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Saturday, December 2, 2023

It's Trad, Dad! (1962)

(This post is part of the Hammer-Amicus Blogathon IV, hosted by Cinematic Catharsis and Realweedgiemidget Reviews)



Amicus Productions is best known for the many horror movies they made, particularly such portmanteau films as Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965), Torture Garden (1967, and From Beyond the Grave (1974). While they remain best known for their horror output, Amicus did not start out that way. In fact, the first official Amicus production was a musical featuring both jazz and rock 'n' roll artists. Not only was It's Trad, Dad! (1962) the very first official Amicus movie, but it was also the first feature film directed by Richard Lester, soon to become famous for directing The Beatles' movies A Hard Day's Night (1964) and Help! (1965).

It's Trad, Dad! stars Helen Shapiro and Craig Douglas as a girl and a boy living in a small English town. They both love traditional jazz (hence the "trad" of the title), as do many of the young people in the town. Unfortunately, the mayor of the town dislikes traditional jazz and even removes the television set and the jukebox from the coffee shop the young people frequent. Helen and Craig then decide to organize a jazz festival in hope that this will change the mayor's mind. The two of them go to Television Centre to find a deejay to host the festival. Of course, this paper thin plot is just an excuse for musical performances by such rock 'n' roll artists as Gene Vincent, The Brooks Brothers, Del Shannon, Chubby Checker, John Leyton, and others, as well as such jazz artists as Terry Lightfoot and His New Orleans Jazz Band, The Temperance Seven, Acker Bilk and His Paramount Jazz Band, Chris Barger's Jazz Band, and others.

Both Helen Shapiro and Craig Douglas get to perform some songs as well. For those unfamiliar with early to mid-Sixties British pop music, Helen Shapiro was one of the most popular female singers of the time, who had a string of hits on the UK singles chart starting in 1961. Craig Douglas was also a popular British pop singer, who had hits with covers of such American songs as "A Teenager in Love and "Only Sixteen" going back to 1959. It's Trad, Dad! also featured deejays, who would have been well known to Brits, playing themselves. Pete Murray had hosted the BBC rock 'n' roll television program Six-Five Special. David Jacobs was the presenter on the BBC TV show Juke Box Jury. Alan Freeman hosted the BBC radio  show Pick of the Pops.

If it seems odd that the very first Amicus production was a pop musical, it really should not. The very first movie that Amicus founders Max Rosenberg and Milton Subotsky produced together, prior to founding Amicus,  was a pop musical, Rock, Rock, Rock! from 1956. Like It's Trad, Dad!, Rock, Rock, Rock! had a paper thin plot that was primarily an excuse for musical performances, in its case by such artists as Chuck Berry, LaVern Baker, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, and others. And while a musical that features both jazz and rock 'n' roll might seem unusual, when one knows the history of popular music in Britain in the early Sixties, it really doesn't. A traditional jazz craze took place in the United Kingdom from 1960 to 1962, headed by such artists as Kenny Ball, Chris Barber, Acker Bilk, and The Temperance Seven. It's Trad, Dad! was conceived to take advantage of this craze by featuring several jazz artists, while at the same time including rock 'n' roll artists for good measure. As to traditional jazz, it is a form of jazz that drew upon New Orleans, Dixieland jazz. In Britain a revival of traditional jazz had begun during World War II and continued into the Sixties. Traditional jazz is often simply called "trad jazz" for short.

Of course, as noted earlier, It's Trad, Dad!  was the first feature film directed by Richard Lester. He had already made a name for himself with the short film "The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film" (1959), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Subject. He came to the attention of Milton Subostsky through a thirty minute documentary he had directed, "Have Jazz, Will Travel." As it was, It's Trad, Dad! would largely be Richard Lester's creation. According to an interview Mr. Lester did with Stephen Soderbergh in The Guardian, Milton Subotsky had written a 24 page script which he then sent to Mr. Lester. Richard Lester told  Mr. Subotsky, "I’ve been around this kind of music all my life. I think I know how to deal with it. As soon as you get a first draft screenplay I’d be delighted to read it." It was then that Milton Subostky informed him that the 24 pages was the shooting script and he would start in three weeks. Richard Lester then gathered together jazz and pop artists. He used an array of moveable sets and he shot three artists a day. He also added various comic bits throughout the movie. It was filmed in three weeks at a cost of £50,000.

