TCM in December: Christmas Movies

Time for my annual overview of the Christmas movies playing this month on Turner Classic Movies!

TCM viewers will find Christmas films scattered throughout the schedule in the early part of the month, mostly on weekends, then a marathon of Christmas films will run from December 20th to Christmas Day.

As always, some movies cycle in and out of the annual Christmas rotation. This year there's no HOLIDAY INN (1942) or LADY ON A TRAIN (1945), while COVER UP (1949) and THE HOLLY AND THE IVY (1952) return after taking last year off. CHRISTMAS EVE (1947) also makes a relatively rare appearance this year.

New Year's Eve will feature a six-film THIN MAN marathon - the first film in the series is also a Christmas movie - followed by a lineup of five films featuring New Year's Eve in the story. Each of the five movies will be introduced by a different TCM host.

New Year's Day will feature another popular TCM tradition, a trio of THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! musical compilation films.

The schedule below features movies with general religious and New Year's themes as well as Christmas films. Please click any hyperlinked title for a complete review. For movies shown multiple times this month, the review is only linked at the first mention.

December 1st

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944)

THE BISHOP'S WIFE (1947)

December 7th

IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE (1947)

HOLIDAY AFFAIR (1949)

December 8th

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1938)

BEN-HUR (1959)

KING OF KINGS (1961)

December 12th

BOYS TOWN (1938)

December 14th

THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940)

THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER (1942)

December 15th

IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME (1949)

CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT (1945)

December 20th

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944)

IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME (1949)

THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940)

BACHELOR MOTHER (1939)

PENNY SERENADE (1941)

BLOSSOMS IN THE DUST (1941)

December 21st

THE CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE (1944)

TENTH AVENUE ANGEL (1948)

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1938)

ON MOONLIGHT BAY (1951) (Musical Matinee)

LITTLE WOMEN (1949)

SUSAN SLEPT HERE (1954)

FITZWILLY (1967)

IT HAPPENED ON FIFTH AVENUE (1947)

THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER (1942)

WE'RE NO ANGELS (1955)

MIRACLE ON MAIN STREET (1939)

THE SILENT PARTNER (1978

December 22nd

BOYS TOWN (1938)

OUR VINES HAVE TENDER GRAPES (1945)

LADY IN THE LAKE (1947)

3 GODFATHERS (1948)

THE HOLLY AND THE IVY (1952)

GOING MY WAY (1944)

THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S (1945)

CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT (1945)

REMEMBER THE NIGHT (1940)

CHRISTMAS PAST (1935)

MON ONCLE ANTOINE (1971)

MY NIGHT AT MAUD'S (1969)

December 23rd

COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON (1930) (short)

THE DAUGHTER OF ROSIE O'GRADY (1950)

I WOULDN'T BE IN YOUR SHOES (1948)

MY REPUTATION (1947)

LARCENY, INC. (1942)

BACKFIRE (1950)

PERIOD OF ADJUSTMENT (1962)

HOLIDAY AFFAIR (1949)

DESK SET (1957)

MEET JOHN DOE (1941)

THE THIN MAN (1934)

COVER-UP (1949)

A CAROL FOR ANOTHER CHRISTMAS (1964)

December 24th

THREE GODFATHERS (1936)

BIG BUSINESS (1939)

CHRISTMAS EVE (1947)

BUNDLE OF JOY (1956)

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944)

IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE(1947)

CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT (1945)

THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940)

THE BISHOP'S WIFE (1947)

ROOM FOR ONE MORE (1952)

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1938)

BEYOND TOMORROW (1940)

HELL'S HEROES (1929)

KIND LADY (1951)

December 25th

STAR IN THE NIGHT (1945) (short)

NEVER SAY GOODBYE (1946)

ALL MINE TO GIVE (1957)

THE GREAT RUPERT (1950)

LITTLE WOMEN (1933)

IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME (1949)

HOLIDAY AFFAIR (1949)

THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER (1942)

December 26th

LOVE FINDS ANDY HARDY (1938)

December 31st (New Year's Eve movies)

THE THIN MAN (1934) (six-film marathon)

THE APARTMENT (1960)

BUNDLE OF JOY (1956)

REPEAT PERFORMANCE (1947)

TRADING PLACES (1983)

SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)

For more on TCM in December 2024, please visit my Quick Preview of TCM in December, along with TCM's online schedule. TCM in December: Highlights is coming soon!

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