My Christmas Wish

If you were expecting a critique on the recent Toronto-Seattle swap, never fear , it's in the works, likely once we confirm the minor leaguer.

In the meantime here are a few Holiday Treasures

My top 10 Christmas movies/specials

#10 - A Charlie Brown Christmas - who does not love the spirit Charlie displays in the face of
commercialism. Loo Loo Loo Loo Loo Loo Loo Loo Loo
#9 - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - this one has taken a few years to grow on me, it
was not my generation, but has now become a cannot miss, for Chevy Chase steadfast
belief and stoic devotion to all his holiday rituals. Play Ball !!
# 8 - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer , oh c'mon, I was 9 years old when this came out, my
gawd, this was fabulous animation, and familiar Canadian voices of Paul Soles, Carl Banas
and Larry Mann ( aka Yukon Cornelius ) Still watch it today.
# 7 - The Bishop's Wife - Cary Grant's performance as an angel sent to earth to grant the wish
David Niven is one of his best, ever. Angels of course are not to fall in love for the other
guys wife, and so it becomes complex for Grant, while he tries to help Niven.
# 6 - Scrooged - I am a sucker for Bill Murray movies, and he sells this new age version of
Dickens favorite Humbug. Bobcat Goldthwait as his Cratchit is wonderful, as is Carol
Kane as the Ghost of Christmas present is priceless. Throw in a sappy Annie Lennox
Christmas song at the end, and cue the snow.
# 5 - A Christmas Story - "You'll shoot your eye out ", so much of this was filmed in Toronto,
that it seemed so genuine, despite being set in the radio age of the 1940's. Darren
McGavin steals every scene he is in, as the embattled patriarch of the Parker family.
My 3 fave scenes are - Chinese Turkey ( a duck, still with the head attached )
Next is Ralphie finally getting his revenge on the school bully.
Finally it is McGavin receiving a large wooden crate ( his major award ) , a lamp
that is in the shape of a woman's leg.
# 4 - Miracle on 34th Street ( the original ) - Edmund Gwynn as Kris Kringle, heck , he had
me convinced he was Santa, and please never colourise this version.

# 3 - A Christmas Carol ( 1951 ) with veteran British actor Alister Sim, is still the
quintessential Ebeneezer Scrooge. Odd story about Sim, he was not the studios 1st
choice, it was veteran actor and the radio voice of Scrooge for years, Lionell Barrymore.
Yup, Drew's great , great grandad. He was ill and could not play the role on film, and he
suggested Sim for the part. Humbug !

# 2 - White Christmas - not the first time Irving Berlin's song was sung, but the best
rendition, in my opinion ( Sorry Wallace ) . Danny K aye and Bing Crosby playing ex
WW 2 marines staging a holiday performance for their long retired ex commander.
Has all that good Christmas schmaltz I like, pass the eggnog.....

# 1 - It's a Wonderful Life. and just typing this out, I get that good George Bailey feeling.
Not even the director Frank Capra thought this post war film about a family business
in a small town in BedfordFalls, Minnesota would have the mass appeal and staying
power. Grab your kleenix at the end, and raise a glass to the riches it brings you.
So c'mon Michelle, give it a watch.