A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) Turns 40

This post is part of the John Saxon Bloghaton hosted by RealWeedgieMidget Reviews and Cinematic Catharsis)

On November 9 1984 a film went into limited release in the United States that would forever change horror movies. Although often classed as a "slasher film," A Nightmare in Elm Street (1984) could better be described as a supernatural horror movie with some characteristics of a slasher movie. The film would spawn an entire franchise, not to mention several imitators.

In A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) a group of teenagers find themselves targeted by the malignant spirit of a child killer named Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), who has their ability to enter their dreams and kill them there. Twenty years earlier Freddy Krueger had been captured, but then released on a technicality after having killed 20 children. A lynch mob then hunted them down and burned him alive in the boiler room of the power plant at which Krueger had worked. It is up to one of the teenagers, Nancy Thomposn (Heather Langenkmap) and her father, Police Lieutenant Don Thompson (John Saxon), to put an end to Krueger's killing spree.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) was written and directed by horror legend Wes Craven. By the time he made A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Mr. Craven had already made such movies as The Last House on the Left (1972), The Hills Have Eyes (1977), and Deadly Blessing (1981). Inspiration for A Nightmare on Elm Street came from multiple sources. One was a story he read in The Los Angeles Times regarding a child who was a refugee from the Cambodian genocide who refused to go to sleep for fear that he would not wake up. Sadly, he died not long after he finally went to sleep. This was not an isolated incident with regards to refugees from Southeast Asia, as several died due to mysterious circumstances. Most often they were young Hmong men who had fled Laos following the Vietnam War. In the October 15 2008 issue of Cinefantasique, Wes Craven commented, "t was a series of articles in the LA Times; three small articles about men from South East Asia, who were from immigrant families and had died in the middle of nightmares—and the paper never correlated them, never said, 'Hey, we've had another story like this."

Wes Craven also drew inspiration for A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) from Eastern religions and the 1975 song "Dream Weaver" by Gary Wright. The synthesizer riff used in the movie stems from that song. As to the villain, Freddy Krueger, his name was taken from a boy named Fred Krueger who had bullied him as a child. Inspiration for the character of Freddy Krueger was also taken from Wes Craven's childhood. Once when outside his home, young Wes Craven saw a man in a battered fedora who seemed to be looking right at him. The man frightened Wes Craven very badly.

Other elements of the character of Freddy Krueger stemmed from an effort to make him different from other antagonists in horror movie of the time. Wes Craven observed that many horror villains of the time, such as Michael Myers in the Halloween movies and Jason in the Friday the 13th movies, wore masks. Wes Craven thought Freddy should wear a mask, but he should also be able to talk and express himself. It was because of this that Freddy Krueger had a disfigured face. Wes Craven also observed the most villains in horror movies of the time used knives. Initially Wes Craven had considered having Krueger use a sickle, but then decided he use a glove with steak knives sewn into it.

Wes Craven would have some difficulty selling A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). As hard as it may be to believe, Walt Disney Productions was the first to show interest in the script, but they wanted Wes Craven to soften the movie's content so it could be rated PG-13 by the MPAA ratings board. Paramount Pictures turned down A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) because they thought it was too similar to Dreamscape (1984), which was already in pre-production. Universal Studios also turned him down.

Wes Craven was finally able to find a studio produce the film in the form of New Line Cinema. At this point New Line Cinema had only produced a few movies, most notably Polyester (1981), having primarily served as a distributor for films produced by others. New Line Cinema was unable to provide all of the financing for A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), but fortunately they were able to find other investors.

By far the most famous member of the cast of A Nightmare on Elm Street was John Saxon, who played Lt. Don Thompson. Although John Saxon had started his career as a teen idol in such movies as Rock Pretty Baby (1956) and The Restless Years (1958), he made a name for himself in a wide variety of movies from the Sixties into the Seventies, from Queen of Blood (1966) to Enter the Dragon (1973). Ten years before A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), John Saxon had played another police lieutenant in another horror movie, Kenneth Fuller in the early slasher movie Black Christmas (1974). Having played in a wide variety of movie genres and having played a number of heroes in movies, John Saxon was ideal as Don Thompson, the police lieutenant who initially fears for his daughter's sanity, but then helps her stop an undead killer.

