365+ Movies in 365 days: Day 243 - True Grit (1969)

I saw True Grit at the United Artist Pequa Theatre in the fall of 1969. It was the first John Wayne movie I saw in a movie theatre. The movie about a young girl who journey's into the Indian country with a U.S. Marshall and a Texas Ranger to avenge the murder of her father, was simple enough for a nine year old to follow and enjoy. As an adult I have come to appreciate the film for John Wayne's career defining performance and the film's subtle humor.

True Grit gave us a very different John Wayne. He had aged and his severe illness in 1964 gave him a haggard, world worn look. His performance as the one-eyed Marshall Rooster Cogburn became a film icon. 

The movie is based on the book of the same name by Charles Portis, published in 1968. The focus of the book was the Mattie Ross character, the stories protagonist and heroine, played by Kim Darby in the film. But once the role of the Marshall was given to Wayne, the focus of the film shifted to highlight the Rooster Cogburn character. Wayne personally selected country singer Glen Campbell to co-star as the Texas Ranger.

The film has held up well over the years. Campbell's acting could be better and so could Darby's. One can't help knowing that you are watching John Wayne, even though he gives a hell of a performance. Much like Tom Cruise, Robert DeNiro or Jack Nicholson, these actors know longer have the ability to disappear into a role, their celebrity outshines the performance. 

Strother Martin as a horse trader and Robert Duvall as "Lucky" Ned Pepper stand out in the supporting cast. The film lacks the authenticity and realism of early settlement life we have come to expect in movies today, but it has great cinematography and a wonderful score by Elmer Bernstein. 

Wayne received is only Oscar for acting and the film was also nominated for Best Song (the song is kind of dreadful. Anytime you try to force the words True Grit into a ballad you are in trouble.)

Its interesting to compare True Grit with the other big western of 1969, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. True Grit has a fan following, but Butch Cassidy has become a benchmark in film history.

At The Movie House rating *** stars

365+ Movies in 365 days: Day 243 - The Social Network

The Social Network has the two things required to make a great movie. A spectacular cast doing their best work and a flawless script that keeps the audience engaged. The script is by writer/producer Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, A Few Good Men, The American President, Charlie Wilson's War) based on the book The Accidental Millionaires by Ben Mezrich. The cast includes Jessie Eisenberg in an Oscar worthy performance as a brilliant, smug, anti-social computer genius,  Justin Timeberlake as Napster inventor Sean Parker, Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin the co-founder of Facebook and Armie Hammer in the dual role of the Winklevoss brothers, founders of Harvard Connection.

The movie is about the founding of Facebook and the explosion of social networking in the last decade. Mark Zuckerberg was a sophomore at Harvard University where he created a site called Facemash where male students could rate female students, much like Hot or Not. His site received 22,000 hits in 4 hours and crashed the Harvard computer network. This event led to the creation of The Facebook a social network for Harvard student. Zuckerberg created the network with dorm buddies Eduardo Severin, who supplied the cash, Dustin Moskovitz (Joseph Mazzello) and Chris Hughes (Patrick Mapel). Before creating The Facebook Zuckerberg had been approached by upper class-man Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss and Divya Narendra (Max Minghella) to help create their idea of a social network Harvard Connection. When Zuckerberg launches his own site instead they are prepared to sue.

Saverin is the new CFO of The Facebook and he is wary of the influence of Napster found Sean Parker has over Zuckerberg. Parker's smooth talking and instant connection with Mark leaves causes Saverin to take steps that endanger his future with the company.

The film opens with a scene in a bar between Zuckerberg and his girlfriend Erica Albright (Rooney Mara). Everything we need to know about Zuckerberg's social awkwardness, smugness and brilliance we learn in this scene. When Albright breaks up with him everything that follows comes from the pain of rejection and the desire to win her back. The movie then begins to cut back and forth between the depositions Zuckerberg had to participate in due to the multiple lawsuits filed against him and the events detailed in the deposition that led up to the creation of Facebook.

Eisenberg shines as the anti-hero. You don't really like him, but you don't dislike him either. You just except him for who he is. His best friend Eduardo is the person the audience roots for and suffers with has his friendship with Mark is slowly destroyed. And Justin Timberlake makes the most of his role as Parker. This film allows us to see exactly how talented an actor Timberlake is.

