Friday Funnies Reveal

Last week's Friday Funnies post was based on the film below.

From the comments received, it was clear that, unlike ourselves, either not many bloggers are avid holiday film watchers or were not familiar with this one. Congrats to fellow blogger Emma (Leaves on My Tree) for correctly naming the film.

For all the non-movie fans, here are the answers:

• Christmas with the Kranks was a moderate box-office movie success.
• It was based on Skipping Christmas (John Grisham), a best-selling book.
• Luther and Nora Krank plan to skip it after daughter Blair left for the Peace Corps.
• Neighbors Bev and Walt Scheel had a pet cat. Bev had health issues.
• Vic  Frohmeyer was the neighborhood leader, his son was Spike.
• A character, Marty was in several scenes and flew off as Santa in a Volkswagen.

Synopsis

After their daughter, Blair) leaves for service with the Peace Corps before Christmas, Luther Krank (Tim Allen) totals up that $6,000 was spent for Christmas the previous year with nothing to show for it. He convinces wife, Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis) to forgo the traditions of cards, gift-giving, donations, entertaining, tree buying, decorating and instead take a Caribbean cruise for less cost. This plan irks Christmas-obsessed neighbors Vic Frohmeyer (Dan Aykroyd) and Walt Scheel (M. Emmet Walsh), who are determined to win the best decorated street competition. Every home was to feature an oversized Frosty on the roof. When the Kranks refuse to decorate with their snowman, they become neighborhood outcasts. When Blair unexpectedly is returning home for the holidays, the Kranks are faced with pulling together a holiday party on short notice. Neighbors are relunctant to help until Frohmeyer reminds them the party is for Blair, not her parents. All ends well with much help from the neighbors. Krank gives the cruise to the Scheels.

The movie was panned by many reviewers, including film critic Roger Ebert who gave it a single star. Some have labelled it as one of the worst movies that includes everything wrong with how some celebrate Christmas. Despite this, it's viewed regularly at the holiday season and has become a cult favorite. Full disclosure, we have a DVD of the film.

Filming

Christmas with the Kranks takes place mainly in the Kranks' fictional neighborhood of Hemlock Street in a suburb of Chicago, ILL over the course of Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve. But, none of it was filmed in the Midwest part of the U.S. The town was built in a parking lot. 

Former Downey Studios and Christmas with the Kranks Street (internet source)

After a search for filming locations, filmmakers decided to set up the neighborhood in an empty location and selected the parking lot of a former NASA/Boeing site in Downey, CA, about 15 miles from downtown LA at Downey Studios. The first three weeks were spent designing houses. In the next 12 weeks, hundreds of carpenters, plasterers, and painters built what would become the largest exterior set ever built for a film which included 5 complete homes and 11 facades at a cost of $5 million. The film's producer stated the set would be available for other movies, TV series and commercials to use afterwards. However, film workers claimed their health problems were caused by toxic residues and hazardous conditions at Downey Studios. The studio closed in 2012 because of these issues, also a lack of profit. Today the site is home to the Promenade at Downey retail center.

Not all of the film's scenes were shot at Downey Studios, as it didn't have a downtown backlot set. Instead, the production team filmed the movie’s urban scenes at other CA studios and locations. A scene involving Chip’s Market was filmed at Universal Studios Hollywood in the studio’s New York Street area. The stationary store, where Nora didn’t place a holiday card order, was also filmed there. A supermarket scene was filmed at Cordon's Ranch Market in Glendale, CA. The scene in which police officers apprehend a burglar was filmed at Warner Bros. Studio in Burbank. A mall scene was filmed Westside Pavilion Mall in LA, which has since closed.

And, now you know, the rest of the story, and that's all, folks, almost . . .

We met up with this Frosty on Main St in Lititz, PA, last weekend

40th Christmas Anniversary

A previous post featured two popular holiday tunes, each of which hit No.1 on the Billboard Top 100 during the Christmas season — years after they debuted, both considered classics

1983 Movie Poster

This long post focuses on a classic film celebrating its 40th anniversary this year — A Christmas Story (1983) is one of our favorites. Like millions of others, we watch it every year.

For anyone not familiar with the story (is that possible?) here's a synopsis: The film is a series of vignettes involving the home, family, friends of 9-year old Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley) during the 1940 holiday season. He lives with his parents (played by Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon) and younger brother Randy (Ian Petrella) in the fictional Midwest town of Hohman, IN. 

Before Christmas, Ralphie daydreams about his perfect Christmas gift — a  Red Ryder carbine-action, 200-shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time. This Christmas wish is thwarted by his mother, teacher and a department store Santa who taunt him with You'll shoot your eye out.

The gun wasn't a made-up product (unlike the leg lamp) but made by Daisy, only it didn’t have a compass or sundial. It's still among the most sold BB guns. Red Ryder was a popular comic strip character that debuted in 1938 and ran in some 750 newspapers, later a radio and TV show.

