A Christmas Eve Roundup

'Twas the night before Christmas...

Here's a bunch of fun Christmas-related links to read amidst the last-minute baking and wrapping!

...As I write this, I'm listening to the Ames Bros. album There'll Always Be a Christmas. This CD was an excellent find a couple years ago.

...The Lady Eve shares her picks for favorite Christmas movies at her blog, The Lady Eve's Reel Life. It's a great list! Eve also has some great Christmasy video links to share.

...Classic Movie Man has some interesting choices on his list of favorite Christmas movies, including Barbara Stanwyck and Gary Cooper in Capra's MEET JOHN DOE (1941), the Cary Grant-Irene Dunne weeper PENNY SERENADE (1941), and IT HAPPENED ON FIFTH AVENUE (1947) with Don DeFore and Gale Storm.

...Brandie shares thoughts on IT HAPPENED ON FIFTH AVENUE (1947) at True Classics. I started watching this last night and should be writing about it later in the weekend.

...Thanks to Al Lutz's annually updated column on the Disneyland Main Street Christmas Music Loop, I added The David Rose Christmas Album to my collection this year. It's fun when a track starts playing that I know well from years of walking down Main Street at Christmastime!

...Continuing in a Disney theme, D23 shares info about the history of the Disneyland Candlelight Procession, which was narrated this year by Gary Sinise. There's more info in a 2009 column by Wade Sampson at MousePlanet -- though there's an error for the 1977 listing. Ross Martin of THE WILD, WILD WEST narrated that year, I believe in place of Buddy Ebsen. I know this because I was there. :)

...Jerry Frebowitz, the President of Movies Unlimited, shares thoughts on Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray in REMEMBER THE NIGHT (1940) at MovieFanFare. He says it's "too good to show only at Christmas." It's definitely a special movie.

...Jacqueline Lynch is another fan of REMEMBER THE NIGHT. She describes it in an evocative post at Another Old Movie Blog. And don't miss Jacqueline's post on Stanwyck in MY REPUTATION (1946), a wonderful film I recently revisited. MY REPUTATION is perfect viewing for the last part of December, as the last third of the film is set between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day.

...REMEMBER THE NIGHT happily received a great deal of attention from classic film fans this year, and each post is worth reading. John Greco analyzes it at Twenty Four Frames.

...Caftan Woman shares her pick for December: A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1951) with Alastair Sim. My son watched that the other day, but I still haven't seen that version! It's definitely on my "to do" list.

...The Self-Styled Siren shares a really marvelous anecdote from Rosalind Russell's autobiography, LIFE IS A BANQUET, about the five months' pregnant star throwing a Christmas party for two armored tank divisions in the middle of the California desert in 1942. It's both delightful and touching; don't miss it.

...One might say Christmas came early for USC Trojan fans, as earlier this week quarterback Matt Barkley stood in front of a tree decked in cardinal and gold to announce he's remaining at USC for his senior year. Bill Dwyre of the Los Angeles Times has a thoughtful column on Barkley's announcement. I'm delighted the Times' Bill Plaschke has had to eat his words this week, as he had previously shared his firm opinion that Barkley would turn pro. Plaschke is happy too!

...John of Greenbriar Picture Shows spotlights Deanna Durbin's LADY ON A TRAIN (1945) as his "Christmas Pick." I love this movie, costarring Dan Duryea, Ralph Bellamy, Allen Jenkins, and more great faces. It's on DVD in a Deanna Durbin set which is a steal pricewise at Amazon.

...You just never know where you'll find classic film fans or who's reading your blog! In a nice bit of serendipity, I have Greenbriar Picture Shows to thank for leading a classic film fan to my blog...who also happens to be in the cast of the marvelous theatrical production I saw this week of WHITE CHRISTMAS. What fun!

...Toby and Company ponder movies to watch over the holidays at 50 Westerns From the 50s.

...Visit my post TCM in December: Christmas Movies for a rundown on the films shown on Turner Classic Movies on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. And don't forget to set your recorder for MARGIE (1946) on TCM tonight!

...For more Christmas-related reading which remains relevant today, please visit my Christmas week link roundups of 2010 and 2009.

Merry Christmas!