why We Fight (Prelude to War)
• Why We Fight (The Nazis Strike)
• Why We Fight (Divide and Conquer)
• Why We Fight (The Battle of Britain)
• Why We Fight (The Battle of Russia [Part 1])
• Why We Fight (The Battle of Russia [Part 2])
• Why We Fight (The Battle of China)
• Why We Fight (War Comes to America)

Edge of the City | My View

Edge of the City is a 1957 drama film directed by Martin Ritt, starring John Cassavetes and Sidney Poitier. It was Ritt's debut film as a director. Robert Alan Aurthur's screenplay was expanded from his original script, staged as the final episode of Philco Television Playhouse, "A Man Is Ten Feet Tall" [October 2, 1955], with Poitier recreating his original role of "Tommy".

I love the fact that this movie realistically portrays a black couple as any other decent married couple without any stereotypes and without completely whitewashing them. Great movie. Unfortunately, its never discussed as part of Poitiers repertoire. Much better than the movie he won an Oscar for. Great performances for John Cassavettes, Ruby Dee and Jack Warden, also. The Ellen character was inconsequential. No fault to Kathleen Maguire. I felt like the role was written in JUST to provide love interest for Axel, so the "white guy" wouldn't be a third wheel. If you enjoyed "On the Waterfront" you will love this film. I thank TCM for bringing it to my attention.

Join TCM for the December Podcast

Join TCM for the December Podcast, an entertaining and in-depth look at this month's films by the passionate movie-fan employees of TCM. December highlights include a month long tribute to the Hollywood legend and Star of the Month: Humphrey Bogart, an evening of films personally selected by singer-songwriter Neko Case, and a spotlight on the films by Director Frank Capra who brought an unquenchable optimism to the screen. Employee favorites for the month include Holmes for Christmas, Director John Hughes' Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) part of our TCM Remembers, and New Year's Eve Thin Man Marathon.

Download Video and Audio Podcast»

Honored by "Friendly Blogger Award"

Fellow classic movie blogger Ingrid Bergman Life and Films has has passed on the "Friendly Blogger Award" to me! Thanks you so much! Really means alot to this newbie to the classic movie blogosphere coming from a veteran blogger I admire. To be ranked with such superior bloggers as Alfred Hitchcock Geek, La Vie En Rose, and Classic Forever.

It will be hard to choose from so many excellent blogs I follow, but I have it narrowed down to recognizing the folowing bloggers with the "Friendly Blogger Award"

VintageMeld.com who jump started @TCManiacs as one of my first followers. His posts often correspond with the TCM movie schedule as well.
Out of the Past ~ A Classic Film Blog whose tweets I follow and post I often retweet.
Discovering Dirk Brogarde who made the discovery of this unique beautiful actor about the same time I did.
viv.and.larry.com OMG this website is just exquisitely designed and full of information.

Be sure to check out these wonderful contributors of classic film information.

Casablanca | Rick or Vick, What's Your Pick

Everyone knows the classic movie Casablanca, the tear-jerking story of a love triangle between charismatic Rick (Humphrey Bogart), beautiful Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), and the honorable Victor Lazlo (Paul Henreid). I just have to put the question out there. Everyone knows who Ilsa chooses in the end, but I would like to hear which man you would have picked for Ilsa to choose in the end...and why.

My inquiry was inspired by the following blog post on the subject:

• Casablanca, 1942
• The Lesser Loved That I Love More: Rick Blaine vs. Victor Laszlo
• On love in Casablanca

Tweet me, comment or send me your posts on the subject

Worth Retweeting

TCManiacs
7:30pm, Nov 28 from HootSuite

@TCManiacs Blogs: Casablanca | Rick or Vick, What's Your Pick http://ow.ly/GzV8 Comment or tweet me #TCM

dizzheart
2:55am, Nov 29 from Web

@TCManiacs Vick: Just another macho European lounge suit lizard? Bet if he survived the war Ilse would have found he had mistresses :D

Poppetree
2:07am, Nov 29 from Web

@TCManiacs it could have been Yvonne, havent seen the movie in a long time

ADuralde
2:02am, Nov 29 from Echofon

@TCManiacs The movie does end with the two of them walking off into the fog. And there's that if-I-was-a-woman line.

dizzheart
11:26pm, Nov 28 from Web

@TCManiacs Casablanca: Isn't it curious that they don't let Ilse choose? Russell T Davies didn't make that mistake with Rose in Doctor Who!

dizzheart
8:48pm, Nov 28 from Web

@TCManiacs ... look the more noble of the two men, because Victor could have given up Ilse & he didn't - flawed selfish leader there?

dizzheart
8:47pm, Nov 28 from Web

@TCManiacs Vick: I'd feel wronger about betraying a promise than I would about giving up someone I desired. All structured to make Rick ...

dizzheart
11:26pm, Nov 28 from Web

@TCManiacs Casablanca: Isn't it curious that they don't let Ilse choose? Russell T Davies didn't make that mistake with Rose in Doctor Who!

dizzheart
8:48pm, Nov 28 from Web

@TCManiacs ... look the more noble of the two men, because Victor could have given up Ilse & he didn't - flawed selfish leader there?

ADuralde
7:55pm, Nov 28 from Echofon

@TCManiacs The real love story is Capt. Renault's for Rick.

dawns8
7:42pm, Nov 28 from Web

@TCManiacs Rick, definitely. W/Victor, she would have played 2nd fiddle to his other causes down the line.

Poppetree
7:39pm, Nov 28 from Web

@TCManiacs im going with the french chick who was singing the french anthem.

TCManiacs
7:30pm, Nov 28 from HootSuite

@TCManiacs Blogs: Casablanca | Rick or Vick, What's Your Pick http://ow.ly/GzV8 Comment or tweet me #TCM