Merry Christmas!

Unfortunately, I've been too busy to participate in Diana's wonderful Christmas List blogathon, so I just wanted to quickly wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays, everybody! :)

More Classic Movie Stars Holiday Memories.

Martha Sleeper

Marilyn Monroe

Norma Shearer

Merry Christmas Pictures From all of us here at N and CF.

Carole Lombard

Betty Compson

Carole Lombard

Louise Brooks

Alice White

It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947).

It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947). Comedy, directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Victor Moore, Ann Harding, Don DeFore and Gale Storm. The film received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Story.

On New York City's Fifth Avenue, a tour bus guide points out the boarded-up townhouse of Michael O'Connor, the world's second richest man. A middle-aged drifter and his faithful dog Sam, come out of hiding and enter the O'Connor house through a loose board in the fence.

Meanwhile, O'Connor evicts the tenants of one of his city apartment houses in order to build an eighty story building. One of his tenants, Jim Bullock, has no where to go ends up sleeping on a park bench, where he meets, "Mac.". Who, invites Jim to stay with him at O'Connor's townhouse, where he has lived for the last three winters.

As O'Connor, makes plans to buy the deserted army camp Kilson, he learns that his daughter Trudy, has run away from school. When Trudy shows up at the townhouse, Jim, feeling sorry for her lets her stay. For now Trudy, wants to keep her identity a secret. When the patrole men come to check on the house, Mac tells everyone to hide and then feels forced to tell them that he really is a trespasser.

Later, Jim meets two friends from the service, Hank and Whitey and their families who are living in a car and invites them to stay with them. Mac, Jim, Whitey and Hank, begin making plans to build housing project and decide to bid on Camp Kilson.

When O'Connor arrives, he finds Trudy leaving for her new job at a music shop, he orders her to go back to school. She insists that she wants to be with, Jim. Now, O'Connor wants to meet Jim and poses as a drifter to hide his idenity and Trudy and Jim convince Mac to allow O'Connor to move into the mansion.

It is not long before O'Connor, has had enough of everyone living in his house and threatens to call the police. Trudy sends for her mother, who years before divorced O'Connor because his business came first. On Christmas Eve, Mary and O'Connor rekindle their love.

When Mary, finds out that O'Connor, outbid Jim on Camp Kilson and then tried to give him a job in Bolivia, to take him away from Trudy. Mary, has a change of heart.

O'Connor, wanting to please his family lets Jim buy the camp. On New Year's Eve, the house guests all celebrate and O'Connor tells Mary that next November, Mac will be coming through the front door.

Video: Celebrating Christmas....



It Happened on 5th Avenue, will tug at your heart strings and may become one of your favorite Christmas films. It has a wonderful line, "A man without friends is the most serious form of poverty".

Dorothea Kent (21 June 1916 – 23 August 1990). She performed in 42 films between 1935 and 1948. In addition to her credited roles, she also had roles in 6 other films, including her last role in the 1948 film. The Babe Ruth Story.

Beyond Tomorrow (1940).

Beyond Tomorrow (1940). Fantasy film directed by A. Edward Sutherland. Released by 20th Century Fox under the title: Beyond Christmas. Cast: Harry Carey, Aubrey Smith, Charles Winninger, Alex Melesh as Josef, Maria Ouspenskaya, Helen Vinson, Rod La Rocque, Richard Carlson and Jean Parker.

Three wealthy lonely elderly men, Michael O'Brien, Allan Chadwick and George Melton, are planning on Christmas Eve alone, after their Christmas guest cancel, when Michael suggests that they toss three wallets, out the window and ask who ever returns them to stay for dinner.

They give a beautiful mink coat, to their Russian housekeeper and friend, Madame Tanya, who is over come with their kindness..

George, is certain that no one would will return the wallets and just as they are about to begin to sit down to Christmas dinner. Down on his luck, Texan James Houston and clinic worker Jean Lawrence, both return the wallets. Jimmy and Jean, fall in love over dinner and soon spend all their time with Michael, Allan and George, until the three men tragically die in a plane crash.

After the accident, the three men return as ghosts, but only Madame Tanya, feel their presence. Michael has left Jimmy, some money with which he uses to launch his singing career. Because of the circumstances surrounding his inheritance, he attracts the attention of radio radio star, Arlene Terry. It is not long before Jimmy, begins to neglect Jean and makes plans with Arlene to go away for the weekend.

Soon after George is called to heaven and Allan is called to heaven by his son David, a solider killed in World War I. Michael is also called to heaven but refuses to go because he wants to help Jimmy, even if it means he has to stay on earth for eternity.

Arlene's jealous, husband fatally shoots Jimmy at the country inn. Jimmy is rushed to the hospital, where he dies on the operating table and now Jimmy, is able to see Michael. Jimmy, realizes that he has made a terrible mistake and Michael asks God to give Jimmy another chance. Will Jimmy receive another chance and will Michael go on to be with his son in heaven ?

This is an extremely enjoyable movie to add to your Christmas treasured list of films. You will need the whole box of Kleenex for this Christmas classic.