As to the role of Freddy Krueger, David Warner was initially cast, but he had to drop out of the film due to conflicts in his schedule. Wes Craven considered several different actors before casting Robert Englund in the role. Robert Englund had made several guest appearances on television and appeared on such movies as Big Wednesday (1978) and Galaxy of Terror (1981). The roles of the teenagers in the film were filled by unknowns, although one would soon become famous. A Nightmare on Elm Street marked the film debut of Johnny Depp. Johnny Depp went with his friend Jackie Earle Haley to an audition. It was ultimately because of Wes Craven's daughters that Johnny Depp got the role. Wes Craven had pictured the role of Glen as  a jock, but it was Johnny Depp's headshot that Wes Craven's daughters chose out of the headshots he showed them.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) would run into trouble with the MPAA ratings board. Two cuts to the movie had to be made before they would give it an R-rating. Oddly enough, it was released in the United Kingdom, which is sometimes stricter on horror movies than the MPAA, uncut.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) went into limited release on November 6 1984 in the United States and then into wide release on November 16 1984 in United States and Canada. Most critics at the time gave A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) positive reviews. Paul Attanasio in The Washington Post wrote of the film, "The genre has built-in limitations--the immediate reaction is to say you've seen it all before last Friday the 13th, so that there's constant pressure on the director's inventiveness....But Wes Craven faces the challenge admirably. A Nightmare on Elm Street is halfway between an exploitation flick and classic surrealism." In The Monthly Film Bulletin, Kim Newman called A Nightmare on Elm Street, "...a superior example of an over-worked genre."

Audiences loved A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) as well. During its opening weekend in limited release, at only 165 theatres across the United States, it grossed $1,271,000." It eventually made $25,504,513 at the US and Canada and  $57 million worldwide. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) proved to be one of New Line Cinema's earliest successes, so much so that the studio was sometimes referred to as "the House that Freddy Built."

The success of A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) would lead to seven sequels. A remake,directed by Samuel Bayer, was released in 2010. There was also a TV series spun off from the film. Freddie's Nightmares was an anthology series with Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger serving as its narrator. It ran for two seasons in syndication. There have also been novels, comic books, video games, and other merchandise inspired by the movie.

The reasons for the success of A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) aren't hard to find. The movie has a particularly good cast. John Saxon, as Lt. Don Thompson, stands out as the father and police officer who finally realizes the threat of Freddy Krueger. It was Robert Englund's performance as Freddy Krueger that made the character one of the most famous movie monsters of all time. The younger cast, including Helen Langenkamp as Nancy Thompson and Johnny Depp as Glen, also deliver solid performances. The cast make the events of A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) all the more believable.

Of course, Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) also benefits from a very sophisticated script. In fact, the film works on multiple levels. In the above cited Cinefantastique article, Wes Craven said,"...the notion of the screenplay is that the sins of the parents are visited upon the children, but the fact that each child is not necessarily stuck with their lot is still there." Even at the time of its release, some critics saw A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) as a very Freudian work. In the February 1985 issue of Films in Review, Roy Frumkes saw Wes Craven's earlier works, such as The Hills Have Eyes, as Freudian, and wrote of A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), "...and, here, in its latest incarnation, John Saxon and Ronee Blakeley are the untending parent of a daughter, whose nightmares have red claws, and whose pleas for help go unanswered."

What might be the strongest theme in the film is one that Wes Craven's script and direction capitalize upon: the borderlines between reality and fantasy.In A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) the characters, and hence the audience,can often not distinguish between reality and dream. It can easily be argued that being able to determine what is and is not a dream is central to the defeat of Freddy Krueger in the movie.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) would have a lasting influence on the horror genre and launched a franchise that still sees merchandise between produced to this day. The movie often makes lists of the greatest horror films ever made. It can be safe to say audiences will be watching A Nightmre on Elm Street (1984) forty years from now.

