Classic Christmas Movies (but not the good ones)

'Tis the season for classic Christmas movies! Of course, everyone who enjoys watching It's a Wonderful Life claims to love old movies, and that film IS one of my favorites too, but I thought I'd list a few Golden Age Christmas movies here that aren't as well known; they're also not nearly as GOOD:

I watched Christmas in Connecticut after one of my friends mentioned it; I had seen it listed on Amazon and decided to give it a try. I like Barbara Stanwyck, but this movie had a really predictable storyline that took waaaaaaaaaaay too long to wrap up.

Thinking about this bad Christmas movie reminded me of another film I watched years ago which was also underwhelming:

I appreciate Cary Grant, but he's never been one of my favorites. He always seems too smug and very entitled, like the woman he's pursuing should be ecstatic that he's noticed her, and she should choose him by default. The Bishop's Wife casts him as an angel, sent down to Earth to provide guidance to a man in distress about a financial problem (hmmmmm.  .  .does that seem a little familiar?) So this angel falls in love with the wife of the guy he's supposed to be helping and wants her to choose him over her husband.  .  .see what I mean?

I know most people like to watch White Christmas this time of year, but the song was first featured in this movie:

Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire are performers who often compete for the love of the same women. Bing says "eff this" and quits show business to live on a farm. The songs are good, even if the story isn't fantastic. However, the scene where everyone dresses up in blackface makeup and puts on a minstrel show, in honor of Abraham Lincoln's birthday, is truly cringe-worthy.

 And if you like seeing Gene Kelly as a murdering gangster, rather than the lovesick tap dancer we love him as, then you won't want to miss:

It's called Christmas Holiday because it begins at Christmas time, but the main portion of the story is told in a flashback sequence. The language used when describing Deanna Durbin's place of work is intentionally vague, thanks to the Hayes Code, because the book it's based on is about a prostitute in a brothel. Nothing says "Merry Christmas" like a visit to the old whore house! 

I enjoy discovering films that are obscure, or at least under the radar, and sometimes I find one that's a real jem. But just because they're from the Golden Age doesn't mean they're all amazing. 

I think I'll stick to It's a Wonderful Life, The Bells of St. Mary's and even The Trouble with Angels. The last one is from the 60's, not the Golden Age, but I think it's better than the ones I've described above.