When it comes to Christmas films, it’s no secret that there a ton to choose from. But which ones are on your must-watch every year? Which ones do you gravitate to?
For me, there are a mix of those I watched growing up that hold a special place in my heart (honorable mentions to Rudolph, A Garfield Christmas Special, and Frosty the Snowman), newly discovered classic Christmas films as I’ve gotten older, and newer films that are enjoyable to watch (honorable mentions to Elf, Love Actually, and Christmas with the Kranks). I’ll be primarily focusing on the ones from the classic movie era (that is what I do after all), but I might have slipped in a 90s film.
Some of the ones below have stood the test of time with their ghostly stories, tales of redemption, and angels. Others have mostly been forgotten by the general public (but maybe not for us classic movie fans), even with famous actors and Christmas backdrops.
If you choose to buy any of the films through the links on this page, I may earn a commission as an Amazon affiliate.
Babes in Toyland (1961)
So this is an interesting film because of the cast of stars. You have Annette Funicello, Tommy Sands, Ray Bolger, Ed Wynn, Tommy Kirk, and a very young Ann Jillian. The premise surrounds Mary Quite Contrary and Tom Piper’s upcoming wedding, but the evil Barnaby (Bolger) wants her (and the money she doesn’t know she inherits when she marries) all to himself so he hatches a plot to kidnap her fiance and steal her income (in the form of her sheep).
The idea is that then she’ll have to marry him instead because she’s broke and has children (not hers) to care for in the form of Little Bo Peep (Ann Jillian), Boy Blue, some twins, and more kids. I’m not sure why they’re her responsibility, but anyway…
The piece of this that’s Christmas comes from Ed Wynn, who plays the toymaker. After Tom is sold to the gypsies because Barnaby’s henchmen are greedy, he returns. But the children (who don’t know this yet) go off into the Forest of No Return to search for the sheep so Mary doesn’t have to marry Barnaby.
After finding the kids, the group comes across a toy facotry. The toymaker is on a time crunch to get toys done for children for Christmas, not unlike Santa. The whole thing gives a Santa vibe to me. He even has an inventive elf in Tommy Kirk, who isn’t an elf at all, but his assistant who is a highly skilled (but almost scarily so) inventor, who designs a terrible shrinking ray. It makes no sense to turn large objects into toys. So while he’s brilliant, he’s also kind of a moron in practicality.
Anyway, the songs in this one are fun, and it is an amusing watch. Especially when Ray Bolger and Tommy Sands swordfight.
Christmas in Connecticut
This 1945 classic movie featuring Barbara Stanwyck is well-known among those who enjoy classic movies, but maybe not with others. One of the strangest things about this Christmas movie is that it was actually released in August of that year. Nevertheless, it still was one of the most successful pictures that year.
It features Stanwyck as a magazine writer who has made up her entire premise. While she writes about being a farm wife and mother, she is actually unmarried and living in a city. Her writing skills must be on point because even her editor doesn’t know that she has no experience with any of the things she writes about. He arranges for her to host a war hero at her “farm” on Christmas. She scrambles to try to make the charade real.
Interestingly, this year I came across the film Joy to the World, which echos this plot. I’ll admit, I turned it on for Chad Michael Murray and it was entertaining. It shifted the plot to a novel writer and a visiting TV show instead with a best friends to lovers arc.
A Christmas Carol 1951
You simply cannot get through the Christmas season without watching some or multiple forms of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. This one from 1951 features Alastair Sim’s portrayal of Scrooge, and many people gravitate toward it.
Not only does his performance make this great, but the ghosts are a bit more frightening than some of the other adaptations. We follow as Scrooge meets his ghosts, and they convince him to change his ways to be a better person. As great as Sim is, this is not the version that I rewatch every year…that honor goes to the one below…
Muppet Christmas Carol
This film is a masterpiece and while I originally saw it as a child, it still holds up. It is one of those films that wasn’t only good because it was nostalgic. It has stood the test of time. It is true to the Dickens’ story, is entertaining, and all of the actors (Muppets included) tear your heart out. Although it’s primarily filmed with Muppets, there’s a depth of emotion from both them and Michael Caine as Scrooge. It is my favorite version of A Christmas Carol.
Miracle on 34th Street
There is something magical about the original Miracle on 34th Street from 1947. Maybe it’s the story. Maybe it’s a young Natalie Wood. Maybe it’s all of it. This story is so well-known. Make sure that you take the time to watch the original this year.
Natalie Wood stars as a little girl who’s mother unwittingly hires the real Santa Claus to dress up as Macy’s Santa Claus. Once he begins to tell people he really is Santa Claus, people start to wonder if he’s crazy or dangerous. It sparks a trial where the existence of the myth is strongly debated.
