We hope you had an amazing Thanksgiving! Now we realize that many of you are suffering from turkey hangovers this morning and coping with the realization that the holidays are now officially here. But fear not, we have got you covered. You see, now more than ever the entire history of entertainment is at your fingertips, so gift-buying is a snap (or, more appropriately, a click). That’s where we come in. Bookmark this post because over the course of the entire entire holiday season we will be updating this gift guide with savings and sales on DVDs, Blu-rays, music, books, apparel, and collectibles.
First things first, we want to point your attention in this direction:
We are currently having a Holiday Film Sale that showcases seasonal favorites for all generations. Including the following heartwarming holiday tales:
Timeless holiday classic stars Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye as a pair of merry veterans who become famous song-and-dance men after World War II. Soon, the duo joins forces with singing sisters Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen to help save their former army general’s Vermont inn. Beloved Irving Berlin score includes “Blue Skies,” “Sisters,” “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep,” the title track, and more.
Frank Capra’s perennial holiday classic is one of the most beloved films of all time and the quintessential “Capraesque” comedy/drama. James Stewart is Bedford Falls banker George Bailey, who is driven by circumstances one Christmas Eve to consider suicide, only to be shown by neophyte angel Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers) what a difference his life has made. Tremendous supporting cast includes Donna Reed, Thomas Mitchell, Lionel Barrymore, Ward Bond, Beulah Bondi.
A marvelous performance by George C. Scott as pinchpenny Ebenezer Scrooge fuels this acclaimed adaptation of Dickens’ beloved holiday fable. On Christmas Eve, 1843 in London, corn merchant Scrooge, after displaying his usual cold-hearted cruelty, is visited by three Christmas ghosts who offer him a chance at redemption. The stellar cast also includes David Warner, Susannah York, Frank Finlay, Edward Woodward, and Nigel Davenport; narrated by Roger Rees.
That irrepressible little Dickens, Bill Murray, is back among the ghosts in this riotous reworking of “A Christmas Carol” as Frank Cross, a commercial, callous TV exec who receives laugh-packed lessons in gaining some holiday spirit from some antagonistic apparitions! All-star ensemble cast includes John Forsythe, Karen Allen, Carol Kane, Bobcat Goldthwait, David Johansen, Robert Mitchum, many others; directed by Richard Donner.
The only thing wastrel playboy Michael (George Brent), on-the-lam con artist Mario (George Raft), and hard-drinking rodeo cowboy Johnny (Randolph Scott) had in common was the same loving foster mom (Ann Harding)…and they’ll have to endure an awkward Yuletide reunion if they’re to save her from a conniving nephew after her estate. Episodic comedy/drama also stars Joan Blondell, Reginald Denny; a young Robert Altman co-scripted. AKA: “Sinner’s Holiday.”
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour Christmas Specials
After a successful stint hosting a 1968 summer replacement series for CBS, celebrated country crooner and musician Glen Campbell became the star of his very own variety program, “The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour.” Here, fans will enjoy the music and comedy of Campbell’s first two Christmas specials, from 1969 and 1970, which feature guest appearances by Cher, Andy Griffith, George Gobel, and Shecky Greene.
After slick racetrack tout the Lemon Drop Kid (Bob Hope) convinces a gangster’s moll to switch her bet to a stone motherless nag and she misses out on a $10,000 booty, the Kid finds himself in the hole with the mob. He hits upon a racket to pay him back: scatter a slew of phony Santa Clauses across the Big Apple to collect for the bogus “Nellie Thursday Home for Old Dolls.” Fast-paced comedy, based on a Damon Runyon short story, also stars Lloyd Nolan, Marilyn Maxwell; Hope and Maxwell introduce the song “Silver Bells.”
Merry Sitcom! Christmas Classics from TV’s Golden Age
Deck the halls alongside of your favorite TV characters with these classic holiday-themed episodes: “Father Knows Best: The Christmas Story” (1954), “The Donna Reed Show: A Very Merry Christmas” (1958), “Window on Main Street: Christmas Memory” (1961), “McHale’s Navy: The Day They Captured Santa Claus” (1962), “Bewitched: A Vision of Sugar Plums” (1964), “That Girl: Christmas and the Hard Luck Kid” (1966), and “The Flying Nun: Wailing in a Winter Wonderland” (1967).
Victor Herbert’s operetta “Babes in Toyland” was adapted to fit the screen antics of Laurel and Hardy, and the result is a magical film comedy for all ages. Stan and Ollie are apprentice toymakers for Santa Claus who must save Mother Goose and other nursery rhyme characters from crooked Mr. Barnaby. This special edition features the original “storybook” opening and musical number.
Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (40th Anniversary)
Directed by Jim Henson, this delightful program uses Muppet magic to bring Russell Hoban’s holiday-themed children’s story to life. Wanting to have the best Christmas ever, young otter Emmet and his mother enter a talent show contest with hopes of using the cash prize to buy each other unforgettable presents. Features the puppetry talents of Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, and Henson; with Marilyn Sokol. Songs includes “When the River Meets the Sea,” “The Bathing Suit That Grandma Otter Wore.”
Comedy and drama mix as the popular blended family reunites for the holidays in this made-for-TV movie. When Mike (Robert Reed) and Carol (Florence Henderson) decide to get the whole Brady clan–which now includes in-laws and grandkids–together for Christmas, they find themselves helping their “children” with some very grown up problems. With Barry Williams, Maureen McCormick, Christopher Knight, Eve Plumb, Mike Lookinland, and Ann B. Davis as Alice.
Breezy mix of comedy, drama, and romance stars Barbara Stanwyck as Lee Leander, a woman picked up in New York for shoplifting right before Christmas. No-nonsense D.A. John Sargent (Fred MacMurray) agrees to have fellow Hoosier Lee released in his custody so they can go home to Indiana for the holidays, and love blooms along the way. With Beulah Bondi, Willard Robertson; scripted by Preston Sturges.
Bing Crosby reprises his “Going My Way” role of dedicated priest Father O’Malley, who faces the biggest challenge of his life when he is assigned to shore up a financially troubled parochial school. Thrust into a battle of wills with strong-willed nun Sister Mary Benedict (Ingrid Bergman), the two must learn to cooperate in order to save the beleaguered institution. Oscar-winning favorite co-stars Henry Travers, William Gargan.
The House Wothout a Christmas Tree
Sensitive holiday drama about a family celebration of Christmas, featuring Jason Robards, Jr. as a widower father who doesn’t understand his 10-year-old daughter’s request for a special tree. Lisa Lucas, Mildred Natwick also star. This TV-movie was followed by 1973’s “The Holiday Treasure” and 1975’s “The Easter Promise.”
The family drama that served as the pilot episode of “The Waltons” stars Patricia Neal and Andrew Duggan as a mother and father struggling to give their rural Virginia brood a special Christmas during the Depression. Richard Thomas also stars as John-Boy; with Ellen Corby, Edgar Bergen. AKA: “The Homecoming: A Christmas Story.”
For a listing of the complete titles featured in our Holiday Film Sale, click here. And be sure to bookmark this page and keep checking back, as we’ll be updating this holiday gift guide straight on through the holiday season!