Of course, It's Trad, Dad! is notable for an appearance by Chubby Checker, performing his song "Lose-Your-Inhibitions-Twist." It was Richard Lester's idea to include Chubby Checker in the film. It was during the last week of shooting that "The Twist" dance craze began. Richard Lester told Milton Subotsky that it would be a great idea to get Chubby Checker in the film, stating, "We could be the first film to have the Twist in it. He's in New York. I could go over and shoot him." Milton Subotsky gave his consent, but told Richard Lester that he would to pay his own way. Unfortunately for Richard Lester and Milton Subostky, It's Trad, Dad! would not be the first film to feature the Twist, as American producer Sam Katzman, "the King of the Bs," beat them to the punch. Never one to pass up a fad, Sam Katzman's Twist Around the Clock (1961), starring Chubby Checker, was released on December 30 1961, three months before It's Trad, Dad! was released in the United Kingdom and nine months before it was released in the United States.

While It's Trad, Dad! may not have been the first movie to feature the Twist, it was the first of its kind in many ways. Anyone familiar with Richard Lester's work would recognize the style he would later use in The Beatles' movies A Hard Day's Night (1964) and Help! (1965). For Terry Lightfoot and His New Orleans Jazz Band's performance of "Tavern in the Town," Richard Lester would at times cut the screen into sections, so that the focus would be on individual musicians. The Brooks Brothers performed "Double Trouble" side by side with oversized photos of themselves. Acker Bilk and His Paramount Jazz Band's performance of "Frankie & Johnny" is intercut with humorous photos related to the plot of the song. In other sequences Richard Lester focuses on various details, such as a close-up of the neck of a guitar. Yet other sequences in It's Trad, Dad! Richard Lester utilizes sped up footage and freeze frames. Even the narrator breaks the fourth wall multiple times. It's Trad, Dad! is not only a sharp contrast to other pop musicals made before A Hard Day's Night, it is very much a forerunner of both A Hard Day's Night and Help!.

Beyond seeing many of Richard Lester's directorial techniques prior to A Hard Day's Night, the main attraction in It's Trad, Dad! is the music. Indeed, many descriptions of the film fail to grasp the sheer variety of music in the film, summing it up as a musical that features Dixieland jazz and rock 'n' roll. Certainly many of the jazz bands in It's Trad, Dad! draw upon Dixieland jazz for inspiration, to the point that Bob Wallis and His Storyville Jazzmen even dress like riverboat gamblers, but then there is also The Temperance Seven, whose speciality was 1920s jazz (one of the songs they perform is the song "Everybody Loves My Baby" from 1924). It's Trad, Dad! also features a wide variety of rock 'n' roll performers, from Gary U.S. Bonds to the girl group the Paris Sisters to R&B singer Gene McDaniels.

It's Trad, Dad! premiered in London on March 30 1962 in the United Kingdom. It also did moderately well at the box office. Made for only £50,000, it earned £300,000 at the British box office. It was released in the United States in September 1962 under the tile Ring-A-Ding Rhythm!. One could assume its distributor, Columbia Pictures, thought Americans would not know what "trad" was. On both sides of the Pond It's Trad, Dad! received largely positive reviews, to the point that Richard Lester would later say, "I’ve had the best reviews out of It’s Trad, Dad! that I’ve ever gotten."

