Top 5: Traditional Christmas Movies

For me, it isn't a proper Christmas until I get to watch all the right holiday movies. There are probably more movies about Christmas than there are about other holidays and something tells me they've been making them since the beginning of film. These are my favorite traditional holiday films - come back next Monday for my favorite modern holiday movies!

5. A Christmas Story (1983)

You're probably thinking that this should be on the modern holiday film list, but as it was created before I was born, I consider it a classic. Oh, the pains of childhood and awkward gifts from family members. There's a reason it plays for 24 hours straight during the holiday season. What would Christmas be without sexy leg lamps, after all?




 4. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

When you need a heartwarming movie to reassure you that the magic of the holidays isn't entirely lost, watch this classic charmer. With Maureen O'Hara and an adorable young Natalie Wood, a character named Kris Kringle and even the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, it's hard to imagine the holiday season without this movie.




 3. It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

George Bailey is America's favorite everyman, and we can't let Christmas go by without playing this film multiple times. Each year through George we realize how special we are and how much more there is to Christmas than money. Even 65 years later it's still poignant and lovely. There's a rumor that Muppet characters Bert and Ernie are named after the cop and the cab driver, but even if it's false I like to believe that beloved Sesame Street characters are somehow tied to one of the most beloved Christmas movies.




 2. The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

I don't know what it is about Jimmy Stewart that makes him perfect for holiday films, but he definitely used it to his advantage. This delightful rom-com about conflicting employees who fall in love through a series of anonymous pen pal letters should sound familiar as it inspired the 1949 film In the Good Old Summertime with Judy Garland and Van Johnson and 1998's You've Got Mail with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. The 90s version is a great remake, with lots of references to this in the details, but this version is still my favorite.



1. White Christmas (1954)

Bing Crosby. Rosemary Clooney. Irving Berlin soundtrack. A surprise snowstorm and nearly perfect Norman Rockwell ending makes this my personal favorite Christmas movie. This photo is from my favorite scene, where the guys cover for the women by dressing up as them and lip-synching to a record during one of their performances. Why they felt obligated to roll up their pant legs and show their sock garters I'll never know, but sure makes for a hilarious segment. You can watch it here: "Sisters"