The combination of virtuoso director David Fincher and writer Aaron Sorkin have created a film that is extremely watchable. In a way it reminded me of All The president's Men, in the way it takes a well known event that everyone knows the ending too, and creates a piece of enthralling fiction. 

Be prepared for The Social Network to be nominated for multiple Oscars and it may just sweep the awards.

At The Movie House rating **** stars

365+ Movies in 365 days: Day 242 - The King's Speech

Last year we were offered The Young Victoria, a biopic about young Queen Victoria and her troubles when ascending to the throne. It was fairly well received but there was nothing special that separated from the hundreds of costume dramas that Hollywood turns out. This year we are taking another look at the British monarchy with The King's Speech and this time the actors take the material and transcend it beyond the ordinary.

There is something about Colin Firth that makes him extremely watchable. The first film I recall seeing him in was the English Patient. He was the only thing worth watching in that movie. Then he played the cad and buffoon in Shakespeare In Love. Next he was the love stricken Mark Darcy in Bridget Jone's Diary. Then in appeared as another man struggling with love in Love Actually and finally he gave the performance of his career as a man in the throes of despair in A Single Man. He was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in 2009. It was the best role of his career until this year when he takes on King George VI, the reluctant King with a speech impediment. Geoffrey Rush plays Lionel, a very unorthodox speech therapist and Helena Bonham Carter is Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the future Queen mother. 

The story is pretty straight-forward, it tells of the turmoil that overtook the British crown in the 1930's when King George V passed away and the throne passed to King Edward VIII (Guy Pearce) but Edward was in love with a woman and when forced to choose between her and the being King, he abdicated his throne to his younger brother Albert.

Albert was never expected to become King and had lived in the shadow of his older brother all his life. He father, King George V was a dominating but loving man who applied untold pressure on the younger son to live up to his name. For multiple reasons the young Albert had developed a stammer and stutter in his youth and had trouble speaking. He was totally incapable of making a public speech, something that was required more frequently with the advent of radio.

In desperation his wife Elizabeth turns to speech therapist Lionel Louge, whose unorthodox methods and familiar ways he talks to royalty are unnerving to say the least.

The film is about the special relationship that forms between Albert and Lionel and the performances Firth and Rush give are a joy to behold. These are consummate actors who disappear into the roles, the performances are not showy "look at me" roles. rather they seem to inhabit and become the people they represent. 

Everyone else in the cast is equally up to the task of recreating the tumultuous events of the early 30's in great Britain. the production values are superb for this type of film and director Tom Hooper artfully uses the camera to help the audience experience the type of alienation and fear Albert feels every time he must open his mouth.

I guarantee Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor and the film will deserve all the accolades it gets. The King's Speech is one of the best movies of the year.

At The Movie House rating ****

At The Movie House also recommends

The Queen

Elizabeth

Elizabeth: The Golden Years

Young Victoria

Mrs. Brown

Madness Of King George

Anne of the Thousand Days

The Lion In Winter

A Man For All Seasons

365+ Movies in 365 days: Day 241 - Black Swan

In director Darren Aronofsky's psychological drama Black Swan Natalie Portman is fearless as a driven, obsessed ballerina. This intense film touches on a number of themes including parental obsession, sexual repression, self-mutilation, self image and the search for perfection.

Portman's tour-de-force performance as a young ballerina who is dominated by her overbearing mother (Barbara Hershey) at home and the ballet company's artistic director (Vincent Cassel) at work. Nina must compete with the prima ballerina Beth (Winona Ryder) and understudy Lily (Mila Kunis) for the chance of a lifetime, to play the Swan Queen in a production of Swan Lake. The role requires to perform as both the white swan and black swan and we soon see that the duality of the role is spilling into Nina's personal life.

Black Swan is an intense, passionate and highly melodramatic triumph by Aronofsky that takes you inside the world of ballet and shows the grueling work and sometimes manic obsession that goes into creating beautiful art.

At The Movie House rating ***1/2 stars

*warning - this film features some graphic sexual scenes and is for adult audiences. This not an updated version of The Red Shoes

*note - in researching the film I found some stunning poster art used at various film festivals and some alternate poster art. I thought they were compelling enough to share here.