Other film storylines include: narrow escapes from neighborhood bullies, battles with a smoke-belching furnace, attempts to get his younger brother to eat, parental disagreements over his father's infatuation with an lamp that looks like a woman's leg, and an unpleasant visit with a department store Santa.

Humorist Jean Shepherd

The film is based on the humorous writings of Jean Parker Shepherd, born July 1921 in Chicago, IL to Jean Parker Sr. and Anne (Heinrichs) Shepherd. He grew up in Hammond, IN, which served as the model for the Parker family’s fictional Midwest town in the film. Like Ralphie, the movie's lead, Shepherd grew up on Cleveland St and went to Warren G. Harding Elementary School in Hammond, IN. 

Shepherd was a popular radio personality on KYW in Philadelphia, then on WOR in NYC where his nightly radio broadcast entertained a legion of young people, including Grenville. Many of Shepherd's semi-fictional anecdotes appeared in Playboy magazine and were collected in a 1966 book, In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash. In Playboy, the book chapter was called Duel In The Snow or Red Ryder Nails the Cleveland Street Kid. 

A Christmas Story is narrated by Shepherd as an older, adult Ralphie. This narration is a welcome tradition as the holiday wouldn't be complete without seeing the film at least once, easy to do now— it's become a marathon viewing event on cable TV.

Some well-known memorable scenes include: delivery of a major award won by Ralphie's father; its unpacking and setting up in the front window; Ralphie's letting an f-bomb slip, his imaginary shootout with Black Bart's gang, his father chased by a pack of at least 785 smelly hound dogs owned by the hillbilly neighbors, the Bumpus family; his best friend Schwartz daring friend Flick, to stick his tongue to an icy flagpole; Ralphie pummeling a bully tormentor.

Ironically, the film was almost never made. It was only made after a deal was struck between the director and MGM.

Director Robert Clark

In the late 1960s, director Robert Clark heard a broadcast of Shepherd’s recollections growing up in Indiana in the late 1930s-early 1940s. When the program finished, Clark knew he wanted to make a movie from them.

 

For years, he tried to find a studio to finance the film, none were interested. Clark, a journeyman director, specialized in low-budget B movies and directed the 1981 film, Porky’s, a teen comedy set in 1950s FL. (Its title refers to a redneck establishment in the Everglades that fronts a brothel.) It was a box office hit and the studio wanted a sequel. Clark now had bargaining power. He agreed to a sequel if the studio would let him do A Christmas Story first. 

MGM agreed. The modestly budgeted comedy ($3,300,000) was released in 1983 a week before Thanksgiving on less than 900 screens. It was a sleeper hit earning $2 million its first weekend, double by Thanksgiving weekend, a solid showing. MGM hadn't counted on it being a success and didn't scheduled distribution to more than the opening screens for the lead up to Christmas. The holiday-themed film disappeared from theaters around Christmas. It had been "played out." 

What to do? Movie goers lodged complaints at theater owners and the studio, and it stayed in 100 theaters until January 1984. Ultimately, the film collected $19 million at the box office.

TV ad for 24-hour marathon

A Christmas Story crept into the mainstream through home video and cable broadcasts which were just starting. In 1986, MGM basically gave the movie to Warner Bros. including it as part of a 50-movie, pre-1986 film library deal. Cable network TNT aired its first 24-hour marathon in 1988 as a publicity stunt, which soon became a tradition. 

As usual, the movie will air on TBS and TNT, including a 24-hour marathon that starts on Christmas Eve and ends on Christmas Day. Over 40 million viewers will tune in at some point. It's become one of the most popular holiday films on a par with It’s A Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street.

Some Christmas Story Trivia

The movie was filmed in the U.S. and Toronto, Ontario. Director Clark sent location scouts to 20 cities to find an American city resembling a 1940s Indiana town, before selecting Cleveland, OH. That decision was also based on the fact that Higbee’s (an actual downtown department store) would allow filming inside the store. (Higbee's was a stand-in for Goldblatts department store in Hammond, IN, where Shepherd grew up.)

Christmas Story House, Cleveland, OH 

The house in the movie is located outside of downtown Cleveland and the Higbee building still stands downtown. Exteriors of Warren G. Harding Elementary School were filmed at Victoria School in St. Catharines, Ontario. The tree shopping scene was filmed in Toronto. A trademark red trolley is seen driving by the Christmas tree lot. 

A Christmas Story house and museum, 3159 W 11th St, Cleveland, OH, is open year round for tours and overnight stays. It features props, costumes, film memorabilia, film photos, including toys from Higbee’s window, Randy’s snowsuit, the chalkboard from Miss Shields’ classroom and the Parker family car. 