The Centenary of Wally Cox's Birth

It was 100 years ago today that Wally Cox was born in Detroit. He became famous playing the title character on the sitcom Mister Peepers, but is perhaps best known to younger Baby Boomers and the whole of Generation X as the voice of Underdog and a regular on the game show Hollywood Squares. Wally Cos also guest starred on shows from The Beverly Hillbillies to McMillan & Wife and appeared in such movies as Spencer's Mountain (1963) and Fate is the Hunter (1964).

Wally Cox began his entertainment career in stand-up in 1948, his act consisting of a monologue and often stories and songs. In 1949 he appeared on the radio show Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. That same year he made his television debut on Fireside Theatre. By 1950 he was appearing on Broadway in the revue Dance Me a Song. He continued to appear in night clubs and appeared on such television shows as The Ford Theatre Hour, Danger, Suspense, and Goodyear Television Playhouse.

It was in July 1952 that Mister Peepers debuted. The show starred Wally Cox as Robinson J. Peepers, the shy, quiet science teacher at Jefferson Junior High. Much of the rest of the cast would also become well-known, including Tony Randall as history teacher Harvey Weskit, Marion Lorne as English teacher Mrs. Gurney, and Jack Warden as athletic coach Frank Whip. Mister Peepers originated as a summer replacement for Ford Festival, but proved to be so popular that NBC brought the show back after the new show Doc Corkle proved to have miserable ratings.

Mister Peepers typecast Wally Cox, much to his dismay. and for much of his career he played soft-spoken, mild mannered characters. To a degree what might be his most famous role is an exception to this. On the Saturday morning cartoon Underdog, Wally Cox played Underdog's alter ego Shoeshine Boy as soft-spoken and mild-mannered. Indeed, Shoeshine Boy was described as "humble and lovable." Wally Cox gave Underdog a lower voice (pretty much Mr. Cox's natural speaking voice) and the character was as brave and courageous as one would expect a superhero to be. Underdiog proved to be a success. It ran for nine years on the broadcast networks (eight on Saturday, one on Sunday) and had an extremely successful syndication run.

Of course, many Baby Boomers and Gen Xers will also remember Wally Cox as resident of the upper left square on Hollywood Squares. Wally Cox on Hollywood Squares also offered a sharp contrast to the meek characters he often played. On Hollywood Squares not only did Mr. Cox display considerable wit, but often biting sarcasm. It seems likely that Wally Cox's persona on Hollywood Squares was closer to Mr. Cox in real life that the mild-mannered characters he played. In real life Wally Cox was very athletic and even rode motorcycles. He also possessed considerable skill as a handyman. According to an article in Popular Science in the Fifties, Wally Cox had a small workshop in his dressing room on Mister Peepers. In his memoir Backstage with the Original Hollywood Square, Hollywood Squares host Peter Marshall said that Wally Cox installed the wiring in his own home.

Aside from Mister Peepers and Underdog, Wally Cox played the lead in one other series. The Adventures of Hiram Hollliday was a sitcom that aired on NBC during the 1956-1957 season. The series centred on Hiram Holliday, a newspaper proofreader who actually possessed considerable skills in firearms, physical combat, and many other areas of knowledge. After saving his publisher from a potential lawsuit, his publisher awarded him with a trip around the world. Each week then saw Hiram Holliday on a different adventure, from solving crimes to thwarting spies. Although the show lasted only for one season, it would develop a cult following.

Of course, in addition to the shows on which he regularly appeared, Wally Cox also made numerous guest appearances. In two episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies  he played birdwatcher Professor P. Caspar Biddle. In the Wagon Train episode "The Vincent Eaglewood Story" he played the title character, a school teacher from the East. On Car 54, Where Are You? he played master pickpocket Benny, who proves better at catching thieves than the NYPD. Wally Cox was a frequent guest star on television shows from the Fifties to the Sixties, and guest starred on such classics as The Loretta Young Show, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, 77 Sunset Strip, Burke's Law, Mission: Impossible, Ironside, and The Odd Couple. He had a notable role in the sequel to the TV movie The Night Stalker and the second Kolchak television movie The Night Strangler, playing researcher Titus Berry, who assists Carl Kolchak in his investigation.