365+ Movies in 365 days: Day 240 - The Red Balloon

The Red Balloon is a Oscar winning short film about a boy and a red balloon. It's story is so simple and yet so magical that this small film garnered international acclaim upon it's release in 1956.

The film opens with a French boy going to school. On the way he discovers a red balloon tangled on a lamppost. he climbs the pole and frees the balloon and walks off with his new toy. He soon discovers the balloon behaves with a will of it's own and behaves like a pet dog or new friend. The balloon follows the boy, plays games with him and even waits, floating in mid-air, outside his apartment window. The film itself has been seen as an allegory for Christianity. It shows both good and evil side of human nature.

Directed by Albert Lamorisse, the film has very little dialogue and relies on the visuals and a wonderful music score to set the tone of the film. Lamorisse used his own son and daughter in the film and created a magical parable about childhood, friendship and imagination.

The movie is popular withe educators and I know it was shown in one of my grade school classrooms. 

At The Movie House rating **** stars

365+ Movies in 365 days: Day 239 - White Christmas

You have not seen White Christmas until you have seen the new restored version on Blu-ray. the colors are dazzling to the eyes. I was unaware of how washed out the prints I had been viewing over the years until the "Choreography" number came on and I realized the costumes were shades of purple, rather than the blue-gray I always thought they were. 

The Irving Berlin tunes hold up well in this boat load of Christmas schmaltz from 1954.

At The Movie House rating ***1/2 stars

365+ Movies in 365 days: Day 238 - Double Feature: It's A Wonderful Life & A Christmas Carol (1984)

There is not much to say about this film that has not already been said. It's a great movie to watch on Christmas Eve and an excellent film in general. It is amazing to think that this film was not well received in when it was released in 1946. The film does mark a turning point in James Stewart's career. He allowed a dark side to creep into the characters he plays. Look at the scene when he is trying to convince his mother who he is. The look of need and desperation on his face. And then later look at the pure joy he exhibits when he reunites with the children. With It's A Wonderful life Jimmy Stewart began exploring the full range of human emotions that would culminate in his superb work in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo.

At the Movie House rating **** stars

Many say that this is the definitive version of A Christmas Carol. The film gets everything right, from the period details and music to making Scrooge slightly less than a caricature of a miserly old man. George C. Scott is a hard-hearted Scrooge, but he does have a sense of humor. 

I for one like this version and the Alister Sim version equally and I alternate every Christmas Eve.

At the Movie House rating **** stars

365+ Movies in 365 days: Day 237 - The Homecoming: A Christmas Story

America saw a return to simplified country style in the 1970's. We were moving closer to the bicentennial celebration and early American furniture was in vogue. Country music was on the rise and shows celebrating the rural side of American life were very popular. The beginning of this trend in television can be pin pointed to the CBS broadcast of The Homecoming: A Christmas Story in December 1971. America was introduced to the Walton clan in a made for TV holiday special created and written by Earl Hammer, Jr.

The Walton's lived on Walton Mountain in West Virginia. There life was rustic and hard. It was the Great Depression and money and jobs were difficult to come by. The family eagerly awaits the homecoming of there father who took a job in a city 50 miles away. he only comes home on weekends and is overdue on Christmas Eve. Their anxiety increases when they here of a bus accident on the main road in which one man is killed and another injured.

As the family awaits word on their father they go about chores and getting things prepared for Christmas Day.

Richard Thomas is introduced as John-boy Walton and Patricia Neal played Olivia the family matriarch. Due to her health Neal would not appear in the weekly series and I think that is too bad. Her portrayal as a strong, principled but loving mother was superb. The film is very authentic to it's period and location and the rest of the cast is very good. 

At the Movie House rating ****

Great Movies For Christmas Eve

Since 1970 when It's A Wonderful Life fell into public domain and was broadcast regularly by WNEW Channel 5 in NYC it has been a tradition to watch this film on Christmas Eve. This year I hope to see it on the big screen for the first time, since it is being screened at the Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto at 9 PM on Christmas Eve. that should be a nice holiday treat.

Even if you can't make it to Palo Alto I suggest snuggling up on your sofa, with the soft lights of your Christmas tree casting a warm glow into the room, and watch one of these great Christmas movies.

The quintessential American Christmas movie. It has become a holiday viewing tradition for the past 40 years. Surprisingly the film was not a big success when released in 1946.

