Dickens, O. Henry And Fleming Stories: Three Great Old Christmas Movies To Watch And Enjoy This Holiday Season

This Christmas season, like past Christmas seasons, I'll watch a lot of old, familiar Christmas movies on TV, from my DVD collection, and on the Internet. 

There are perennial favorites, such It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34^th Street, and A Christmas Story. 

I love these movies, but my three favorite Christmas films may not be on your list, or even on your radar. 

I love O. Henry’s short stories, and I love the 1952 film, O. Henry’s Full House.    

The film offers five adaptations of O. Henry’s great short stories with Christmas themes, featuring five fine directors, fine screenwriters and a fine cast.  

The film presents some of my favorite short stories from one of my favorite writers.  

The O. Henry stories - The Clarion Call, The Gift of the Magi, The Ransom of Red Chief, The Cop and the Anthem, and The Last Leaf - offer humor, drama, pathos and irony.   

I especially like the crime story The Clarion Call, with Dale Robinson and Richard Widmark (seen in the top photo).

You can watch the film, which features the late, great actor Charles Laughton and a young Marilyn Monroe (seen in the above photo), via the below link:

 O. Henry's Full House (1952) - YouTube

Although 1951’s A Christmas Carol is another perennial favorite, and actor Alastair Sim is nearly everyone’s favorite Scrooge, I love the film with George C. Scott as Scrooge. 

The 1984 adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol offers a powerful performance by Scott, who is strong, willful and downright mean and nasty. 

If you have not seen this film, I suggest you watch it. 

You can watch the film via the below link:

 A Christmas Carol George C Scott 1984 - YouTube 

One may not think of a James Bond film as traditional Holiday fare, but every Christmas season I watch On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

The film, based on the late, great thriller writer Ian Fleming's novel, was released in December of 1969, has a Christmas setting and takes place in the snow-covered Swiss Alps.

The film, despite not having the late, great Sean Connery as Bond, is one the best in the series in my view.  

Considering that the new Bond, George Lazenby (seen in the above photo), had to follow Connery in the role, and that he had not acted before, I believe he delivered a better than fair portrayal of Bond.  

He looked like Ian Fleming's Bond, and he was very good in the fight and action scenes. 

The film was also graced with the late, great Diana Rigg (seen in the above photo with George Lazenby) as Tracy, a strong, yet troubled woman with whom Bond has a serious, if ultimately tragic, love affair. 

Although I would have preferred a European actor to portray Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Telly Savalas (seen in the above photo) was a commanding, brilliant and truly mad Blofeld. The supporting actors were also very good.

The director of this fine film was Peter Hunt, who edited the earlier Bond films. Hunt was faithful to Ian Fleming's novel, even going with the thriller's dark ending. 

Peter Hunt gave us a true James Bond thriller.

The film also offers a terrific soundtrack by John Barry. 

You can watch the film's trailer via the below link:

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - Official Trailer - George Lazenby Bond Movie HD - YouTube

You can also watch scenes and listen to John Barry's great love song sung by the late, jazz great Louie Armstrong via the below link:

On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Louis Armstrong - John Barry - Maurice Binder [HD STEREO] - YouTube

Enjoy the films. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

The James Bond Film That Is Secretly a Christmas Movie

In an earlier post this month, I included the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service as one of my three favorite Christmas movies.

Paul Davis On Crime: Dickens, O. Henry And Fleming Stories: Three Great Old Christmas Movies To Watch And Enjoy This Holiday Season

The film was released during the 1969 Christmas season and largely takes place during the snowy Christmas holiday in Switzerland where James Bond encounters the criminal mastermind Ernst Stavro Blofeld. 

Below is a link to the film's trailer:

 On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - Official Trailer - George Lazenby Bond Movie HD (youtube.com)

Liam Gaughan at Collider.com also noted that On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a surprisingly great Christmas movie.    

A movie fan’s favorite James Bond actor is a very personal decision that is largely dependent upon when they grew up with the character. It’s very easy to associate Ian Fleming’s 007 with the version of the character that you were introduced to first. Younger viewers who grew up with Daniel Craig’s Bond may associate the character with his darker attributes, while older viewers who were introduced to Bond through Roger Moore’s films might think of him as a slightly goofier character. While every actor who has played 007 has their fans, the cheering section for George Lazenby’s version of Bond may not be very significant. Lazenby only got one chance to play Bond, but his screen debut in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was certainly a memorable one. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service isn’t just one of the best Bond films ever made; it’s also a surprisingly great Christmas movie. 