There's minimal special effects due to the film's small budget. Some characters were locals. A child wearing goggles that Ralphie and Randy meet while waiting to meet Santa was a local extra, as was Santa, his elves, and the Wizard of Oz characters.

Shepherd’s concept for the “major award” leg lamp was based on a Nehi soda logo. The style of the leg lamp was created by production designer Reuben Freed who had never seen (or heard) of a leg lamp. Three lamps made for the movie all broke on set during filming.

One of several Nehi soda advertisements

Nehi is a flavored soft drink created in 1905. In the early 20th century, its national advertising logo typically showed a woman's legs. The skirt was high to show the stockings up to the knee, suggesting the phrase "knee-high" to illustrate correct pronunciation of the company name. Nehi is now owned by Dr. Pepper Snapple Group which limits its sales and distribution countrywide.

Director Clark & Writer Shepherd

In addition to providing voice-over narration, writer Jean Shepherd had a cameo appearance as a department store customer who sends Ralphie to the back of the Santa line. The woman standing behind him is his wife.

Director Bob Clark also has a cameo as Swede, the Parker family’s neighbor who stops to marvel at the major award leg lamp from across the street.

The Radio Orphan Annie decoder that Ralphie receives is the “Speedomatic” model, indicating that the movie takes place in December 1940. Different decoders were made each year from 1935-1940. By 1941, they were made of paper due to WW II metal shortages.

The role of Ralphie Parker’s father, was originally offered to Jack Nicholson, who reportedly was interested. Clark lobbied hard for Darren McGavin and producers, worried about Nicholson’s usually large salary, approved McGavin. 

Darren McGavin & Belinda Dillon

McGavin was 61 years old, his movie wife Belinda Dillon, was 43 at the time.

McGavin ad-libbed profane rants while fighting with the furnace, done to ensure a PG rating. He said he spoke gibberish as it was impossible for him to ad-lib angry words without using profanity.

According to Peter Billingsley (Ralphie) the string of  gibberish curses he exclaimed while beating up bully Scut Farkus were scripted, word for word, perhaps to avoid him from accidentally using real profanity.

In the dream scene when Ralphie is firing at Black Bart's bandits in the backyard, young Billingsley was chewing on real tobacco, not black licorice as cowboy actors did. The prop department had provided it to the child actor, something that shouldn't have been done. He reportedly had some after-effects.

Did you really think that Flick’s tongue was stuck to the flagpole? Fear not, it was an illusion. A piece of plastic was wrapped around the pole with a hole in it. A hidden suction tube was inserted and attached to a hidden vacuum motor. Tests have shown that a human tongue can get stuck to a frozen pole; cold metal will turn saliva into “a kind of superglue.”

Flick (Scott Schwartz) accepts dare

The Radio Orphan Annie decoder that Ralphie gets is the “Speedomatic” model, indicating that the movie takes place in December 1940. Different decoders were made each year from 1935-1940. By 1941, due to WW II metal shortages, they were made of paper.

Some of the “snow” used during the bullying scenes was actually soap flakes and fire fighters foam. Movies often use fake snow to create winter wonderlands. It's  easier to control than real snow, and easier on actors who won't freeze while delivering lines. (That was done in the snowstorm scenes in It's a Wonderful Life shot in July during very hot weather.)

Zack Ward (Scut Farkas)

The character of Scut Farkus (Zack Ward) was created for the movie and never appears in the book, there Grover Dill is the only bully who torments Ralphie and his friends. 

In a final scene, the Parker family goes to a restaurant on Christmas and a group of waiters sing Jingle Bells. Director Clark didn’t tell the actors the men were going to sing. Their reactions to the singing were genuine.

Actor Peter Billingsley took home three film props; the Red Ryder BB gun, pink bunny suit, and broken glasses. Ironically, the broken glasses weren't a prop, but his own that broke on set.

In 2022, Billingsly played Ralphie for the first time in almost 40 years reprising the role in A Christmas Story Christmas. As a grown-up, married-with-kids adult, he returns home for the holidays. The film included many original 1983 cast members, excluding McGavin and Dillon who had died. 

Your turn — Test your film knowledge with these ? (answers below). 

I triple-dog dare you! (all in fun, no prizes, just braggin' rights)