After It's A Wonderful Life ends put on the all time best version of A Christmas Carol. Watch this wonderful tale of ghostly redemption as the clock strikes midnight and Christmas Day arrives.

Some years I alternate and watch this 1984 version of a Christmas Carol starring George C. Scott.

 An excellent version with a standout performance by Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge.

Earlier in the evening I like to put on this heart warming tale of a pastor who has lost his faith and prays to God for guidance. In answer to his prayer, God sends him an angel in the person of Cary Grant. A delightful holiday fairy tale that will restore your faith in Christmas

From 1971 this made for TV movie that introduced America to the Walton clan is an excellent Christmas Eve movie.

Everyone is familiar with the nostalgic A Christmas Story. Enjoy Ralphie Parker's trial and tribulations as he lives through the best Christmas ever.

If you didn't watch this around Thanksgiving then Christmas Eve is a great time to put on this Christmas movie that proves Santa Claus really exists.

Ebenezer Scrooge sings and dances in this musical version of A Christmas Carol.

Another TV movie from the 1970's. This one follows a man's attempt to redeem himself with his family before it is too late.

And don't forget the kids. Be sure to give them some great entertainment before headingthem off to bed. 

Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol is a great choice for kids of all ages.

The timeless classic, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, will assure the kids that Santa will make it through any weather

And Santa Claus Is Coming To Town will answer all their questions about the legend of Santa Claus.

Whatever movies you choose have yourself a very Merry Christmas.

A Christmas Carol: The Best of the Best

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens has been adapted countless times for stage, movies, radio, television and even opera. 

It is a holiday tradition to sit down and enjoy this festive tale of ghosts and redemption in one of its many versions. Below I have listed my absolute favorite movie versions.

 The definitive version of Charles Dickens' immortal tale. Should be watched Christmas Eve right before bedtime. At The Movie House rating ****

The second best version of A Christmas Carol. George C. Scott is excellent in giving Scrooge a sense of real humanity, rather than just a caricature of a skinflint. I alternate watching this every year with the 1951 version.

At The Movie House rating ****

The best animated version, with a great score by Jule Styne.

At The Movie House rating ****

The best animated version most people have never seen. Chuck Jones illustrated this made for TV version that won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. Long out of print.

At The Movie House rating ****

The best musical version.

At The Movie House rating ***1/2

Jim Carrey is excellent in this CGI laden version.

At The Movie House rating ***1/2

It's the Muppets. I watch this every year and I laugh and chuckle. What more do I have to say.

At The Movie House rating ***1/2

Made for TV version that lacks the emotional impact of Stewart's one man stage show.

At The Movie House rating ***

Hollywood version that, at one time, was the version most people were familiar with.

Dated and lacks authenticity.

At The Movie House rating **1/2

Mickey Mouse is Bob Cratchitt and Scrooge McDuck is Ebenezer Scrooge. Fun but effort from Disney.

At The Movie House rating **1/2

made for TV version that moves the classic tale to 19th century America.

Henry Winkler starred during the height of his popularity as Fonzie.

At The Movie House rating **1/2

A poor adaptation of the successful Broadway musical by Alan Menken. Kelsey Grammer is miscast as Scrooge.

At The Movie House rating **

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 236 - We're No Angels

6

Christmas and Devil's Island are not a likely pairing, but they work together in the charming comedy We're No Angels from 1955. 

Three convicts escape from Devil's Island and hide out amongst the parolees in the port city of New Guinea. On the day before Christmas they meet up with a kindly shopkeeper and volunteer to repair his roof. Their plan is to stay out of sight of the police, and at night fall rob the shopkeeper and his family, murder them if necessary, and with new identity papers and clothes, slip aboard the ship in the harbor and return to Paris.

Instead they end up helping the family with various financial and romantic problems as the family comes to see them as three unique angels that come to help them on Christmas day.

The convicts are played by Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray and Peter Ustinov. Adolph the snake plays himself. Popular Hollywood character actor Leo G. Carroll plays the shopkeeper and Joan Bennett is his wife. Basil Rathbone stars as cousin Andre, the source of the families troubles.