Amicus would follow It's Trad, Dad! with another musical, Just for Fun, whose paper thin plot was also an excuse for musical performances. Their third film would be in the genre for which they are best known, Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965). Today It's Trad, Dad! is largely forgotten, although there is every reason it should be better remembered. It was not only Richard Lester's first feature film, but it also features techniques that he would later use in A Hard Day's Night, The Knack...and How to Get It (1965), and Help! (1965). It also features some superb performances from such diverse artists as Del Shannon, Acker Bilk and His Paramount Jazz Band, John Leyton, Chris Barber's Jazz Band, and yet others. Of course, it was also the first official film from Amicus Productions, and, given its success, it was a rather auspicious first film at that.



Friday, December 1, 2023

The Devil Rides Out (1968)

(This post is part of the Hammer-Amicus Blogathon IV, hosted by Cinematic Catharsis and Realweedgiemidget Reviews)



When Boomers, Gen Xers, and even Millennials think of Sir Christopher Lee, his first role that is likely to come to mind is that of Dracula in the many Hammer horrors in which he played the character. For Zoomers the first role that comes to mind may be Saruman in the Lord of the Rings films or Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Sir Christopher Lee played many villains in his long career and he was very good at playing villains, so much so that it is sometimes hard to believe he ever played a hero. One notable film in which he did play the hero was The Devil Rides Out (1968), originally released as The Devil's Bride in the United States.

The Devil Rides Out (1968) stars Sir Christopher Lee as adventurer and occultist the Duc de Richleau. The Duc de Richleau's protege Simon Aron (Patrick Mower) had broken off contact with him. It is for that reason that the duke and Simon's father, Rex Van Ryn (Leon Greene, dubbed by Patrick Allen), visit Simon at a manor house he recently purchased. There they find Simon in the company of others, and getting ready for some event to be held that evening. An investigation of the manor house's observatory reveals a pentagram and various strange markings, and it becomes obvious that Simon has become involved with Satanists. The Duc de Richleau then finds himself in conflict with a Satanic cult, led by Mocata (Charles Gray).

The Devil Rides Out  was based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Dennis Wheatley. It was the second novel by Mr. Wheatley to feature the Duc de Richleau, the first being The Forbidden Territory, published in 1933. In all, the Duc de Richleau would appear in eleven novels by Dennis Wheatley, with the last novel, Gateway to Hell, being published in 1970. As to the Duc de Richleau himself, he was an aristocrat who engaged in a variety of adventures. The Duc de Richleau novels range in genre from adventure (The Forbidden Territory) to mystery (Three Inquisitive People) to the occult (The Devil Rides Out and Gateway to Hell). The Devil Rides Out would not be the first Duc de Richleau novel to be adapted as a a film. The Forbidden Territory was adapted by none other than Alfred Hitchcock in 1934, although the character of the Duc de Richleau was replaced by an Englishman named Sir Charles Farringdon (Ronald Squire). Sales for Dennis Wheatley's books remained strong throughout the years, and in the Sixties they sold in the millions.

It would be Christopher Lee himself who led Hammer Film Productions to adapt The Devil Rides Out as a movie. Christopher Lee was a huge fan of Dennis Wheatley's work, and had even met the author at one of his lectures in the mid-Fifties. He then persuaded Hammer to adapt Dennis Wheatley's novels. It was then in 1963 that Hammer optioned The Devil Rides Out, as well as some of Dennis Wheatley's other novels on the occult. Hammer ultimately decided against adapting The Devil Rides Out at the time, as they felt that because The Devil Rides Out dealt with Satanism it might not receive a certificate from the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).

Fortunately, as the Sixties passed concerns about censorship over devil worship in movies abated, so Hammer Film Productions felt secure enough to adapt the novel The Devil Rides Out. The original script for The Devil Rides Out was written by John Hunter, who co-wrote the Hammer adventure film Pirates of Blood River (1962) with John Gilling. Hammer was unhappy with John Hunter's adaptation, so they hired legendary science fiction, fantasy, and horror writer Richard Matheson to write a new script. Even in 1967 Hammer Film Productions had concerns over any possible censorship, so they submitted the script for The Devil Rides Out to the BBFC. The BBFC made it plain that they did not want to see "...any misuses of Christian emblems or any parodies of Christian prayers." Hammer was then very careful as to what was shown on screen in The Devil Rides Out.

