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| Image courtesy of Warner Bros. |
1. Christmas in Connecticut: 1945, starring Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, and Sydney Greenstreet
Forget It's A Wonderful Life. This screwball comedy starring two of the big names in classic film noir (Stanwyck and Greenstreet, respectively) step out of their shadowy typecasts of gangsters and femme fatales to quite literally romp in the snowdrifts of New England. A brilliant businesswoman in Manhattan (Stanwyck) has typecast herself as a doting housewife living in the backwoods of Connecticut in a famous magazine column that pays for her mink coats and comfortable lifestyle. All that threatens to come to a halt when her boss at the magazine that publishes her column asks her to host a returning war vet at her idyllic home; which of course doesn't exist! A she frets in her cramped high-rise apartment, hilarity ensues.
2. It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas - Single by The Pet Shop Boys
The perfect blend of cynical and sweet; it's just not truly the holidays until this quirky gem comes on. "Bing Crosby, are you listening to me??"
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| Image courtesy of Tantor Media, Inc. |
3. The Fat Man: A Tale of North Pole Noir, by Ken Harmon; audiobook read by Johnny Heller
When you've got "North Pole" and "Noir" together in one title; what's not to love? A quick read or listen, this celebration of the hard-boiled detective mystery novels follows the misadventures of Gumdrop Coal, a two-foot-three-inch hard-nog drinker who has the nasty job of delivering coal to kids on the Naughty List. Disillusioned after 1,300 years, he's ready to lose himself to the bottle of eggnog until one parent of a particularly naughty kid winds up dead. Who framed him? And is ol' Kris Kringle, (aka: The Fat Man), next? A send-up of all your favorite childhood characters (even little Ralphie from The Christmas Story puts in an appearance) against the shadowy backdrop of crime fiction at its best. Audiobook features the voice talent of New York native Johnny Heller, who gives Gumdrop the right amount of Brooklyn grit to his voice and gives the perfect accompaniment to this twisted tale.
Listen to an audio clip HERE.
4. Hershey's Kisses Bell Choir Commercial
Self-explanatory. I grew up seeing this commercial for as long as I can remember, and it always rings in the holiday cheer for me. When I visited Hershey' Chocolate World in PA over Thanksgiving this year, they had an interactive display where you could make up your own melodies using the Hershey's bells. Timelessly brilliant and delicious.
5. Brian Setzer Orchestra - Boogie Woogie Christmas
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| Image courtesy of Amazon.com |
This is essential to my Christmas soundtrack. This album has gotten me through the toughest wrapping, letter writing, cookie baking, and what have you - it's the espresso jolt to your holiday blues; and far superior to his following installment, Dig That Crazy Christmas (although that too has moments of brilliance, most notably with "Angels We Have Heard on High"). It also features the best version of "Baby It's Cold Outside", a duet with the timelessly talented Ann Margret (also known as one of Elvis's old gal pals; see Viva Las Vegas) and a version of "O Holy Night" that will make your momma cry. Enough said. Go listen!
6. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
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| Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox |
Long before the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp duo became trite and tacky, back in the early 90s they came together to create a film that is truly magical. A true modern day fairy tale, it centers around why it always snows around Christmastime in a particular suburban town of Florida, and blossoms into a story of deep tolerance, acceptance, love - and the ultimate consequences of all three. Featuring some of the most heartrending music created by the brilliant Danny Elfman and the very last major film performance of the incredible Vincent Price, it is the kind of film that will melt your heart like a snowflake on your warm gloved hand.
7. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
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| Image courtesy of Chris Van Allsburg and Houghton Mifflin. |