Holiday Inn
Even though this movie technically encompasses all holidays, it is the first movie where we hear Bing Crosby sing his iconic song, “White Christmas.” This instance won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1942 for composer Irving Berlin.
The plot revolves around a singer who loses his vaudeville partner, played by Fred Astaire, and his girl all in one day. He decides that he’s done with show business, and goes and buys an inn. After realizing how much work it really is, he decides to run an inn that is open solely on the holidays.
White Christmas
White Christmas is one of my must-watch Christmas movies that I’ve been watching since I was little. It has everything: stellar musical numbers, comedy, and amazing talents in Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye, and Vera-Ellen.
It centers around two veterans turned hoofers who encounter their old general after following a sister act to a Vermont inn. They embark on a mission to bring in business and save the inn all while falling in love with the sisters in the process. This was actually intended as a sequal to Holiday Inn, but when they couldn’t get Fred Astaire back, the part went to Donald O’Connor and eventually to Danny Kaye. While the other two actors are fabulous, I couldn’t imagine not having Danny Kaye in this film.
It’s a Wonderful Life
This 1947 Christmas classic is still broadcasted yearly on network TV, but if you missed it, you can watch it on one of the channels above. This one is a favorite of many due to James Stewart, Donna Reed, and the intriguing plot.
It follows George Bailey, played by Stewart, as he gives up his dreams of travel to run his father’s business. He builds it to great success, but when his absent-minded uncle loses the bank deposit, he contemplates suicide. The premise is rather dark, but a journey with an angel into a world where he doesn’t exist proves to be much darker.
The best thing about the scene below is that the end of it was improvised by Thomas Mitchell, who played Uncle Billy. A crew member dropped a tray right after Mitchell walked off-screen. Stewart started laughing, so Mitchell improvised that he had walked into a bunch of garbage cans, which fit the scene since Uncle Billy was supposed to be drunk at that point anyway.
Meet Me in St. Louis
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is now one of the most re-recorded Christmas songs, but it was originally written for the film Meet Me in St. Louis for Judy Garland. Originally, the lyrics were much darker:
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
It May Be Your Last
Garland refused to sing this version to Margaret O’Brien, who played her little sister. She was afraid that people would see her as a monster, so the lyrics were changed to the version we love today:
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Let Your Heart Be Light
The movie itself centers around the Smith family, who are threatened to be uprooted when the patriarch of the family gets a job in New York just before the World’s Fair. The film is filled with impressive numbers and original songs. It is also the movie where Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli met.
The Shop Around the Corner and In the Good Old Summertime
James Stewart stars in another classic set at Christmastime in 1940’s The Shop Around the Corner. Not only is the story classic, it has been remade twice. First, with a musical version in 1949 with Judy Garland and Van Johnson called In the Good Old Summertime, and then in 1998’s You’ve Got Mail with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. All three movies follow a similar premise.
The plot revolves around two people who don’t get along in their everyday working lives but are in love with each other as secret pen pals. The theme is about how there can be more to someone beneath the surface.
It Happened on Fifth Avenue
One of the most interesting things about this movie is that it was originally slotted to be directed by Frank Capra. He decided to pass in favor of It’s a Wonderful Life, which given the longevity of that movie, it appears to be the right choice. That’s not to say that this film isn’t without merit.
It surrounds a homeless man who squats in a mansion with his dog every winter. This year, he squats in Michael J. O’Connor’s mansion and invites a recently evicted army veteran to stay with him without telling him that it’s not actually his house. O’Connor’s daughter shows up and falls in love with the veteran despite the situation she finds him in.
The Bishop’s Wife
This film features an angel who looks like Cary Grant. Who could resist? He was actually originally cast as the bishop, with David Niven playing the role of the angel. Thankfully, things were changed when the director was replaced. It took some convincing, but Grant eventually agreed, and the role became one of his best. His pride did take a hit when the filmmakers insisted on a double wearing a mask performing the ice skating stunts below. He was an acrobat in his younger days, so he wanted to do his own stunts
The plot centers around an angel who is sent to help out a bishop who has lost his way. The bishop has become too concerned about raising money for a new cathedral that he has neglected his relationships with his wife and daughter.
What did I miss?
Did I miss any of your classic era favorite Christmas films? Drop me a comment so I can put them on my watch list!
Alternative History/Classic Film Era Novels
If you like alternative history or biographical/historical fiction, I write that as well under the pen name Dottie Fray and historical paranormal romance under Elvira Fray. With two books planned for next year, one biographical fiction entitled Planes and Promises and a paranormal romance to follow up Fang Me Tender called No Angel of His Own (official cover coming).
If you choose to buy any of the films through the links on this page, I may earn a commission as an Amazon affiliate.