Christopher Lee was set to play the Duc de Richleau from the very beginning. For the all important role of the villain Mocata, Hammer had originally wanted Gert Fröbe, best known for playing Auric Goldfinger in the James Bond movie Goldfinger (1964). The role would ultimately go to an actor who would later play another villain in a James Bond movie. Charles Gray would go onto play Blofeld in Diamonds Are Forever (1971). Still later he would play the Criminologist in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). The Duc de Richleau's friend Rex Van Ryn was played by Leon Greene, who had appeared in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966). His voice would be dubbed by Patrick Allen (more on that in a bit).

The Devil Rides Out was directed by perhaps the director most associated with Hammer Film Productions, Terence Fisher. He directed the film that turned Hammer into the premier studio for horror movies, The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), as well as Dracula (1958--AKA Horror of Dracula), The Mummy (1959), and yet other Hammer horrors. Special effects on The Devil Rides Out were provided by Michael Stainer-Hitchens, a situation which was not of Hammer's choosing. Michael Staivers-Hutchins co-owned the rights to the novel The Devil Rides Out, and demanded that he provide the special effects in return for his rights to the book. As it turned out, some of the bigger special effects in The Devil Rides Out would be completed by an uncredited Les Bowie,  who had provided effects for such Hammer films as The Quatermass Xperiment (1955), Dracula (1958), The Kiss of the Vampire (1963), and yet others. He would later be part of the special effects team on the movie Superman (1978).

The Devil Rides Out completed shooting in the summer of 1967, but its path to the big screen would not be smooth. It was producer Anthony Nelson Keys, who also served as producer on such Hammer films as The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and Dracula (1958), who decided that Leon Greene's voice would have to be redubbed. Leon Greene's voice was then dubbed by Patrick Allen, who had appeared in the Hammer swashbuckler Captain Clegg (1962) and narrated the Hammer adventure film The Viking Queen (1962). He would also provide the voice-over for the British trailer for The Devil Rides Out. In the United States, the American distributor for The Devil Ride's Out, 20th Century Fox, cut several seconds of some of the film's more controversial scenes. They also retitled it The Devil's Bride for its American release, as they feared The Devil Rides Out made it sound like a Western.

The Devil Rides Out was released in the United Kingdom on July 7 1968 as the lead feature in a double bill with Slave Girls (1967), as the Hammer film Prehistoric Women had been retitled for its British release. It was released on December 18 1968 in the United States. While The Devil Rides Out has gone on to become a favourite with Hammer Film fans, it did poorly at the box office on both sides of the Pond. In the United Kingdom, much of the reason for its poor performance at the box office may have been because it was paired with Prehistoric Women.  Not only did Prehistoric Women  belong to a completely different genre (fantasy adventure), but Hammer counted it among their worst motion pictures ever made and actually delayed its release in the United Kingdom for two years. It had been released in the United States on January 24 1967.

In the United States, The Devil's Bride (as it was titled in the States) may have simply been the victim of bad timing. Rosemary's Baby (1968), which also dealt with devil worship, had been released on June 19 1968. Witchfinder General (1968), produced by Hammer rival Trigon British Film Productions, was released under the title The Conqueror Worm, in the United States on August 14 1968. Even though The Devil Rides Out had originally been conceived in 1963 and filmed around the same time as Rosemary's Baby and shortly before Witchfinder General (which was filmed in autumn 1967), it was then beat to American cinemas by two other movies that dealt with Satanism. For Americans, then The Devil's Bride may have felt like an afterthought.