While Wally Cox is best known for his work in television, he also appeared in several movies throughout his career. He played Preacher Goodman in Spencer's Mountain (1963). In The Bedford Incident (1965) he played Seaman Queffle, who detects a Russian submarine on sonar while the U.S.S. Bedford is patrolling the coast of Greenland. In the Sixties he also appeared in the movies State Fair (1962), Fate is the Hunter (1964), The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964), A Guide to the Married Man (1967), The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968), Up Your Teddy Bear (1970), The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County (1970), and The Boatniks (1970). Wally Cox's last feature film was The Barefoot Executive (1971). During his career, Wally Cox only got to play the male lead once. Unfortunately, that was in the obscure, but not particularly well-received sexploitation film Up Your Teddy Bear, playing opposite Julie Newmar.

Sadly, Wally Cox died when he was only 48 on February 15 1973. The cause was a heart attack caused by a coronary occlusion. His last work on film was a guest appearance on the television series Search that aired only a few weeks before his death.

The death of Wally Cox is one of the earliest celebrity deaths I remember. Even at that tender age I knew he was the voice of Underdog, and I also recognized him from his many guest appearances on television. It is the mark of a truly great performer that even a young kid can recognize him from many different roles. Wally Cox was remarkable in many ways. While he mainly played milquetoasts, he was capable of playing other roles. He was one of the best-loved celebrities on Hollywood Squares, where his many quips about the game show. On the 100th anniversary of his birth, Wally Cox is still one of the best loved television performers of the mid-20th Century.

"It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"

Most Christmas songs seem to be written about Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or the season as a whole, but one song seems to have been written especially for this time of year. "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"was written by Meredith Wilson, now best known for the musical The Music Man. Indeed, the song mentions such things as the five and ten store "glistening once again," "toys in every store," "the tree in the Grand Hotel," and so on. I have always thought it was written about that time of year that stores and individuals first start decorating for the Yuletide.

Like The Music Man, "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" could have been inspired by Meredith Wilson's hometown of Mason City, Iowa. There is a theory that the"Grand Hotel" mentioned in the song could have been inspired by the Park Inn Hotel in downtown Mason City. The hotel was designed by none other than Frank Lloyd Wright himself and is the last remaining hotel in the world that he designed. It takes its name from Mason City's Central Park, which it overlooks. Making the idea that the Park Inn Hotel could have served as the inspiration for the Grand Hotel in "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" is that the park is immediately mentioned after the hotel in the song: "There's a tree in the Grand Hotel, one  in the park as well..."

"It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" by Perry Como and The Fontane Sisters with Mitchell Ayres & His Orchestra was released on September 18 1951. The song proved to be a hit, peaking at no. 12 on the Billboard chart. It has since charted every holiday season over they years. In 1951 Bing Crosby also recorded his own version of the song. It has since been recorded by such artists as Kate Smith, Johnny Mathis, Dionne Warwick, Dean Martin, and Michael Buble.

Jim Abrahams Passes On

Writer, director, and producer Jim Abrahams, who was part of the filmmaking team of Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker, died on November 26 2024 at the age of 80. He had leukaemia.

Jim Abrahams was born on May 10 1944 in Shorewood, Wisconsin. Jim Abrahams knew David and Jerry Zucker when the three of them were children. They attended the same synagogue, their father's were business colleagues, and the three of them attended both Shorewood High School and the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

It was in 1971 that Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker founded a sketch comedy troupe known as  the Kentucky Fried Theatre in Madison, Wisconsin. The Kentucky Fried Theatre would lead to the first movie scripted by Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker, The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977). The film was essentially a collection of movie parodies, sketches, and spoofs of television shows and movies. Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker would meet with enormous success with the first movie they both wrote and directed, Airplane! (1980).

Following Airplane!, Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker created the television series Police Squad!, starring Leslie Nielsen. While the show received low ratings and lasted for only six episodes, Police Squad! was well received by critics and nominated for two Emmy Awards. It also developed a cult following, and would lead to the series of Naked Gun movies. After Police Squad!, Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker wrote and directed the movie Top Secret! (1984).