1. The Parker family eats the same meal nightly, what?
2. How is Ralphie’s father referred to in the film?
3. Finish the quote: I didn’t get a … this year
4. Ralphie puts a flyer for the BB gun in which magazine?
5. Which U.S. state was A Christmas Story set in? (mentioned above)
6. Finish the quote: Meatloaf, smeatloaf, double beetloaf. I hate ….
7. What car does Ralphie’s father drive?
8. Before getting a flat, which Christmas song were the Parkers singing?
9. Finish the quote, You used all ..... on purpose, who said it?
10. What does Ralphie call the Red Ryder BB gun in his dream?
11. Who was on the cover of the magazine Ralphie put the BB gun flyer in?
12. Which TV show was inspired by A Christmas Story?
13. How many times does Ralphie mention wanting a Red Ryder BB Gun in the film?
14. Which Christmas carol plays in the opening scene?
15. What gift does Flick plan to give his father for Christmas?
16. Ralphie uses a Little Orphan Annie decoder pin to reveal what secret?
17. What did Ralphie's mother give his father for Christmas?
18. Where did Randy hide, scared that Ralphie was going to be in big trouble?
19. What does Ralphie blurt out when helping his father change a flat? 
20. What soap is used to wash out his mouth with afterwards, name 2 other soaps mentioned 
21. What does Ralphie’s father say as Ralphie models Aunt Clara's pink bunny suit?
22. What word on the lamp crate makes Ralphie's father think it's foreign?
23. Where does Ralphie find his last present?
24. Name a present Randy gets and takes to bed
25. What was the teacher's name; what mark did she give Ralphie's theme?

Answers: 1. Mashed potatoes, red cabbage, meatloaf 2. The old man 3.Tie, 4. Look magazine, 5. Indiana 6. Meatloaf said by Randy (his brother) 7. Oldsmobile, 8. Jingle Bells 9. Glue, said by Ralphie's father to his wife 10. Ol' Blue, 11. Shirley Temple, 12. The Wonder Year, 13. 28 times 14. Deck the Halls (by Percy Faith orchestra) 15. A rose that sprays water, 16. Drink your Ovaltine 17. Blue bowling Ball 18. Under the sink 19. Oh, Fudge! (that's not the word) 20. Lifebuoy (Palmolive and Lex) 21. He calls it a pink nightmare and says Ralphie looks like a deranged Easter Bunny 22. Fragile 23. Hidden in a corner 24. Zeppelin 25. Miss Shields, C+

 

Postscript

Humorist, writer, radio personality Jean Shepherd died in 1999 at age 78.

Film director Robert Clark, 67, and his 22-year old son were killed in an April 2007 car accident in Pacific Palisades. Their vehicle collided head-on with a driver under the influence who was also driving without a license.

Belinda Dillon, who played Ralphie's film mother, died in January 2023 at age 84. Her on screen husband, Darren McGavin died in 2006, also at age 84.

You can hear Shepherd read the book chapter that became the film online (YouTube) — Jean Shepherd - A Christmas Story. On Christmas Eve 1974, Shepherd narrated on his long-running WOR-AM radio show. No visuals, just a listen from an amusing story teller.

Look Who's 16 !

As if the years don't seem to pass fast enough, today is a very special 🎂 day in our family.

It's the 16th birthday of oldest grandchild, Bobby (Robert Thomas). Unfortunately, we will not be in RI to celebrate this event. 

He was a preemie and spent his first 2 weeks in a neo-natal unit, but happily, his release came in time for his parents and us to celebrate his birth and first Christmas. It hardly seems that many years ago that we were notified of this his impending arrival and flew cross-country from VA home to CA, where his parents were living. 

Of course we're prejudiced, but we are extremely proud of this young man as we have watched him grow up. He is kind, caring and helpful—and very much loved ❤️.

Looking through images to include in this post, there were many favorites, especially those of grandson and grandfather, which are among my favorites.

This ↑ is the reason excuse for the lateness of this birthday post. It's connected with grandson's birth. We spent a few weeks in CA and where we saw this film released during the holiday season that year. One of our favorite holiday films, it's appropriately called The Holiday.

Here's a synopsis: two unlucky-in-love women (Amanda and Iris) arrange a 2-week home exchange between the US and England to escape heartbreak during the holiday season. English Iris finds herself in an CA mansion, while Amanda is in a picture-perfect English cottage and village. They both find that a change of address can change their lives and both fall in ♥️.

Sure, this romantic comedy has a predictable outcome and, of course, the lead actors (Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Jack Black) are attractive and charming. But, it also has a long running time—2 hrs and 15 min. 

Grandson Bobby on his 16th birthday

Maybe, one day, our grandson will enjoy it as much as his grandparents. At the moment he's more into video games than rom-com films—one day, he may watch this film with his own ♥️ interest (not, that we are rushing anything).

Love At the Movies

Our New Year's Day was spent at home wearing comfy clothes, snacking on leftovers from our New Year's Eve dominoes playing with friends, and watching binging on three films with a similar theme (mentioned in my last 2021 post). In short, we had a wonderful start to 2022. 

Several bloggers named a couple of the movies. Braggin' rights to Kathleen (Eggs In My Pocket) for naming all: Love Affair (1939) with Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne, An Affair to Remember (1957) with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, Sleepless in Seattle (1993) with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Coincidentally, the first two films directed by Leo McCarey, 18 years apart, followed a nearly identical plot and dialogue. (McCarey, who had taken a trans-Atlantic cruise with his wife, said that when he devised the storyline after seeing the NYC skyline on entering the harbor.)