Fortunately, The Devil Rides Out would find new life on television and still later on home media. No less than Sir Christopher Lee himself named The Devil Rides Out as one of his favourite films and he said that he would like to have seen it remade with modern special effects with him playing a more mature Duc de Richleau. Over the years it has developed a cult following and has become a favourite among the Hammer horror movies. In many ways it was a pioneer in its genre. Conceived in 1963 and released the same year as Rosemary's Baby and Witchfinder General, it was among the first in a new occult horror cycle that would last into the Seventies.



Wednesday, November 29, 2023

TCM December 2023 Star of the Month Cary Grant

Cary Grant numbers among the biggest movie stars of all time. Indeed, in AFI's 1999 list 100 Years..100 Stars, Cary Grant ranked second to only Humphrey Bogart as the greatest male star. He had a long career, from working in vaudeville in the 1920s to his final screen credit, Walk, Don't Run, in 1966. Over the years he appeared in a number of legendary movies, including Bring Up Baby (1938), Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), North by Northwest (1959), and Charade (1963). Even today people who have never seen a classic movie in their lives recognize his name.

It should be no surprise that Cary Grant is Turner Classic Movies' Star of the Month for December 2023. Every Friday night TCM will be showing several of his movies. What is more, on December 22 2023, Cary Grant and Dyan Cannon's daughter Jennifer Grant will co-host a night of Mr. Grant's movies with TCM host Dave Karger. She will share her own insights into her father's career, as well as discuss the new Britbox original series Archie, based on her father's life, on which she was an executive producer.

Below is a schedule of the Cary Grant movies TCM will be showing on Friday nights. All times are Central. Here I have to apologize for some holes in the schedule, as it appears Turner Classic Movie's December schedule is not yet complete.

December 1:
1:30 PM Arsenic and Old  Lace (1944)
3:40 PM Sylvia Scarlett (1935)
5:15 PM The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer (1947)
7:00 PM Monkey Business (1952)
9:00 PM I Was a Male War Bride (1949)
11:00 PM The Philadelphia Story (1940)

December 2:
1:00 AM Bringing Up Baby (1938)
3:00 AM Mr. Lucky (1943)

December 8:
Once Upon a Honeymoon (1942)
5:00 PM Dream Wife (1953)
9:00 PM Holiday (1938)
11:00 PM My Favorite Wife (1940)

December 9:
1:00 AM Every Girl Should Be Married (1948)
2:30 AM Suzy (1936)

December 15:
2:30 PM The Pride and the Passion (1957)
5:00 PM Gunga Din (1939)
7:00 PM The Awful Truth (1937)
9:00 PM His Girl Friday (1940)
11:00 PM Topper (1937)

December 16:
1:00 AM Suspicion (1941)
3:00 AM North by Northwest (1959)

December 22:
7:00 PM The Bishop's Wife (1947)
9:00 PM An Affair to Remember (1957)
11:15 PM Room for One More (1952)

December 23:
1:00 AM Penny Serenade (1941)
3:15 AM In Name Only (1939)
5:00 AM Destination Tokyo (1943)

December 29:
1:30 PM None But the Lonely Heart (1944)
3:30 PM Night and Day (1946)
11:15 PM Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

Redbone


While the height of their career was in the Seventies, Redbone remains the best known band of entirely Native American and Mexican American descent. Redbone would have a major hit with "Come and Get Your Love," which went to no. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Earlier their single "Witch Queen of New Orleans" had reached no. 21 on the chart. Redbone was known for recording songs about Native American topics when it was unusual for music artists do do so. Their stage costumes and album covers also often reflected their Native American heritage.

Redbone was formed in 1969 by Lolly and Pat Vegas. The name "Redbone" was chosen as it is a Cajun for someone of mixed racial ancestry. This reflected the Vegas brothers' heritage, as they were of Mexican American, Yaqui, and Shoshone descent. They took music while they were still very young. It was in 1961 that Pat Vegas released the single "I Wanna Be a Movie Star." The following year he released the single "The Best Girl in the World." Neither single charted.

