The most wonderful time of the year brings with it some of the most wonderful movies. No doubt you’ve already seen A Christmas Story, It’s a Wonderful Life, Elf, The Shop Around the Corner, A Christmas Carol (the Alastair Sim version, of course), and other perennial favorites, but why stop there? Here are some under-appreciated gems to freshen up your seasonal watchlist.
The Apartment (1960)
Trailer for The Apartment (Uploaded to YouTube by Amazon MGM Studios)
Billy Wilder’s Best Picture winner stars Jack Lemmon as a lonely bachelor and insurance-office drone who lets company executives use his apartment for a trysting place in hopes of a promotion. One of the trysts involves his own unrequited crush (Shirley MacLaine), attached to his boss (Fred MacMurray). Office politics, adultery, sexual harassment, and attempted suicide don’t suggest holiday cheer, but by the time New Year’s Eve rolls around, Wilder supplies a hard-earned happy ending. Available on Tubi.
Bell, Book and Candle (1958)
Clip from Bell, Book and Candle (Uploaded to YouTube by Turner Classic Movies)
All modern-day witch Kim Novak wants for Christmas is otherwise engaged upstairs neighbor James Stewart. With help from her feline familiar, Pyewacket, she casts a spell that puts a supernatural twist on the classic rom-com. Fun fact: My wife loved this movie so much growing up that she named her cat Pyewacket. Available on Tubi.
Comfort and Joy (1984)
Glasgow radio DJ Dickie Bird (Bill Paterson) gets an unexpected new lease on life after a devastating holiday breakup when he’s drawn into an escalating feud between two rival ice cream companies. Bill Forsyth’s follow-up to his beloved Local Hero has that film’s off-center charm and an understated heartwarming Christmas message. By all rights, it should be a holiday classic, but it’s tough to find — it’s unavailable to stream and out of print on home video, though DVD and Blu-ray copies can still be purchased through Amazon.
The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)
“Silver Bells” from The Lemon Drop Kid (Uploaded to YouTube by Casgo)
“Silver Bells,” one of the most beloved Christmas songs, was introduced in one of Bob Hope’s best non-Road comedies about a race track tout who has just 23 days until Christmas to come up with the $10,000 he owes a decidedly uncharitable mobster. That “Silver Bells” was not even nominated for Best Original Song is one of the Academy’s most grievous snubs. Watching block after block of New Yorkers singing along with Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell is what Christmas is all about. Available on Amazon Prime Video.
The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
Trailer for The Man Who Came to Dinner (Uploaded to YouTube by Warner Bros. Rewind)
Unwanted holiday guests are the worst — especially for the Ohio family forced to accommodate world-renowned radio personality Sheridan Whiteside after he injures himself on their property. Wheelchair-bound, the imperious Whiteside takes wicked delight in meddling in the family’s affairs and running roughshod over everyone else, including his beleaguered nurse, who finally vows, “Anything I can do to exterminate the human race will fill me with the greatest of pleasure.” Monty Woolley recreates his signature stage role in this classic Kaufman and Hart comedy. Available on Tubi.
Olive, the Other Reindeer (1999)
Nickelodeon promotion for Olive, The Other Reindeer (Uploaded to YouTube by Fred A)
Based on the book by J. Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh, this delightful animated TV special features Drew Barrymore — never more charming — as the voice of Olive, a dog who becomes convinced she’s a reindeer after mishearing the words “all of the other reindeer.” Determined to help Santa save Christmas, she heads for the North Pole to offer her services. Produced by The Simpsons creator Matt Groening, it’s a smart, sophisticated holiday treat. Available on YouTube or for purchase through Amazon.
Prancer (1989)
Trailer for Prancer (Uploaded to YouTube by Amazon MGM Studios)
This gem deserves the basic-cable, 24-hour marathon treatment. Rebecca Harrell — now an award-winning eco-documentarian — stars as eight-year-old Jessica, who becomes convinced that the injured deer she finds and secretly nurses to health is Santa’s own Prancer. The Christmas spirit is strong within her, and the neighborhood Grinches — including a crusty veterinarian (Abe Vigoda), a feared recluse (Cloris Leachman), and her financially strapped single father (Sam Elliott) — don’t stand a chance. Available on Tubi and other platforms.
Remember the Night (1939)
Trailer for Remember the Night (Uploaded to YouTube by Screenbound Pictures)
Not content to commit insurance fraud and murder in Double Indemnity, Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray reunite as a shoplifter and the deputy district attorney who brings her home for the holidays. Preston Sturges wrote this sweet, not sticky, holiday rom-com. Available on Amazon Prime Video.
3 Godfathers (1948)
Trailer for 3 Godfathers (Uploaded to YouTube by Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers)
Do you like Christmas films? Do you love John Wayne? Have we got a movie for you. The Duke leads a trio of fleeing bank robbers who encounter a dying woman in the desert and make a deathbed promise to care for her infant. John Ford directs this surprisingly redemptive Christmas parable. Available to rent on YouTube and other platforms.