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Helen Vinson (September 17, 1907 – October 7, 1999). Vinson was often featured in roles in which she played the part of the other woman or (pre-Code). Her first film role was in, Jewel Robbery (1932), which starred William Powell and Kay Francis. She performed as Doris Dulafield in, The Kennel Murder Case, which starred Powell. One of her memorable roles was in, The Wedding Night (1935). She played the wife of Gary Cooper and the rival of Anna Sten, in a story about the Connecticut tobacco fields. Another performance was in the film, In Name Only (1939), in which she was cast as the treacherous friend of Carole Lombard, Kay Francis and Cary Grant. Another well known role for Vinson was as an undercover federal agent posing as a femme fatale in the film, Enemy Agent (1940). She followed that role with the role of Helen Draque in, The Thin Man Goes Home.

Jean Parker (August 11, 1915 – November 30, 2005). She was discovered by Ida Koverman, secretary to MGM mogul Louis B. Mayer, after she saw a poster featuring Parker portraying Father Time.

She performed in important roles such as Beth in the original, Little Women, she also performed in the films, Lady for a Day and Gabriel Over the White House, Sequoia, Limehouse Blues, The Ghost Goes West, Rasputin and the Empress, with the Barrymore siblings (John, Ethel, and Lionel) in the only movie they all made together. In 1939, she starred opposite Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in, The Flying Deuces.

In the 40s, she performed in the film, Dead Man's Eyes. Parker managed her own airport and flying service with then-husband Doug Dawson in Palm Springs, California until shortly after the start of World War II. During the war, she toured many of the veteran hospitals throughout the U.S. In the 1950s, Parker co-starred opposite Edward G. Robinson in, Black Tuesday, had a small role in, The Gunfighter and performed in another western, Lawless Street (1955). Her last film performance was in, Apache Uprising (1966).

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Christmas, all the presents of your dreams, and the warming presence of those you love and those who love you in return!

Merry Christmas

A Christmas story that you will not soon forget: All Mine to Give(1957).

All Mine to Give(1957). Drama starring: Glynis Johns, Cameron Mitchell, and Rex Thompson. This story is based on a true-life story set in Wisconsin.

The film is told in flashback, while pulling one of his sisters in a sled through the snow on Christmas Eve, young Robbie thinks about how his family was before their lives began to fall apart:

Just off the ship from Scotland, Robert and his pregnant wife Mamie come to America to begin their new lives.. They are very disappointed to find that Mamie's uncle, had died in a fire three weeks before. The couple can not believe when their neighbors help them to rebuild the cabin.

After Robbie is born, Rob, walks to a logging camp twenty-five miles from home looking for work. Tom Cullen, hires Rob as a cutter, but when Cullen calls him a "Nordsky," Rob, informs him that he is Scottish. Cullen, rarely allows him to go home to see his family. Rob, at the end of his rope challenges his boss to a fight. When Rob wins the fight Cullen, begins calling him "Scotty" and they become good friends.

Rob, wanting to spend more time with his family returns to building his boats after the birth of his son, Jimmie. During the next few blissful years, Mamie and Rob have four more children: Kirk, Annabelle, Elizabeth and Jane.

One day, Kirk, becomes ill with diphtheria and Dr. Delbert, quarantines the house. The rest of the family stay in an abandoned cabin in the woods, while Mamie nurses Kirk back to health. After a couple of weeks, Rob and the very dirty children happily return home, Rob begins coughing.(You will want to keep the Kleenex box in your lap for the rest of the film.)

Mamie, takes care of Rob until his death and then takes in sewing to support her children. Around Christmas Mamie, comes down with typhoid fever. Mamie calls Robbie, to her bedside and asks him to find good homes for the children, after she dies.

During Mamie's funeral, Mrs. Runyon cruelly asks what they are to do with six orphans. Robbie, asks that they be allowed to spend their last Christmas together and Dr. Delbert agrees. After, his brothers and sisters have fallen asleep, Robbie and Jimmie decide which families the children would be happy living with. On Christmas Day, Robbie visits each of the families hoping that they have the Christmas spirit in their hearts to take them in:

Annabelle, is given to the Tylers, as they are just sitting down to Christmas dinner. The family Robbie has chosen for Lizzie is away for the holidays, so he asks childless couple who teach at the school to take her.

When they arrive back at the cabin, Mrs. Runyon, is trying to leave with baby Jane. The brothers bar the door, but Mrs. Runyon promises to return later for Jane.

Realizing, he has run out of time to send Kirk to the family he had selected for him, Robbie gruffly sends his tearful brother to another family. This all takes its toll on Robbie and he collapses, by a tree that they all craved their names on. He soon gets it together and says goodbye to Jimmie. As Jimmie knocks on the door of Mrs. Raiden, whose daughters were always calling him "cute," Robbie loads Jane into a small sled and pulls her ten miles, until he finds a cosy looking home with a kindly woman, who agrees to take them both in. Robbie is tempted for a minute and then continues through the snow back to Cullen's logging camp.

A wonderfully heart-warming movie about a large family, who's troubles lead to an extremely heart-breaking conclusion, that you will never forget. All the children give wonderfully, believable performances

Video: First of 11.

Hope Emerson (October 29, 1897 – April 25, 1960). Made her film debut in Smiling Faces (1932). In the 1940s, Emerson was well known as the voice of Elsie the Cow in Borden Milk commercials on radio.

Standing 6 ft 2 in, Emerson's most memorable performances were a circus strong woman in the film, Adam's Rib who lifts Spencer Tracy up in the air (1949), in the film noir, Cry of the City (1948) and as a mail-order bride in, Westward the Women (1952). Her most famous role, was as prison matron Evelyn Harper in the film, Caged (1950) which landed her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.