It was in 1963 that Lolly and Pat Vegas formed The Avantis. The Avantis served as a support band for The Beach Boys, and also recorded a few singles the Chancellor, Regency, and Astra labels. Their single "Wax 'Em Down" proved to be a minor hit, reaching no. 21 on the Canadian single chart. Eventually Lolly and Pat Vegas began performing as The Vegas Brothers or Pat & Lolly Vegas.

It was in 1969 that they formed Redbone. Pat Vegas has said that he was inspired by Jimi Hendrix, who is said to have been part Cherokee, to form an all Native American band. Aside from the Vegas brothers, the band consisted of Peter DeBoe, the drummer of  Southern Cheyenne, Turtle Mountain Chippewa, and Rogue River/Siletz descent and Tony Bellamy, the guitarist of Yaquei and Mexican American descent. Redbone was signed to Epic Records in 1969.

Redbone's self-titled debut album was also a double album was released in January 1970. It was followed in October 1970 by their album Potlatch. It was with Potlatch that Redbone really began to explore topics related to Native Americans. Even the term "potlatch"is of Indigenous origin,  referring to a gift-giving feast practices by Indigenous peoples in the Pacific Northwest. The song "Alcatraz" addresses the island that had been occupied for more than 19 months by Native American activists beginning in November 1969. Potlatch would also see Redbone's first real success. The album reached no. 99 on the Billboard album chart, while the single from the album, "Maggie," peaked at no. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Redbone would see even more success with their third album, Message from a Drum. The album produced their hit single "Witch Queen of New Orleans" and it reached no. 75 on the Billboard album chart. Their fourth album, Already Here, did not do nearly as well. Redbone recovered with their fifth album, Wovoka, which proved to be their highest charting album. It also produced their hit "Come and Get Your Love." The album itself peaked at no. 66 on the Billboard album chart. Its title is taken from the lead song on the album, "Wovoka," the Paiute religious leader who played an important role in the history of the Ghost Dance. In the United Kingdom Wovoka also featured "We Were All Wounded at Wounded Knee," an openly political song that addressed the Wounded Knee massacre of 1890 and the Wounded Knee Occupation of 1973. In the United States the song was initially. withheld for release as it was viewed as too controversial.

Sadly, Wovoka and "Come and Get Your Love" would see the height of Redbone's chart success. Their next album, Bearded Dreams Through Turquoise Eyes only reached no. 174 on the Billboard album chart, while their album Cycles did not chart at all. "Come and Get Your Love" would be their last major hit single.

Redbone would continue through the years, with several membership changes. They released their final album, One World, in 2005. It was re-released as Peace Pipe in 2009. Lolly Vegas died in 2010 at the age of 70 from lung cancer. Pat Vegas continued with a touring version of Redbone to this day.

Redbone are an important part of rock history. They were among the first bands composed entirely of members of indigenous descent. Furthermore, they addressed Native American topics. They would pave the way for further Native American artists. Their songs would also be covered by artists from Bobby Gentry to Tom Jones. While Redbone's chart success would only last for a few years, their influence on rock music remains to this day.

Monday, November 27, 2023

Christmas Movies on TCM in December 2023

Shirley MacLaone and Jack
Lemmon in The Apartment
For many of us Turner Classic Movies is the destination for Christmas movies, not the Hallmark Channel. There is a good reason for this, as every December TCM shows some of the greatest Christmas movies ever made. This year is no different, as they are showing such classics as The Apartment (1960), The Bishop's Wife (1947), Christmas in Connecticut (1944), It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947), The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942), and yet others.

Every year I compile a schedule of my picks for movies guaranteed to bring the Christmas spirit to those who celebrate the holiday. This year is no different. This TCM is showing Christmas movies every Saturday and Sunday until December 17 when they begin their marathon of non-stop holiday films that last until December 25.