We’re No Angels (1955)
Trailer for We’re No Angels (Uploaded to YouTube by Paramount Movies Digital)
Escaping a Devil’s Island prison was a piece of cake. Now for the tricky bit: hiding out until their ship comes in. This black comedy stars Humphrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov, and Aldo Ray as three desperate convicts who have the bad luck to fall in with a nice shopkeeper and his hospitable family. “You guys act like you don’t want to cut their throats,” Bogart chides his formerly hard-boiled companions. “After all, it might spoil their Christmas,” Ray replies. Luckily, Basil Rathbone, as the shopkeeper’s despicable cousin, gives the trio a welcome opportunity to indulge their basic instincts while coming to the family’s rescue. Available on Pluto TV.
Do you have a favorite under-the-radar Christmas movie? Share it in the comments section.
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Comments
A 1995 TV movie was a modern-day retelling of “Christmas Carol” called “Ebbie”, and it starred Susan Lucci as the Scrooge-type character and Wendy Crewson as her put-upon assistant. It flows organically and has interesting interpretations of the 3 ghosts. I watch it every year. It’s available from either Movies Unlimited or CriticsChoice Video.
Oh, I love “Bell Book and Candle!” Full of scene-stealers and although only the opening scenes take place on Christmas Eve, a Christmas present plays a pivital role in the plot…
We’re No Angels had been one of my favorites for a long time. The Shop Around the Corner, too. I discovered Larceny, Inc. (Edward G. Robinson) a couple of years ago and loved it. The Man Who Came to Dinner is great.
How about “Silent Night, Lonely Night” with Shirley Jones and Lloyd Bridges.
Excellent feature, Don. Truly not a lemon in the bunch, other than 2 great ones with Jack Lemmon; a true favorite. Several people have added some good ideas. I checked out some of the trailers on the phone before writing my comments.
Rob K., “The Shop Around the Corner” looks great. Jeffrey: “Christmas in Connecticut” definitely. Sheri: “Holiday Affair” with Mitchum, definitely. He never disappoints. Paul: “Beyond Christmas” I want to check out soon also.
My own addition is “Four Christmases” for dark humor: everything going wrong, degradation, embarrassment, awkwardness, and more! So all of these classic Hollywood films are something my brain could use after the week I’ve had!
Let’s not forget “Beyond Tomorrow” (1940). indeed, a lot of distributers have retitled it “Beyond Christmas”, taking advantage of its Christmas opening scene.
This is such an enjoyable and eclectic list of Christmas movies, whose themes reach out to hug us with sweet sentiment, hope, surprise, and delicious delectable dark humor! I have to add the 1949 movie “Holiday Affair” with Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh to the mix. Next year perhaps? Like one of the other commentators shared, “It Happened on 5th Avenue” is such a wonderful discovery for the sheer guilty-pleasure virtue of a feel-good movie experience. Thanks for this list and the discussion!
Great selections!
I watch the original “Christmas in Connecticut” with that absolutely wonderful cast every year …
Another Holiday hidden gem is”The Shop Around the Corner”. It’s a 1940 American “rom-com-drama” movie starring Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart and Frank Morgan (The Wizard of Oz). It’s about two employees at a leather goods shop who can barely stand each other, not realizing they both are falling in love as anonymous pen-pals through their letters. The film is set around Christmas sales at the store and the unsuspecting romance is budding during the Christmas season. The movie was chosen to be included in The National Film Registry in 1999.
O. Henry’s Full House. You’ll see why.
“The Bishop’s Wife” (1947) is my much beloved classic movie.
I’ll admit I’m intrigued by quite a few on this list, especially “We’re No Angels” and “Remember The Night.”
I “discovered “ : It’s a wonderful Life on a late night movie in JULY mind you—( 1976)— before the whole world made it into a Christmas Classic. Here is the next one I’m predicting will be “discovered “…..’It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947) with Don Defore and Gale Storm. A Delightful “twin” to ‘ Wonderful Life’ about the importance of friendship ‼️
“The Homecoming,” the film that launched “The Waltons,” is a must see. And “Eloise at the Plaza” is fun.
There still is a place to enter one’s website when commenting, but it no longer shows up. Mine is donnaleedavis.com. My book Mea Nico is about St. Nicholas!
“The Apartment” is an excellent Christmas movie. It would also serve as a good movie under the Business Literature category. I definitely will watch again. I watched it last year.
The trailers have me interested in “The Lemon Drop Kid” and “The Man Who Came to Dinner.” I will put those on my list. Movies from those eras were the best. Occasionally they might be found on TCM or Fox Movie Retro too.
For the past several years I’ve been telling people about Cover Up. It’s a Christmas noir from 1949 starring Dennis O’Keefe, William Bendix, and Barbara Britton. One of my favorite movies. TCM is showing it early Sunday morning the 21st at 3:30 am.
(And my favorite version of A Christmas Carol is the one with George C. Scott.)
Great stuff! Just wanted to put in a plug for my wife Vaughn Joy’s new/first book, which looks at Hollywood Christmas films between 1946 and 1961 and includes a few of those in this article among many others:
https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783111631424/html?lang=en&srsltid=AfmBOoqqr8hKA5nFQ5NbOWWoPujzVEbafR3kOoo7HJjNXKyJw4Ay5JUe
Thanks,
Ben