Lifestyle
'Tis the season for movies
BY VICKI GILHULA
Winter 2011 |
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 Saturday, Dec. 24 at 8 pm. It is an appropriate choice. The movie has a strong message about war that has relevance today. For people who love movies, and in particular Christmas movies, this is the most wonderful time of the year . CTV will air It's A Wonderful Life Dec. 24 at 8 pm. Released in 1946, this Frank Capra film with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed was a box office flop. When the film's copyright expired in 1974, it started to get shown on television. It's A Wonderful Life developed a Christmas cult following that grew when it became available on home video. This is not to say it is a bad film. It begins with George, a depressed businessman, contemplating suicide. He is saved by an angel who reminds him how much he would be missed by his family and friends. 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 including a Mr. Magoo version and a Muppet version with Michael Caine as Scrooge. 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 the1951 “Alister Sim” version. It will air on CTV, Friday, Dec. 23 at 9 pm and again on Christmas Eve at 8 pm on CTV 2. This 1951 black-and-white English film was originally titled Scrooge but released in North America as A Christmas Carol. It is widely considered to be the definitive adaptation. It was booked to open in New York City at Radio City Music Hall as part of its Christmas attraction. However, theatre management thought the film was too grim. Instead, the film premiered at another theatre on Halloween night and was a box-office disappointment. The film made its television debut in 1954, and it became an annual favourite. TCM (Turner Classic Movies) will air an earlier A Christmas Carol (1938), starring Reginald Owen as Scrooge at 11 am Dec. 23. The musical version starring Albert Finney as Scrooge and Alec Guinness as Marley's Ghost will air at 6 pm. 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. This American adaptation of the classic did open at Radio City Music Hall It was popular with North American audiences but it bombed in England.