Afterwards Jim Abrahams directed his first movie on his own, Ruthless People (1986), In the late Eighties he also directed Big Business (1988) and Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael (1990). He co-wrote The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) with the Zucker Brothers. In the Nineties Jim Abrahams wrote and directed Hot Shots! (1991), Hot Shots! Part Dieux (1993), and Jane Austen's Mafia! (1998). He later co-wrote Scary Movie 4 (2004) with Craig Mazin and Pat Proft.

Jim Abrahams and his wife Nancy founded The Charlie Foundation To Help Cure Pediatric Epilepsy.

As both a writer and director, Jim Abrahams had a gift for zany, off-the-wall comedy. The gags often came fast and furious and a viewer would often have to pay careful attention to catch all of the sight gags, puns, and jokes. It was in this way that Zucker, Abraham, and Zucker produced such comedy gold as Airplane! and the TV series Police Squad!. Of course, Jim Abrahams also directed movies without the Zucker Brothers, including Ruthless People and Big Business. While he would have the occasional misfire, Jim Abrahams was an enormous talent.

Godspeed Earl Holliman

Earl Holliman, who played the cook in the science fiction classic Forbidden Planet (1956), Jim Curry in The Rainmaker (1956), and Sgt. Crowley on the TV series Police Woman, among many other roles, died on November 25 2024 at the age of 96.

Earl Holliman was born on September 11 1928 in Delhi, Louisiana. His biological father died six months before Earl Holliman's birth, and he was placed in an orphanage. He was adopted when he was a week old. Earl Holliman wanted to be an actor even as he was growing up. After his father died, when Earl Holliman was only 14, he hitchhiked to the outskirts of Hollywood from a relative's house in Texarkana, Texas. Earl Holliman was convinced to return home and he attended Oil City High School. He was elected president of his senior class and was a tackle on the school football team.

Earl Holliman served in the United States Navy during World War II before studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse. He made his screen debut in an uncredited role in Destination Gobi (1953). That same year he appeared in uncredited roles in The Girls of Pleasure Island (1953), the Martin & Lewis movie Scared Stiff (1953). His first credited role was in Devil's Canyon in 1953. During the Fifties he appeared in the movies East of Sumatra (1953), Tennessee Champ (1954), Broken Lance (1954), The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954), The Big Combo (1955), I Died a Thousand Times (1955), Forbidden Planet (1956), The Burning Hills (1956), Giant (1956), The Rainmaker (1956), Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), Trooper Hook (1957), Don't Go Near the Water (1957), Hot Spell (1958), The Trap (1958), Last Train from Gun Hill (1959), and Visit to a Small Planet (1960).

During the Fifties Earl Holliman starred on the short-lived Western Hotel de Paree. He guest starred on the TV shows Matinee Theatre, Playhouse 90, Kraft Television Theatre, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, Studio One, and The Twilight Zone (the premiere episode "Where is Everybody?").

During the Sixties Earl Holliman starred on the short-lived television series \Wide Country. He guest starred on The Dick Powell Show, Westinghouse Presents, Bus Stop, Checkmate, General Electric Theatre, The Great Adventure, Bonanza, Dr. Kildare, Slatterly's People, The Fugitive, The Virginian, 12 O' Clock High, The F.B..I., Custer, Judd for the Defense, Gunsmoke, It Takes a Thief, and The Wonderful World of Disney. He appeared in the movies Armored Command (1961), Summer and Smoke (1962), The Sons of Katie Elder (1965), A Covenant with Death (1967), and The Power (1968).

In the Seventies Earl Holliman played Sgt. Crowley on the TV series Police Woman. He guest starred on the shows The Wonderful World of Disney, Alias Smith and Jones, The F.B.I., Ironside, Medical Center, The Rookies, The Streets of San Francisco, Gunsmoke, Police Story, and CHiPs. He appeared in the movies Duel (1971), The Biscuit Eater (1971), and I Love You...Goodbye (1973).

