‘Tis the season for Christmas movies - Vicki Gilhula

The First World War, which started in July 1914, was expected to be over by Christmas. Instead British and French soldiers were aiming their rifles at their German enemies across a 700-mile trench line when the Christmas trees from Kaiser Bill arrived.

On Kaiser Wilhelm’s order, 100,000 Christmas trees as well as food and liquor were delivered to German soldiers for Christmas Eve. The spirit of the holiday caught on. Soldiers on both sides started to sing carols. An unofficial and spontaneous truce was called. The French, Scottish and Germans celebrated the holiday together.

Joyeux Noel (2005) is a French movie based on this true story which for many years, for political reasons, went unreported except in the letters home written by the men who experienced it.

TV Ontario will air Joyeux Noel on Dec. 24 at 8 p.m. It is an appropriate choice. The movie has a strong message about war that has relevance today.
For people who enjoy Christmas movies, this is the most wonderful time of the year.

CTV will air It’s A Wonderful Life, Dec. 24 at 8 p.m. A box office flop when released in 1946, the film developed a Christmas cult following when it began airing on TV in the 1970s. It begins with suicidal George, a depressed businessman, who is saved by an angel who reminds him how much he would be missed.

In many ways, the story is a slightly happier and sappier version of the Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. There are dozens of versions of this story. I enjoy them all.

My favourite is the 1984, made-for-television Christmas Carol starring George C. Scott as Scrooge, But it would not be Christmas without at least one viewing of the 1951 “Alister Sim” version. It will air on CTV, Friday, Dec. 23 at 9 p.m. and again on Christmas Eve at 8 p.m. on CTV 2.

TCM (Turner Classic Movies) will air an earlier A Christmas Carol (1938), starring Reginald Owen as Scrooge at 11 a.m., Dec. 23. The musical version starring Albert Finney as Scrooge and Alec Guinness as Marley’s Ghost will air at 6 p.m.

I haven’t seen the 1938 MGM version, so I am looking forward to comparing it with the 1951 adaptation. It stars Canadian actor Gene Lockhart as Bob Cratchit.

Vicki Gilhula is the editor of Sudbury Living magazine.

Posted by Vivian Scinto