Only the first two films are alike. Sleepless in Seattle was in no way identical or even similar to the earlier ones. Instead, it was a tribute to the 1957 version by director Nora Ephrom. Clips and mentions in her film lead to subsequent viewings and sales of the 1957 film. 

The 1994 Love Affair film (Warren Beatty and Annette Benning) while modeled after the 1939 and 1957 films, wasn't quite the same or as well done. In it, the couple meet on a plane vs. ship. There's an aunt vs. an elderly grandmother. Beatty's character isn't a playboy, but ex-football player.

What stayed the same in all versions was the name and career of the female lead: Terry McKay was a singer in all. However, the name of the male lead differed. In 1939, Boyer was Michel Marnet; in 1957, Grant was Nick Ferrante; in 1994, Beatty was Mike Gambril. In all three films, the lead characters were engaged to or involved with someone before the meet-cute. (In film and TV, it's when a future romantic couple meet for the first time, often under unusual, humorous, or cute circumstances.)

Love Affair (1939) with Charles Boyer Grant & Irene Dunne

Here's a synopsis of the 1939 film; watch it first and you'll know all about the 1957 film right down to the lines: French playboy Michel Marnet (Boyer) meets American singer Terry McKay (Dunne) aboard a transatlantic cruise. Both engaged to others, Marnet to an heiress, McKay to a businessman, they flirt and dine together and efforts to remain discrete don't go unnoticed by others. Stopping in Madeira, they visit Michel's grandmother, Janou, who tells Terry he's a talented painter who destroys paintings when they don't meet his standards. Disembarking in NYC, the couple plan to reunite at the observation deck atop the Empire State Building in July if they've ended other relationships. Michel says it will let him see if he can pursue painting. Terry continues a nightclub singing career. 

The date arrives, both head to the meet-up. In a crash scene, heard but unseen in both films, Terry is hit by a car. Told she may never walk again, she declines to contact Michel who had gone to the rendezvous, waited until closing and left. She begins therapy and teaches music as an orphanage (a school in the 1957 version). His grandmother dies, Michel returns to Europe. He's given a white lace shawl Terry had admired and which his grandmother wanted her to have.

Back in NYC, it's Christmas Eve and Terry's first outing since the accident. They meet after a theater performance both attended ends. She remains seated until he leaves and a wheelchair is brought out. Learning her address, he visits her apartment where she's reclining on a couch, legs covered. He brings up their failed meeting and asks if she went, lying that he did not. Terry evades the topic and never gets up. He gives her the lace shawl and getting ready to leave, tells her he painted her wearing it, and instructed the gallery owner to give it away (and was told he gave it to a woman in a wheelchair who admired it. Finally realizing why Terry has remained seated, he checks the apartment and finds the painting. Embracing her after realizing she was the woman in the wheelchair he asks: Why didn't you tell me? If it had to happen to one of us, why did it have to be you?

She replies: Oh, it's nobody's fault but my own! I was looking up... it was the nearest thing to heaven! You were there... followed by the famously remembered final line by a sobbing Terry: Don't worry, darling, if you can paint, I can walk.

Were those last few lines a tad overdone? 

You bet they were, but often quoted.

Were they favorites of movie goers then and now? 

Sure enough and they can buy the shirt too!

In 1940, Love Affair received 6 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress in a Leading Role, and Best Original Song (Wishing) song by Irene Dunne in the 1939 film. 

Unfortunately, it was in competition with other notable films, that year: Gone With the Wind, Goodbye Mr. Chips, The Wizard of Oz, Wuthering Heights. It was beat out by Gone With the Wind for best picture. The Wizard of Oz won for best song with Over the Rainbow.

An Affair to Remember (1957) with Cary Grant & Deborah Kerr

Director McCarey's 1957 remake, An Affair to Remember, is considered one of the top romantic films according to the American Film Institute. I read that it was renamed due a copyright on the original title. Unlike the 1939 version in which Dunne sang, Kerr's vocals was done by Marni Nixon, a “ghost singer” who didn't receive onscreen credit for her singing in famous musicals: Getting to Know You from The King and I, I Feel Pretty from West Side Story and I Could Have Danced All Night” and The Rain in Spain from My Fair Lady. 

An Affair to Remember (1957) with Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Cathleen Nesbitt

Comparing both films some 65 years later, the 1957 film is the hands-down favorite. Grant was considered more likable than Boyer as a romantic bachelor; Kerr's character, Terry McKay, was considered feisty and feminine. And, unlike the 1939 B&W film, this one was in full color CinemaScope. Further contributing to the film’s popularity was its popular Academy Award nominated theme, An Affair to Remember or Our Love Affair sung by Vic Damone at the beginning of the film. It didn't win and was beat out by All The Way from The Joker Is Wild.

Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

The 1993 film, Sleepless in Seattle, Meg Ryan (Annie Reed) and Tom Hanks (Sam Baldwin) focuses on what happens after a widowed man's son (Jonah) calls a Seattle radio talk show on Christmas Eve to discuss his father's depression. The show host persuades a reluctant Sam to talk on air about how he misses his late wife (Maggie).

Thousands of women hear the program and write to Sam including Annie, newly engaged to Walter but unsure of their relationship. After watching An Affair to Remember, she writes to Sam suggesting they meet atop the Empire State Building on Valentine's Day. Jonah, who reads Annie's letter, likes it but fails to persuade his father to do it, so Jonah replies to Annie as Sam and agrees to meet. Finding Jonah gone, a distraught Sam boards a flight and finds Jonah on the observation deck. Meanwhile, Annie in NYC with fiancé Walters sees the skyscraper from where their dining, ends their engagement, and rushes to the Empire State Building arriving moments after the elevator door closes with Sam and Jonah heading down. The deck is empty, she finds Jonah's backpack, pulling out teddy bear, Howard. Sam and Jonah emerge from the elevator to retrieve the backpack and they meet. Sam offers his hand to Annie, all three enter the elevator, the doors close with Jonah smiling; film ends. (A personal opinion is that Hanks isn't as good a romantic lead as Grant or Boyer.)

Love Affair (1994)

The 1994, Love Affair, has Warren Beatty (as ex-football star Mike Gambril) and Annette Benning (once again singer Terry McKay). They meet on a flight from New York to Sydney, Australia and, after an emergency landing, wait for repairs to be done. The couple visit Mike's elderly aunt Ginny, played by Katherine Hepburn in her last film role film role at 86. To shorten the tale, they fall in love, agree to meet in NYC, and split with their partners. She finds work as an advertisements singer. He quits his job as an LA sports announcer, becomes a school coach, returns to painting and paints Terry . . . you can figure out the rest of the movie.

Admittedly, I only saw clips and read online synopsis of this version, which were more than enough for me. I'm not a fan of either Beatty or Benning. This version wasn't well received by moviegoers. Its poor box office receipts seemed to reflect that the public's reaction was somewhat similar to my views. 

Your Turn — If you've seen one or more of these films, what's your favorite ?

This is a (very) long-ish post for the start of 2022 in keeping with my tendency to expand on a topic. We'd seen a couple of these films before. It was our first viewing of the 1939 Love Affair. Re-watching An Affair to Remember after, it was enjoyable to see the same storyline with two different actors, an updated setting and in color. Sleepless in Seattle, a romantic-comedy, is hardly on the same level. The Beatty-Benning film held no interest to watch entirely; however watched (too) many online clips and read several reviews, some favorable, others not-so-much.

This week, I'll be catching up on your end of 2021and/or start of 2022 posts. Grenville and myself hope it's a better year for everyone than the previous ones.

And So It Begins

Non-turkey dinner

Now, that Thanksgiving is a memory, the countdown and rush to Christmas Day has begun. It arrives in less than 30 days. We hope that everyone who celebrated the turkey holiday had good times spent with family and friends and delicious food as well.

Our holiday was spent with family. Our holiday meal was a non-traditional one without turkey or fixings. Instead, we enjoyed chicken and ribs, rice, salad. Dessert was also non-traditional featuring grandpa's apple pie and brownies baked by granddaughter.

The holiday was also an early birthday celebration for grandson who be 15 years old this weekend. Since, we won't see his family again until before Christmas, we brought his gifts on this trip.

It was the day after Thanksgiving 2006, when we headed to the airport to fly to the West coast for his arrival. We were there through the holiday season. 

Grandson will be 15 years old this weekend

Here in NH, Thanksgiving eve was movie night as watching the Grinch films is one of Grenville's long-standing traditions. (Did you know that there are three movies based on the 1957 book by Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr Seuss) How the Grinch Stole Christmas! ). We watched the two shown below, both in our collection.

Two of Grenville's favorite holiday viewings

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!  is a 1966 American animated television special, directed and co-produced by Chuck Jones based on the 1957 children's book of the same name. It tells the story of the Grinch, who tries to ruin Christmas for the folks in Whoville below his mountain retreat on Mount Crumpet. Originally telecast in the U.S. in December 1966, it has become a perennial holiday special featuring the voice of the late Boris Karloff as the Grinch and narrator.

The 2000 film, How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a Christmas comedy-drama co-produced and directed by Ron Howard and released in November 2000. It was the first Dr. Seuss book made into a full-length feature film. The film is narrated by Anthony Hopkins and stars Jim Carrey as the Grinch. Critics mentioned its dark theme and scary scenes, but the film was #1 in the U.S. for four weeks and was the sixth-highest grossing film of 2000. It won the Academy Award for Best Makeup. 