Some of you may notice Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) is not included in the schedule. Now Meet Me in St. Louis is one of my all-time favourite movies. If not for The Wizard of Oz (1939), it would be my favourite Judy Garland movie. As much as I love Meet Me in St. Louis, I have never, ever thought of it as a Christmas movie. In fact, my favourite times to watch are in the spring and the fall! For those of you who do think of it as a Christmas movie, I will tell you that Meet Me in St. Louis is airing on TCM at 11:00 PM on Saturday; December 16; at 7:00 PM on Thursday; and December 21; at 5:00 PM on Sunday, December 24. 

Anyway, without further ado, here is the schedule of my picks for Christmas movies to watch on Turner Classic Movies in December 2023. All times are Central.

Saturday, December 2
3:30 PM A Christmas Carol (1938)
5:00 PM Fitzwilly (1967)

Sunday, December 3
3:00 PM The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
5:00 The Bishop's Wife (1947)

Saturday, December 9
3:00 PM It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947)
5:15 PM Remember the Night (1940)

Sunday, December 11
3:00 PM In the Good Old Summertime (1949)
5:00 PM Christmas in Connecticut (1944)

Saturday December 16
3:15 PM The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
5:15 PM Holiday Affair (1949)

Sunday, December 17
10:00 PM It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947)

Monday, December 18
8:00 AM Tenth Avenue Angel (1948)
12:30 PM Bundle of Joy (1956)
2:30 PM Bachelor Mother (1939)
4:00 PM The Great Rupert (1950)
7:00 PM Miracle on Main Street (1939)
8:30 PM Blast of Silence (1951)
10:00 PM Cash on Demand (1961)
11:30 PM Cover-Up (1949)

Tuesday, December 19
2:30 AM Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983)
4:45 AM "Star in the Night" (1945)
9:00 AM Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938)
5:15 PM Shop Around the Corner (1940)
11:30 PM O'Henry's Full  House (1952)

Wednesday, December 20
1:45 AM Period of Adjustment (1962)
9:30 SM Miracle on Main Street (1939)
1:00 PM Never Say Goodbye (1946)
3:00 PM Susan Slept Here (1954)
4:00 PM Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
7:00 PM Remember the Night (1940)
8:45 PM The Cheaters (1945)
10:30 PM We're No Angels (1955)

Thursday, December 21
12:30 AM Lady in the Lake (1947)
2:30 AM Roadblock (1951)
4:00 AM Christmas Past (1925)
6:15 AM Hell's Heroes (1930)
3:00 PM Larceny Inc. (1942)
5:00 PM Mr. Soft Touch (1948)
9:00 PM The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
11:15 PM Fitzwilly (1967)

Friday, December 22
1:00 PM Carol For Another Christmas (1964)
3:30 PM 3 Godfathers (1949)
4:30 PM The Lion in Winter (1968)
7:00 PM The Bishop's Wife (1947)

Saturday, December 23
10:30 AM The Thin Man (1934)
12:15 PM Good Sam (1948)
2:30 PM Bell, Book and Candle (1958)
7:00 PM The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
9:00 PM In the Good Old Summertime (1949)
11:00 PM Desk Set (1947)

Sunday, December 24

5:00 AM Three Godfathers (1936)
6:30 AM Beyond Tomorrow (1940)
8:00 AM The Great Rupert (1950)
9:30 AM Tenth Avenue Angel (1948)
10:45 AM Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938)
2:45 PM It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947)
7:00 PM Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
9:00 PM Holiday Affair (1949)
10:45 PM A Christmas Carol (1938)

Monday, December 25
4:45 AM "Big Business" (1929)
5:30 AM Bachelor Mother (1939)
9:00 AM Never Say Goodbye (1946)
10:45 AM Holiday Affair (1949)
12:30 PM The Apartment (1960)
2:45 PM The Man Who Came to Diner (1942)
5:00 PM In the Good Old Summertime (1949)