The movie is based on a french stage play and unfortunately comes off a little stagy. But the dialogue is witty and the cast is great, especially Bogart in a rare comedic role. The film was directed by Micheal Curtiz who also directed Bogart in Casablanca

At The Movie House rating *** stars

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 235 - A Christmas Story

Everyone (except Charlie) is a fan of A Christmas Story. The movie plays annually on TBS in a 24 hour marathon starting on the day before Christmas and lasting through Christmas Day. In 2007 AOL named it the #1 Christmas movie of all time. I don't know anyone who doesn't delight in watching the antics of Ralphie and the rest of the Parker family as they celebrate Christmas.

But the film was not always this popular. In 1983 no one would have predicted A Christmas Story would become a beloved classic, taking it's place beside It's A Wonderful Life, White Christmas, Holiday Inn and other beloved American Christmas movies. The film opened on November 18, 1983 to mostly negative reviews. Vincent Canby of the NY Times complained that director Bob Clark did not have the right touch to translate Jean Shepherd's prose. Canby said it would be funnier to watch a TV sitcom with the sound turned off then to watch the adult actors struggle through the material. Roger Ebert gave the film a positive review but suggested that because holiday films were out of favor, the movie might not find an audience. He was right.  It had a weak opening of $2 million and then slowly disappeared from theatres. 

It was a moderate financial success for MGM, with a budget of 3.5 million and final box office gross of $19 million. The studio did themselves a disservice by marketing the film as a big comedy, highlighting the more crazy aspects, the leg lamp, the bunny suit, rather than showcasing the film as a heartwarming family Christmas movie for all ages.

It wasn't until the film was rediscovered on home video that it began to find a following. Families would play this heart warming tale for Christmas. The film was shown on HBO and then Fox and Turner networks. Word of mouth spread and the film started becoming part of people's holiday traditions. 

Today it just wouldn't be Christmas without Ralphie and his "official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time." the film perfectly catches what it's like to be a kid at Christmas and gives us all glimpse of pre-WWII America. 

At The Movie House rating **** stars

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 234 - Dear God

Dear God is a heartwarming, sentimental comedy from 1996. Except they forgot to make it heartwarming, sentimental or funny.

Greg Kinnear stars as a con man Tom Turner, who is forced to take a job or go to jail. He ends up in the main Los Angeles post office working in the dead letter office. The "DLO" is populated by a group of eccentric characters including Laurie Metcalf and Tim Conway. My question is, when will script writers realize that eccentric does not always mean funny? The film also wastes the comedic talents of Hector Elizondo and Roscoe Lee Brown.

Through an accident Tom ends up sending a woman who wrote a letter to God his paycheck. His fellow workers think he was doing a good deed and start answering other letter that people write to God and end up in the dead letter office. This inspires a wave of good deeds throughout Los Angeles, but complicates things for Tom, who was planning to use the idea as a way to scam money from people.

This film is a train wreck of ideas, poorly directed by the once talented Garry Marshall, and definitely not worth your time.

At The Movie House rating * star.

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 233 - Christmas In Connecticut

Jefferson Jones (Dennis Morgan) is an American sailor who is shipwrecked and survives at sea for 17 days with nothing to eat. Through a series of comic events he is invited to spend Christmas with America's premiere home maker Elizabeth Lane (think Martha Stewart in the 1940's) for a traditional Christmas dinner at her country farm in Connecticut. Unfortunately Elizabeth Lane, played by Barbara Stanwyck, does not really own a farm. In fact everything she writes for her magazine is false. She is a single career girl living in a one bedroom apartment in NYC. She doesn't have a farm, a husband or a baby. And she incapable of boiling water without burning it. Now in order to keep her job she must come up with a farm, husband, baby and learn how to prepare a Christmas banquet before her sailor guest and publisher (Sydney Greenstreet) arrive on Christmas Eve.

A highly engaging romantic, holiday comedy with great support from Reginald Gardiner, Una O'Connor and S.Z. Sakall. 