Over the holiday weekend, we watched our two favorite modern Christmas themed romantic comedy films, Love Actually and The Holiday. Both are in our holiday DVD collection.

We enjoy these two romantic-comedies every holiday season

Love Actually was released in the U.S. in November 2003, a week ahead of its UK release. Directed by Richard Curtis, it features an ensemble cast of British actors with most of the film done in London locations. It explores various aspects of love as shown through 10 separate stories involving diverse characters, many are shown to be connected as the tales progress. The story begins five weeks before Christmas and plays out weekly until the holiday. A month-later epilogue takes place in a busy airport, just as in the film's start. Love Actually received mixed reviews, but was a box-office success. Usually played during Christmas, the film proved more popular with audiences than critics, and is now a modern holiday staple.

The Holiday (2006) was written, produced and directed by Nancy Meyers and filmed in California and England. It stars Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz as Iris and Amanda, two lovelorn women from opposite sides of the Atlantic, who exchange homes to escape heartbreak during the holidays. The film's leading men were played by Jude Law (Graham) and Jack Black (Miles). The film also stars the late Eli Wallach. The Holiday premiered in NYC in November 2006, before being theatrically released in the UK and the U.S. in December 2006. Despite mixed reviews, the film became the 12th highest-grossing film of the 2000s to be produced by a female director. Ironically, we saw this film in a CA theater when we were there for grandson Bobby's birth and it's become a seasonal favorite ever since.

Our first time meet-up with fellow blogger Linda and Bob

Over the weekend, we had a first-time meet-up with fellow blogger Linda and her husband, Bob. They live in PA and were in NH visiting family for the holiday and staying in Nashua. We met at a local restaurant and had a great time. This is the second time in as many months that we have met a fellow blogger. In September, we met fellow blogger Kathy and her husband, Joe when we all in PA for different events. We neglected to take photos of that meet-up; hopefully, next time.

This weekend it was also time to take down the fall decorations from our apt entry. We were planning to start with the interior as well. However, a scheduled rug cleaning appointment put it on hold until this coming weekend.

The exterior of our apartment is holiday ready

Cards shown on the apartment door and wall are card fronts saved from ones received in 2020. It's my custom to recycle them as decorations the following year. Some of these even date back a couple of years earlier as I liked the design, sentiment or both.

Holiday decorations in downtown Nashua on Main St

A couple of downtown Nashua holiday storefronts 

Meanwhile, the city of Nashua and some storefronts are also displaying holiday decorations. The top three images in this collage are of banners along downtown Main St. The holiday wreath is one of several on a side street. The nutcrackers and trees are from store displays.

Today is Cyber Monday first coined in 2005 by the National Retail Federation to encourage online shopping. It's considered to be the online shopping equivalent of Black Friday, which dates back to about the 1950s and historically has been one of the busiest yearly shopping days. The only shopping we did on Black Friday was for groceries; today is laundry day.

How about you — did you shop on Friday and/or will you today?

In answer to comments on the Friday Funnies about replacement washers/dryers. Those shown were only a few of all the replaced units. The mill building has 5 floors, each has a laundry room with a min. of 3 washers/3 dryers (a couple have more). The machines are well used with over 900 residents. There were replaced due to frequent breakdowns.

Holiday Movie Watching

Holiday 🎄movies — have you been watching them more this year? It's OK to 'fess up

The past few years, we never managed to watch all the holiday movies in our collection, which currently numbers just over 50, a bit more with a couple of compilation DVDs. 

But, this year, beginning in early November, we started going through the collection in alphabetical order and we each selected a film a night. We started with, Beyond Christmas, and recently ended with We're No Angels. Some of the films in our collection may be unfamiliar to many of you and a few will be described in this post; several are unusual, but worth a look.

Years ago, we would take turns and randomly choose a movie for the night's viewing. This meant we never watched every film, some would be skipped to pick favorites. of course, not traveling during either of the major holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas also helped increase this year's viewing

Our collection includes films with similar, but not identical titles or storylines: The Man Who Saved Christmas (the story of toymaker A.C. GIlbert) and The Man Who Invented Christmas (the story of how Charles Dickens penned A Christmas Carol). Several movies in our collection have the word, holiday, in the title: Holiday Inn (1942), Holiday Affair (1949) and The Holiday (2006).

We have many versions of A Christmas Carol: a 1938 film with Reginald Owen, 1984 version with George C. Scott, 1992 Muppets Christmas Carol, and the 2009 animated version with Jim Carrey. One day we'll add the 1951 version with Alastair Sim, which many consider the best one of the bunch. We also have Scrooged, a 1988 fantasy-comedy version starring Bill Murray and including all three of his brothers — John, Joel, and Brian Doyle-Murray. We've skipped most of these this year, opting to watch the Scott and Murray versions.

