Many turn to holiday films in December as part of celebrating the season. These can be films beloved since childhood, or perhaps it’s tradition to watch a new one every year. “New” can mean a new release, or an old film previously unseen. There are countless classics from Old Hollywood that revolve around, or are partially set, during Christmastime. The default recommendation will most often be 1946’s It’s a Wonderful Life, directed by Frank Capra and starring Jimmy Stewart. While the film’s “count your blessings” message holds true nearly eight decades later, it’s far from the only worthwhile holiday movie. Here are five classic Hollywood movies of various genres (pre-Hayes Code, screwball, romcom) with varying amounts of the holidays in them.
The Thin Man (1934)
A classic mystery and comedy, The Thin Man isn’t what you’d call a cozy Christmas movie; in fact, some moments are quite gritty as atmosphere goes. The first in a six-movie series, The Thin Man follows Nick (a former detective) and Nora (a socialite) Charles, played by William Powell and Myrna Loy respectively, and their wire fox terrier, Asta (Skippy). While visiting New York over the holidays, a reluctant Nick is roped into solving the disappearance of Clyde Wynant (Edward Ellis), the titular thin man, who’s been missing for months and is accused of multiple murders. Finding Wynant, and uncovering the murder, is an amusing journey that leaves one guessing until the dramatic reveal at the end.
This film’s yuletide factor occurs partway through, when Nick and Nora host a memorable Christmas Eve soirée at their hotel, full of raucous and festive fun with players in the mystery making appearances. The next morning, amid the anti-climax of post-gift opening and lingering hangovers, work on the mystery continues. A reminder that murder solving never takes a break —even on Christmas.
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The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
If you haven’t been fortunate enough to work in a busy store during the holiday season, The Shop Around the Corner offers a facsimile experience. The base material for Nora Ephron’s 1998 romcom You’ve Got Mail, Ernst Lubitsch’s film stars Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan, and is highly recognized as a Christmas classic. Alfred Kralik (Stewart) works for Matuschek and Company, a leathergoods store in Budapest, and Klara Novak (Sullavan) is a shop assistant and Kralik’s personal enemy. What neither one of them realizes is that they are each the counterpart to the other’s blossoming romance via letter correspondence.
The clashes of Mr. Kralik and Ms. Novak are almost a sub-plot for the main arc of the film, that of Mr. Matuschek (played by Frank Morgan, the wizard of 1939’s The Wizard of Oz), who grows increasingly depressed due to his greedy (unseen) wife who is having an affair with one of his employees. On believing it to be Mr. Kralik, Matuschek breaks down and attempts suicide. In service to him, his staff performs a wonderful feat on Christmas Eve. Released six years before It’s a Wonderful Life, this other Jimmy Stewart holiday classic offers similarly bittersweet vibes.
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The Man Who Came to Dinner (1941)
A screwball comedy through and through, The Man Who Came to Dinner is based on a play, and makes sense given that the majority of the film takes place in the living room of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley (Grant Mitchell and Billie Burke). The “Man” who has come to dine at their abode is Sheridan “Sherry” Whiteside (Monty Woolley), a radio personality from New York on a lecture tour. Unfortunately for all involved, Whiteside slips on the Stanley’s icy step and must recuperate there in the weeks leading up to the holidays. On threat of lawsuit, Whiteside demands exclusive use of the telephone, living room and library as well as quarters for his longtime secretary, Maggie (Bette Davis).
Whiteside’s disruption of the rhythms of the Stanley household, with constant calls and telegrams and packages from well wishing friends and colleagues, including animals from famous naturalists, leaves his hosts quite exasperated. Everything comes to a delightful head on Christmas Eve, when Whiteside is to broadcast his annual reading of “A Visit from St. Nicholas”. Afterward, the antics of Christmas morning unfold so rapidly, it’s a fun task to keep up.
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Holiday Affair (1949)
A film depicting the aftermath of WWII on the widows and the children left behind, Holiday Affair offers a mature take on the love triangle trope. Connie Ennis (Janet Leigh), a comparative shopper, buys a beautiful toy train from a bustling department store during holiday time. Steve Mason (Robert Mitchum), a veteran and salesman, clocks her right away but doesn’t report her. When she brings the train home for the night her six-year-old son, Timmy (Gordon Gebert), believes the train’s for him. Timmy’s devastation when Connie insists the train is for work is palpable. Little does every one know how much that toy train will change their lives.
The narrative takes place during the week of Christmas to New Year’s Eve, and shows how quickly a relationship can progress. Connie and Steve have chemistry from the start, but she’s been seeing lawyer Carl Davis (Wendell Corey) for a while and he wants to marry her. A sweet story of loss, Holiday Affair is about the courage to move forward by taking a leap into the unfamiliar.
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Desk Set (1957)
An excellent early example of the threat of artificial intelligence harming the workforce, Desk Set is about the reference department of the Federal Broadcasting Network. The department, led by Katharine Hepburn’s Bunny Watson, fields calls from those wanting this or that information confirmed or fact checked. Three gals work with Bunny, and each is equally impressive to watch, as they quote poetry stanzas from memory or hit the stacks to look up an answer. They’re perfectly competent and in sync, but their harmony is put in jeopardy by Richard Sumner (Spencer Tracy) whose early computer called EMERAC (“Emmy”) is to be installed in the reference department and will—presumably — be the end for the “girls in research”.
The reference crew’s gradual warming to Richard (Bunny especially) earns him an invitation to join the festivities of the office’s Christmas party. It’s one uninhibited celebration, filled with music, dancing, and never-ending champagne. But the arrival of Sumner’s assistant, with confirmation of EMERAC’s impending arrival, shatters the jovial mood, and Bunny and her morose team wait for their pink slips. Never fear, there’s a twist. Bonus: This film portrays a romance between people in their fifties—an often unexplored storyline, even today.
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These movies are suitable for film studies classes and public library screenings alike. As is the case with any historic media, viewers should be prepared for potential language and humor which is no longer in common use. Browse through Video Librarian’s archive of classic film reviews for further inspiration.