At the Movie House rating *** stars

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 232 - Double Feature: Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol & The Muppet Christmas Carol

Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol from 1962 is the earliest TV show I remember watching. It was the first animated holiday special made for television and is still the best. It was very successful and was was quickly followed by other popular animated specials including Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (1964), A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), The Little Drummer Boy (1969), Frosty the Snowman (1969) and Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (1970)

Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol is a musical comedy adaptation of Charles Dickens's story. Mr. Magoo plays himself as a Broadway star who is appearing in a stage version of A Christmas Carol. Also appearing is another popular 50's and 60's cartoon character, Gerald McBoing-Boing. He plays the role of Tiny Tim. The filmmakers freely adapted the Dickens's classic to fit the one hour running time. All references of Scrooge's nephew are removed and the order of the spirits changed around with The Ghost of Christmas present appearing first. Much of Charles Dickens dialogue is left intact, which is interesting considering the show was aimed at American children. The movie maintains Mr. Magoo's eyesight problems They are referenced a number of times during the "play" but they don't cause the same catastrophes on stage as they do off. 

I love this movie not just because it's a sentimental favorite. it has a fabulous score written by the song writing team of Jule Styne and Bob Merrill. The teams next project would be the award winning "Funny Girl". It has been rumored for years that the song "People" from Funny Girl was originally written for Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol and then cut for timing reasons. Styne has written some of the great music from Broadway, including Gypsy and bells Are Ringing. His score for Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol is worthy of any Broadway show. 

Every Christmas I like to sit down by the fire with some woofle jelly cake and razzleberry dressing and enjoy this holiday gem.

At the Movie House rating **** stars

*note - This show inspired a weekly TV series in 1964 called the Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo where Mr. Magoo appeared in other popular stories The show was popular but only lasted one season due to the cost and rigors of producing a weekly animated TV series. One of the episodes featured Magoo in aversion of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In 1970 UPA paired Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol with Mr. Magoo's Little Snow White and presented them as a double feature in movie theatres during the holiday season. I went with my sister to the North Massapequa theatre to see both movies on Christmas Eve day and when we came out it was snowing. It is still one of my favorite holiday memories.

**Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol is 53 minutes long and was broadcast in a one hour time period. the entire show was sponsored by Timex with commercial breaks at the beginning and end and during each break in the acts of the "play". In later years the framing device of Magoo arriving at the theatre and singing "It's Great To Be Back On Broadway" were cut to allow more commercial time"

If you like the Muppets and their whimsical comedy, puns and word-play you will love this musical version of a A Christmas Carol. Micheal Caine is to be commended for holding his own, playing Ebenezer Scrooge against a cast of frogs, pigs, rats, chickens and big furry things. It is a classic Muppet version of the story, narrated by The Great Gonzo as Charles Dickens and Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchitt. The tunes are delightful and there are some very funny moments.

If you don't like the Muppets you won't like this. You should also wonder about the Scrooge inside you that prevents you from enjoying the highly entertaining Muppet crew. Directed by Brian Henson in memory of his late father, the great Jim Henson.

At the Movie House rating *** stars

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 231 - Double Feature: Scrooge (1970) & A Christmas Carol: The Musical (2004)

Scrooge is a musical version of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol that follows in the steps of it's predecessor Oliver. Nineteenth century London is faithfully recreated and the actors sing and dance there way through Dickens's haunting Christmas tale. The whole movie is carried by Albert Finney who plays Scrooge. This was a bold casting choice since Finney was very young for the role and not the best singer around. But Finney sing/talks his way through the songs the same way Rex Harrison did in My Fair Lady and with some amazing make up effects he gives a highly acclaimed performance as Scrooge. It is the only version where the same actor plays Scrooge in the present and the past. Despite the addition of songs the script is fairly faithful to the book. There is a comical addition where Scrooge finds himself in hell and includes a second appearance by Jacob Marley, comically played by Alec Guinness.

The music sounds completely English, but some of the lyrics by Leslie Bricusse are a Little much. The rest of the cast, including Dame Edith Evans, Kenneth Moore are a delight as the various characters Scrooge interacts with. 

The film, directed by Ronald Neame, received five Academy Award nominations and has since been adapted as a musical in London. It is a holiday classic that sings and dances it's way into your heart.

At The Movie House rating ***1/2 stars.

The movies Scrooge and Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol showed it's possible to adapt Charles Dickens's spooky story of ghosts and redemption into musical comedy. So Alan Menken was working on proven ground when he created the smash Broadway hit A Christmas Carol: The Musical that played annually  at Madison Square Garden's for 10 years. So when the musical was adapted for television by director Arthur Allan Seidelman it should have been a slam-dunk success, unfortunately it was not. 

