Five Favourite Classic Christmas Movies

For today's Five Favourites over at Moxie Wife I decided to share my top five favourite classic movies!

Of course, I didn't list It's a Wonderful Life because I feel that one goes without saying, but I do watch old movies all the time and have loved them forever so I thought I'd extol my other faves this holiday season so they can bring some Christmas magic your way!

1.

Holiday Inn

Some say Holiday Inn is another version of White Christmas. And some people are just plain wrong. There are many similarities, but where White Christmas oozes sophistication, Holiday Inn is more homey and comedic - of course, Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire are amazing to watch together.

Fred Astaire plays a charming but entertaining jerk, and his dancing adds magic to every scene. Bing is the best and seems to have chemistry with every actor he is cast with, this movie is no exception! He croons delightfully through the different holiday songs, throws in a well timed joke, and basically makes you fall in love with him every time. The movie somehow weaves together songs from other holidays while still feeling like a "Christmas" movie. I watch it every year and it makes me happy with each viewing.

Sidenote: I think I pretended to run an Inn every Christmas as a kid...I've watched these movies A LOT.

2.

The Bishop's Wife

A charming, romantic, tale of an angel coming to earth to help a bishop remember that love begins at home. Cary Grant is perfectly debonair as the angel of any woman's dreams who reminds Loretta Young what she loves most about her husband, played wonderfully by David Niven.

So, yes its theologically inaccurate. But just ignore the theological errors and focus on Cary Grant's awesome debounair-ness. He makes it really easy to forget theological inaccuracies, but don't tell anyone I said that! Loretta Young is so sweet, David Niven is so stuck-up, and the skating scene is one of my favourites from any movie. And the boys choir just means Christmas to me!

3.

The Shop Around the Corner

This movie is the same basic story as You've Got Mail, BUT its still one of my favourite holiday movies, most likely because of Jimmy Stewart, but also from the quirky supporting cast. There is also the wonderful Christmas feel of a time gone by, the hustle and bustle of preparing for Christmas around the shop, and I love its emphsis on the community that's built from the people who work at the shop.

4.

Meet Me in St. Louis

One of my all-time favourite movies of which I know all the songs and dialogue by heart. This is a wonderful Judy Garland musical, all the songs are a treat, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" became famous from this movie. Another great aspect of the story of Judy Garland as a teenage daughter in turn of the century St. Louis, is that it is such a great family movie that actually portrays a real family! A family who doesn't always get along, who tease each other, it even features children of a wide age difference, but who care deeply about their home and each other. Judy Garland is at her best, the costumes are a hoot, and the production is perfect. A wonderful family story perfect for Christmas. Love.

5.

White Christmas

To me, this movie is perfect. Bing Crosby singing. Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen in the best dresses by Edith Head. Danny Kaye hilarity. Gorgeous set design and the perfect mix of music and snappy dialogue. I just adore it all. I love the storyline, and its perfect mix of holiday and romance. It defines the classic movie to me. Its not Christmas till I sit down and watch this one,  pure happiness!

Now, what are your fave Christmas movies?

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