In the Eighties Earl Holliman appeared on the mini-series The Thorn Birds. He guest starred on the shows Hotel and Empty Nest. He appeared in the movies Sharkey's Machine (1981). In the Nineties Earl Holliman was a regular on the shows P.S. I Luv U, Delta, and Night Man. He had a recurring role on Caroline in the City as the title character's father, Fred. He guest starred on Murder, She Wrote; In the Heat of the Night; and Chicken Soup for the Soul. He appeared in the movies Bad City Blues (1999) and The Perfect Tenant (2000).

Earl Holliman also had a brief recording career starting in 1958. He released such singles as "Don't Get Around Much Anymore"/"A Teenager Sings the Blues," "In the Mood for Love"/"No Other Love," and "Road to Nowhere"/"There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight."

As an actor Earl Holliman was a great talent. He was capable of playing a wide variety of roles. As the cook on Forbidden Planet he served primarily as comic relief (he persuaded Robbie the Robot to make booze for him), and he played the role wonderfully. In sharp contrast to the cook on Forbidden Planet was the murderous Rick Belden in Last Train from Gun Hill. Earl Holliman also played impetuous younger brother, Jim Curry, in The Rainmaker, Bick Benedict's (Rock Hudson) son-in-law Bob Dace in Giant, and Matt, the quietest of the Elder brothers, in The Sons of Katie Elder. Earl Holliman was equally impressive on television. He played astronaut Mike Ferris, who slowly loses his min din a deserted town, in the premiere episode of The Twilight Zone "Where is Everybody?." In the Bonanza episode "The Flannel-Mouth Gun," Earl Holliman played ruthless range detective  Sherman Clegg. In the Marcus Welby, M.D. episode "Neither Punch Nor Judy," he played an asthmatic priest. Throughout his career Earl Holliman gave many great performances.

Christmas Movies on TCM in December 2024

The Hallmark Channel may start showing Christmas movies in October, but when it comes to showing classic Yuletide movies in their proper season, Turner Classic Movies is the channel to watch. Every December TCM shows several of the greatest classic holiday movies of all time. This December is no different. Below is a schedule of the Christmas movies airing on TCM in December. All times are Central.

Sunday, December 1:
5:00 PM The Bishop's Wife (1947)

Saturday, December 7:
3:00 PM It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947)
5:15 PM Holiday Affair (1949)

Sunday, December 8:
10:45 AM A Christmas Carol (1938)

Saturday, December 14:
3:00 PM The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
5:00 PM The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)

Sunday, December 15:
6:45 AM Meet John Doe (1941)
3:00 PM In the Good Old Summertime (1949)
5:00 PM Christmas in Connecticut (1945)

Monday, December 16:
9:30 PM Metropolitan (1990)

Friday, December 20:
9:00 PM In the Good Old Summertime (1949)
11:00 PM The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

Saturday, December 21:
1:00 AM Bachelor Mother (1939)
6:30 AM The Curse of the Cat People (1944)
8:00 AM Tenth Avenue Angel (1948)
9:30 AM A Christmas Carol (1938)
11:00 AM On Moonlight Bay (1951)
3:15 AM Susan Slept Here (1954)
5:00 PM Fitzwilly (1967)
7:00 PM It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947)
9:15 PM The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
11:16 PM We're No Angles (1955)

Sunday, December 22:
1:15 AM Miracle on Main Street (1939)
2:45 AM The Silent Partner (1978)
9:00 AM The Lady in the Lake (1947)
11:00 AM 3 Godfathers (1949)
1:00 PM The Holly and the Ivy (1952)
7:00 PM Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
9:00 PM Remember the Night (1940)
11:00 PM Christmas Past (1925)

Monday, December 23
1:15 AM Mon Oncle Antoine (1971)
3:15 AM My Night at Maud's (1971)
7:30 AM I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes (1948)
9:00 AM My Reputation (1946)
11:00 AM The Man I Love (1947)
1:00 PM Larceny, Inc. (1942)
3:00 PM Backfire (1950)
5:00 PM Period of Adjustment (1962)
7:00 PM Holiday Affair (1949)
8:45 PM Desk Set (1947)
10:45 PM Meet John Doe (1941)