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:   

The James Bond Film That Is Secretly a Christmas Movie (collider.com)

Dickens, O. Henry And Fleming Stories: Three Great Old Christmas Movies To Watch And Enjoy This Holiday Season

Every holiday season I watch a lot of old, familiar Christmas movies on TV, from my DVD collection, and on the Internet. 

There are perennial favorites, such It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34^th Street, and A Christmas Story. 

I love these movies, but my three favorite Christmas films may not be on your list, or even on your radar. 

I love O. Henry’s short stories and I love the 1952 film, O. Henry’s Full House.    

The film offers five adaptations of O. Henry’s great short stories with Christmas themes, featuring five fine directors, fine screenwriters and a fine cast.  

The film presents some of my favorite short stories from one of my favorite writers.  

The O. Henry stories - The Clarion Call, The Gift of the Magi, The Ransom of Red Chief, The Cop and the Anthem, and The Last Leaf - offer humor, drama, pathos and irony.   

I especially like the crime story The Clarion Call, with Dale Robinson and Richard Widmark (seen in the top photo).

You can watch the film, which features the late, great actor Charles Laughton and a young Marilyn Monroe (seen in the above photo), via the below link:

 O. Henry's Full House (1952) - YouTube

Although 1951’s A Christmas Carol is another perennial favorite, and actor Alastair Sim is nearly everyone’s favorite Scrooge, I love the film with George C. Scott as Scrooge. 

The 1984 adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol offers a powerful performance by Scott, who is strong, willful and downright mean and nasty. 

If you have not seen this film, I suggest you watch it. 

You can watch the film via the below link:

 A Christmas Carol George C Scott 1984 - YouTube 

One may not think of a James Bond film as traditional Holiday fare, but every Christmas season I watch On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

The film, based on Ian Fleming's novel, was released in December of 1969, has a Christmas setting and takes place in the snow-covered Swiss Alps.

The film, despite not having the late, great Sean Connery as Bond, is one the best in the series in my view.  

Considering that the new Bond, George Lazenby (seen in the above photo), had to follow Connery in the role, and that he had not acted before, I believe he delivered a better than fair portrayal of Bond.  

He looked like Ian Fleming's Bond, and he was very good in the fight and action scenes. 

The film was also graced with the late, great Diana Rigg (seen in the above photo with George Lazenby) as Tracy, a strong, yet troubled woman with whom Bond has a serious, if ultimately tragic, love affair.

Although I would have preferred a European actor to portray Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Telly Savalas (seen in the above photo) was a commanding, brilliant and truly mad Blofeld. The supporting actors were also very good.

The director of this fine film was Peter Hunt, who edited the earlier Bond films. Hunt was faithful to Ian Fleming's novel, even going with the thriller's dark ending. Peter Hunt gave us a true James Bond thriller.

The film also offers a terrific soundtrack by John Barry. 

You can watch the film's trailer via the below link:

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - Official Trailer - George Lazenby Bond Movie HD - YouTube

You can also watch scenes and listen to John Barry's great love song sung by the late, jazz great Louie Armstrong via the below link:

On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Louis Armstrong - John Barry - Maurice Binder [HD STEREO] - YouTube

Enjoy the films. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Three Great Old Christmas Movies To Watch And Enjoy This Holiday Season

Every Christmas season I watch a lot of old, familiar Christmas movies on TV or from my DVD collection, as many people do. 

There are perennial favorites, such It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34^th Street, and A Christmas Story. 

I love these movies, but my three favorite Christmas films may not be on your list, or even on your radar. 

I love O. Henry’s short stories and I love the 1952 film, O. Henry’s Full House.    

The 1952 film offers five adaptations of O. Henry’s great short stories with Christmas themes, featuring five fine directors, fine screenwriters and a fine cast.  

The film presents some of my favorite short stories from one of my favorite writers.  

The O. Henry stories - The Clarion Call, The Gift of the Magi, The Ransom of Red Chief, The Cop and the Anthem, and The Last Leaf - offer humor, drama, pathos and irony.   

I especially like the crime story The Clarion Call, with Dale Robinson and Richard Widmark (seen in the above photo).

You can watch the film, which features the late, great actor Charles Laughton and a young Marilyn Monroe (seen in the above photo), via the below link:

O. Henry's Full House (1952) - YouTube 

Although 1951’s A Christmas Carol is another perennial favorite, and actor Alastair Sim is nearly everyone’s favorite Scrooge, I love the 1984 film with George C. Scott as Scrooge. 

The 1984 adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol offers a powerful performance by Scott, who is strong, willful and downright mean and nasty. 

If you have not seen this film, I suggest you watch it. 