The first mistake was casting Kelsey Grammer as Scrooge. He just was not up to playing the cold, miserly Englishman. 

The second mistake was playing up the comic aspects of the show, including casting Jason Alexander as Marley. Alexander is a great song and dance man, but the ghost with the message of doom was not an appropriate part for him.

The third mistake was under playing the sentimentality of the Broadway show. Many of the most endearing moments of the musical are lost in the over emphasis on comedy.

And finally many of the songs and lyrics from the musical were re-worked or removed for the TV movie. They should have left Menken's score as is.

What does work is the format of the show. Much like the Mr. Magoo version the film is presented as a theatre piece we are watching. The movie opens with the camera soaring over a CGI created London and stopping at a curtain with the title on it, and then the curtain opens and the camera moves in and the action begins. All the players are seen in the opening acts. The three spirits of Christmas are seen as a lamplighter (Jane Krakowski), a sandwich board man and street performer (Jesse L. Martin) and an old blind woman (Geraldine Chaplin). 

Menken's score with lyrics by Lynn Ahrens is wonderful especially the festive "Mr. Fezziwig's Annual Christmas Ball", the sentimental "A Place Called Home", the uplifting "God Bless Us, Everyone", the plaintive "The Lights of Long Ago" and the sentimental "Christmas Together".

I saw the musical in 1995 so I had high hopes for this adaptation, but unfortunately it failed to deliver.

At the Movie House rating ** stars

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 230 - Double Feature: Going My Way & The Bell's of St. Mary's

Going My way was the highest grossing movie of 1944. It made Bing Crosby a box office star for the rest of the 1940's and resulted in an immediate sequel released in 1945. Crosby won the Academy Award for Best Actor and Barry Fitzgerald received two nominations. One for Best Actor and one for Best Supporting Actor. He won the supporting Oscar award. Afterwards the Academy changed the rules so an actor could only be nominated for one award per picture. 

The film tells the story of a young Irish Catholic priest (Crosby) who is assigned to rescue a parish in trouble. He must do this without hurting the feelings of the elderly monsignor played by Barry Fitzgerald. The film featured renowned international opera star Rise Stevens along with Gene Lockhart, Frank McHugh and William Frawley. The film was directed by Leo McCarey who also won the Oscar for Best Director. 

The films overt sentimentality and positive view of religious life might not be acceptable to today's cynical audiences, but the film has charm and appeal far beyond Bing Crosby's singing voice. To Americans facing years of bitter conflict in WWII this film reminded them of all that was good in life. Going My Way never fails to cause a chuckle, warm the heart or bring a tear.

At The Movie House rating ***1/2 stars.

note - while Going My Way is a very enjoyable films, other films from 1944 have surpassed it in reputation and were probably more deserving of the Oscar for Best Picture. This includes films such as Double Indemnity, Laura, Lifeboat and To Have and Have Not

The Bells of St. Mary's was an immediate follow up to Going My Way and was a huge box office hit. Adjusted for inflation it would be the 50th highest grossing film of all time. The film features Bing Crosby as Father Chuck O'Malley. This time he is assigned as pastor to a troubled inner city parochial school overseen by an order of nuns. Ingrid Bergman plays Sister Mary Benedict, the Mother Superior in charge of the school. Sister Mary Benedict and Father O'Malley have different ideas how a school should be run, but both want what's best for the children.

The pairing of these two powerhouse stars makes Bells of St. Mary's a slightly better film than Going My Way. They have excellent chemistry together and carry the film together. The film is more comedic than the first but carries the same heart warming sentiment. Released in December 1945 the film has become an annual Christmas favorite. It is also the film playing in Bedford Falls in It's A wonderful Life

At The Movie House Rating **** stars

*note - both films were highly successful but it's obvious that the studio's were not confident about selling religion to American audiences in 1944 & 1945. None of the artwork for either film makes it obvious that the actors are playing priests or nuns. And none of the copy on the posters mentions or indicates anything about God, religion or the Catholic Church. here are some more American posters for Bells of St. Mary's, you will note that none of them depict Ingrid Bergman wearing a nun's habit, even though she always wears it in the movie.

The studios did not have the same fears overseas. The posters for films playing in Spanish and Latin-American countries are overtly religious and symbolic of God and the church.

Some things never change.