Tuesday, December 24:
1:00 AM The Thin Man (1934)
2:45 AM Cover Up (1949)
4:15 AM A Carol For Another Christmas (1964)
5:45 AM Three Godfathers (1936)
7:45 AM Christmas Eve (1947)
9:15 AM Bundle of Joy (1956)
1:00 PM It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947)
3:15 PM Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
5:15 PM The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
7:00 PM The Bishop's Wife (1947)
11:00 PM A Christmas Carol (1938)

Wednesday, December 25:
12:30 AM Beyond Tomorrow (1940)
2:00 AM Hell's Heroes (1929)
3:30 AM Kind Lady (1951)
5:30 AM Never Say Goodbye (1946)
7::30 AM All Mine to Give (1957)
9:15 AM The Great Rupert (1950)
1:15 PM In the Good Old Summertime (1949)
3:15 PM Holiday Affair (1949)
5:00 PM The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)

Thursday, December 26:
9:15 AM Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938)

Tuesday, December 31:
8:15 AM The Thin Man (1934)
7:00 PM The Apartment (1960)

I don't consider the following to be Christmas movies. In all good conscience, I felt I could not include them in the above list of holiday films. There are some people who do consider some of these movies to be Christmas movies, so I am including them in their own schedule as a courtesy to anyone who might disagree with me.

Sunday, December 1:
3:00 PM Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

Saturday, December 14:
11:00 Mame (1974)

Monday, December 16:
7:00 PM Auntie Mame (1958)

Friday, December 20:
7:00 PM Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

Saturday, December 21:
2:30 AM Penny Serenade (1941)
4:45 AM Blossoms in the Dust (1941)
1:00 PM Little Women (1949)

Sunday, December 22:
5:00 AM Boy's Town (1938)
7:00 AM Our Vines Have Tender Grapes (1945)
2:30 PM Going My Way (1944)
4:45 PM The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)

Monday, December 23:
5:30 AM The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady (1950)

Tuesday, December 24:
11:00 PM Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
9:00 PM Room For One More (1952)

Wednesday, December 25:
11:00 AM Little Women (1933)

Happy Thanksgiving 2024

As someone who is part Cherokee, I recognize the fact that many Native Americans find the holiday of Thanksgiving objectionable. After all,  the Wampanoag, who legend has it dined with the Pilgrims, suffered greatly for their contact with the British colonists. There are then those Native Americans who view Thanksgiving as a celebration of the genocide of Native Americans at the hands of European settlers and observe it as a day of mourning. As I see it, the problem with Thanksgiving is that its mythology has traditionally been tied to that of the Thanksgiving celebrated by the Pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts. That mythology is false on many levels, the least of which is the fact that the Thanksgiving celebrated by the Pilgrims was not the first Thanksgiving celebration in North America by a long shot. Indeed, various Native American tribes had their own Thanksgivings. The Seneca have Thanksgiving rituals that last four days.

For me then, the answer is not to do away with the holiday of Thanksgiving, but to divorce it from the imagery of the Pilgrims. We should stop celebrating the Pilgrims, who ultimately brought grief to the Wampanoag. Ultimately, my point of view on the holiday is best expressed by Wilma Mankiller, the first woman to serve as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, who said of the holiday, "We celebrate Thanksgiving along with the rest of America, maybe in different ways and for different reasons. Despite everything that's happened to us since we fed the Pilgrims, we still have our language, our culture, our distinct social system. Even in a nuclear age, we still have a tribal people." I think it is important to set aside a day to express gratitude. We just have to make sure that we are not celebrating genocide when we do so.

Keeping this in mind, I will observe Thanksgiving with the usual vintage Hollywood pictures I usually do on A Shroud of Thoughts.

First up is Jeanne Craine, who has a large pie ready.

Next Marie McDonald, who is hunting and gathering for her Thanksgiving dinner.

Next is Olga San Juan with a pet turkey.

And here's Leila Hyams, who also has a turkey friend.

On the other hand, Shirley Temple seems startled by a turkey.

And, last but not least, here's Ann Miler and her turkey.

Happy Thanksgiving!