You can watch the film via the below link:

A Christmas Carol George C Scott 1984 - YouTube

One may not think of a James Bond film as traditional Holiday fare, but every Christmas season I watch On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

The film, which was released in December of 1969, has a Christmas setting and takes place in the snow-covered Swiss Alps.

The film, despite not having the great Sean Connery who recently passed away, as Bond, is one the best in the series in my view.  

Considering that the new Bond, George Lazenby, had to follow Connery in the role, and that he had not acted before, I believe he delivered a better than fair portrayal of Bond.  

 He looked like Ian Fleming's Bond and he was very good in the fight and action scenes.

The film was also graced with Diana Rigg (seen in the above photo), who recently passed away, as Tracy, a strong, yet troubled woman with whom Bond has a serious, if ultimately tragic, love affair. 

Although I would have preferred a European actor to portray Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Telly Savalas was a commanding, brilliant and truly mad Blofeld. The supporting actors were also very good.

The director of this fine film was Peter Hunt, who edited the earlier Bond films. Hunt was faithful to Ian Fleming's novel, even going with the thriller's dark ending. Peter Hunt gave us a true James Bond thriller.

The film also offers a terrific soundtrack by John Barry. 

You can watch scenes from the film and listen to John Barry's instrumental We Have all the Time in the World via the below link:

 On Her Majesty's Secret Service • We Have All the Time in the World • John Barry - YouTube

You can also watch scenes and listen to John Barry's great love song sung by the late, jazz great Louie Armstrong via the below link:

Louis Armstrong - We Have All the Time in the World [007 On Her Majesty's Secret Service ] - YouTube  

Enjoy the films. Merry Christmas.

Three Great Old Christmas Movies To Watch This Christmas Season

Every Christmas season I watch a lot of old, familiar Christmas movies on TV or from my DVD collection, as many people do. 

There are perennial favorites, such It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34^th Street, and A Christmas Story. 

I love these movies, but my three favorite Christmas films may not be on your list, or even on your radar. 

Although 1951’s A Christmas Carol is another perennial favorite, and actor Alastair Sim is nearly everyone’s favorite Scrooge, I prefer the 1984 film with George C. Scott as Scrooge. 

The 1984 adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol offers a powerful performance by Scott, who is strong, willful and downright mean and nasty, whereas Sim was kind of whiney. 

If you have not seen this film, I suggest you watch it. 

You can watch the film via the below link:

A Christmas Carol (1984) - The Full Movie - YouTube

I love O. Henry’s short stories and I love the 1952 film, O. Henry’s Full House.    

The 1952 film offers five adaptations of O. Henry’s great short stories with Christmas themes, featuring five fine directors, fine screenwriters and a fine cast.  

The film presents some of my favorite short stories from one of my favorite writers.  

The O. Henry stories - The Clarion Call, The Gift of the Magi, The Ransom of Red Chief, The Cop and the Anthem, and The Last Leaf - offer humor, drama, pathos and irony.   

I especially like the crime story The Clarion Call, with Dale Robinson and Richard Widmark (seen in the above photo).

You can watch the film, which features the late, great actor Charles Laughton and a young Marilyn Monroe (seen in the above photo), via the below link:

O. Henry's Full House (1952) - YouTube

One may not think of a James Bond film as traditional Holiday fare, but every Christmas season I watch On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

The film, which was released in December of 1969, has a Christmas setting and takes place in the snow-covered Swiss Alps.

The film, despite not having the great Sean Connery who recently passed away, as Bond, is one the best in the series in my view.  

Considering that the new Bond, George Lazenby, had to follow Connery in the role, and that he had not acted before, I believe he delivered a better than fair portrayal of Bond.  

 He looked like Ian Fleming's Bond and he was very good in the fight and action scenes.

 The film was also graced with Diana Rigg, who recently passed away, as Tracy, a strong, yet troubled woman with whom Bond has a serious - if ultimately tragic - love affair. 

Although I would have preferred a European actor to portray Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Telly Savalas was a commanding, brilliant and truly mad Blofeld. The supporting actors were also very good.

The director of this fine film was Peter Hunt, who edited the earlier Bond films. Hunt was faithful to Ian Fleming's novel, even going with the thriller's dark ending. Peter Hunt gave us a true James Bond thriller.

The film also offers a terrific soundtrack by John Barry. 

You can watch scenes from the film and listen to  John Barry's instrumental We Have all the Time in the World via the below link:

 On Her Majesty's Secret Service • We Have All the Time in the World • John Barry - YouTube

You can also watch scenes and listen to John Barry's great love song sung by the late, jazz great Louie Armstrong via the below link:

Louis Armstrong - We Have All the Time in the World [007 On Her Majesty's Secret Service ] - YouTube  

Enjoy the films. Merry Christmas.