Dickens is said to have named the story, A Christmas Carol, as he expected it to be repeated and shared and to bring families together like the singing of carols that spread happiness each season in London.

We also watched movies newly-added to our collection and bought on eBay this year: Home Alone 2, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Trading Places, While You Were Sleeping, and 3 Godfathers. That last 1948 film is considered the only Christmas western, directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne. For the plot line, think of the story of the Three Wise Men only with cowboys. The film was based on a 1930 story of the same title. It wasn't one of our favorites and might not be to your liking, unless you're a big John Wayne fan.

One with a similar theme is the1940 movie, Beyond Tomorrow, one of our holiday favorites. It's also known as Beyond Christmas and So Goodbye. The movie is considered a fantasy film and includes early special effects. It was produced by noted cinematographer Lee Garmes. There are no famous stars in the film, but it featured a quartet of veteran character actors, all seven received a "Featuring" billing after the movie title. The plot takes place during the Christmas season, but the film is little-remembered. As the story begins, three rich, but lonely engineers invite a pair of strangers, a young couple, to share Christmas Eve in their mansion. The trio bonds with them, but there's an untimely plane crash and then. Sorry, but you will have to see the film to learn what happened. Hint: you can find it online.

An offbeat 1950 comedy film, Rupert the Great, also titled The Great Rupert stars Jimmy Durante as a down-and-out former vaudeville performer whose family falls on hard times at Christmas time. A furry friend becomes their guardian angel in the form of a squirrel named Rupert as money starts raining down from a hole in the ceiling. Admittedly, it's a totally absurd plot line. This low-budget film was reviewed in The New York Times which described it as wholly ingratiating adding that it had a happy cast of characters. While not a great film by any means, it's a fun one with a good message as Durante's character is shown helping his neighbors after his new-found wealth. Sorry no further plot details here, but you can also find this one online.

The cast includes actor Tom Drake, who plays a love interest in the film and six years earlier as John Truitt was the love interest of Judy Garland in the 1944 film, Meet Me in St Louis. That film  featured the now classic holiday tune, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

Mixed Nuts is an American Christmas dark comedy, directed by Nora Ephron, which features a stellar comedic cast including Steve Martin, Madeline Kahn, Robert Klein, Adam Sandler, Rob Reiner, and Garry Shandling. The events focus around a crisis hotline in coastal CA on Christmas Eve. It was released in theaters on December 21, 1994 and while critically and commercially unsuccessful then, it's now a cult classic.

While also enjoy vintage B&W films including It's a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, Holiday Inn, The Bishop's Wife, It Happened in Connecticut. We have several contemporary favorites: Love Actually, a 2003 release, which features an ensemble cast of mostly British actors, many of whom had worked with director Richard Curtis on film and TV projects. Filmed in London, the screenplay delves into various aspects of love, shown in 10 separate stories involving people who are shown to be connected as the story progresses. It begins 5 weeks before Christmas and plays out until the holiday with an epilogue one month later. Released in the U.S. in November 2003, it got mixed reviews. One week later it opened in the UK to positive reviews. It was a box office hit, more popular with audiences than critics then, it's now a modern Christmas movie staple.

Three years later in 2006, The Holiday, premiered in NYC in November, a month before its December theatrical release in the US and UK. This romantic comedy featured Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz as two women from opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean who arrange a Christmas home exchange  to escape heartbreak in their respective countries. Written, produced and directed by Nancy Meyers the film was a financial success  and grossed over $200 million against a $85 million budget. It garnered mixed reviews with critics praising cast performances and the film's aesthetic appeal but with a predictable plot. Nevertheless, it remains a modern classic now.

We did a snowy day movie marathon of all three Tim Allen holiday films: 1994 The Santa Clause, 2002 Santa Clause 2 (The Mrs Clause) and 2006 Santa Clause 3 (the escape clause). 

We also watched The Polar Express, The Grinch That Stole Christmas, and A Charlie Brown Christmas. And, the 1989 film, Christmas Vacation is always on our holiday viewing list. Maybe some of these are on yours too?

 

Two Netflix original films, Christmas Chronicles and Christmas Chronicles2 with Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn will be added to our DVD collection within a few years. Right now, these films are too recent to be reasonably priced. All of the above-mentioned holiday films added to our collection this year were purchased online for $5 to $6 with free shipping. Buying several older films wasn't costly and definitely provided a lot of evening entertainment for us this year and in the future.

Now, I'll admit we haven't watched Hallmark holiday movies as we're not cable subscribers. Many of these can be seen on YouTube and so are next on our holiday watching list. After all, there's still time left before Christmas and we're not going anywhere then or afterwards.

Plus, there's no shame in being a Hallmark Christmas movie addict as lots of folks are now. My brother told me he's been watching them too.

Your turn, what holiday films, if any, have you been watching the past couple of months and what are some of your favorites?