Our first clip comes from the classic detective film The Thin Man (1935), in which the film's two protagonists, Nick and Nora Charles hold an impromptu Christmas party for Nick's old cop friends (from when he used to be on the force). Considering that Nick and Nora both consider themselves professional drinkers, it is no surprise that their party is teeming with booze, dancing, and one sad drunk desperately trying to call his dear old sweet, Ma. Here's the clip...
Our second clip comes from Billy Wilder's Oscar winning film The Apartment (1960). Behold the wonder of the office Christmas party in the sixties. Men and their mistress secretaries smooch in the open, women dance salaciously on the desk tops, and the alcohol never stops. Dionysus himself would be proud. Take a look...
We travel a decade later in our third and final clip, to another Academy Award winning film, Woody Allen's Annie Hall (1977). For this party we see our romantic leads Alvy and Annie (played by Allen and Diane Keaton) head off to a California Christmas party, with all the schmoozing. There's groovy music, drinks, executives trying to get meetings, and Jeff Goldblum looking for his mantra. Funny thing is, it seems to be the most sedate of all three parties. Here's it is...
